Representative Richard Floyd (R-Chattanooga), representing the 27th District, has released the list of grant award recipients from the Tennessee Arts Commission for Fiscal Year 2013 (July 1, 2012 – June 30, 2013) in his district.
These include: Ballet Tennessee in the Arts Education-Community Learning and Partnership Support categories, Tennessee Presenters Corporation in the Arts Project Support category and Jon (Shadow) May in the Individual Artist Fellowship category.
In announcing the awards, Rep. Floyd emphasized the contributions the arts make to the quality of life in Tennessee communities. He said, “the Tennessee Arts Commission’s matching grants are made possible through an appropriation of state funds by the General Assembly, federal dollars from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by Tennesseans who purchase specialty license plates.”
Bob Wormsley, incoming chair of the Commission said, “This state is indeed fortunate to have elected leaders who support the work of the Tennessee Arts Commission in building better communities through the arts.”
According to Mr. Wormsley, the Commission will award over 900 grants during Fiscal Year 2013, totaling more than $7.5 million dollars. These funds have a direct impact on communities across Tennessee, in both urban and rural areas. Grant categories include: Arts Access, Arts Education, Arts Project Support, Partnership Support, Individual Artist Fellowships, Major Cultural Institutions, Rural Arts Project Support, Student Ticket Subsidy, Technical Assistance, Touring, Special Opportunities, and Professional Development Support.
The Commission’s allocations process involves a review by citizen advisory panels made up of Tennesseans with expertise in appropriate arts disciplines and a review by the full 15-member Tennessee Arts Commission.
“We were pleased with the amount of funding available to our grantees, and we are so grateful to Governor Haslam and the General Assembly for recognizing the importance of the arts to all Tennesseans,” said Mr. Wormsley. "Approximately $5.8 million of the Commission’s grant funding is made possible through the sale of specialty and collegiate license plates which Tennesseans voluntarily purchase each year.”
Additional information on grant programs offered by the Tennessee Arts Commission is available at: www.tn.gov/arts.