The Collegiate School of Memphis pictured here in 2020, and an ABC grant recipient in 2024. File photo: Leigh Tatum
What’s happening: A total of 32 West Tennessee nonprofit organizations will share $86,080 in grants from
ARTSmemphis, the prolific art-funding nonprofit that’s based in Memphis and supports the arts throughout the Mid-South. The grants come as part of the nonprofit’s Arts Build Communities program, which operates in partnership with the
Tennessee Arts Commission.
What it is: The
Arts Builds Communities (ABC) program was created to support local art and culture projects that make the arts more accessible to more people, improve quality of life issues, and enhance the sustainability of the organizations responsible.
“The ABC grant is an ideal entry point for nonprofits to understand our approach to funding and to begin developing a deeper and long-lasting partnership,” says Elizabeth Rouse, President and CEO of ARTSmemphis.
Winners circle: A total of $86,080 is being distributed to 32 organizations in this latest round of ABC grants. Grant totals vary from organization to organization, but are capped out at $5,000 per recipient. See the sidebar for a list of organizations and their corresponding projects receiving ABC grants in 2024.
What they’re saying: “We are proud to have grown the number of ABC grant recipients this year,” says Rouse. “And thanks to the generosity of the Tennessee Arts Commission, this is the second year in a row that we’ve been able to increase our maximum grants from $3,500 to $5,000 per organization and expand support to even more counties in West Tennessee.”
More art, more news: ARTSmemphis and the Music Export Memphis nonprofit have partnered to launch a new Artist Emergency Fund for those Shelby County artists faced with unexpected hardships. Musicians can visit Music Export Memphis
online for more information about the fund, while all non-musician artists can learn more by visiting ARTSmemphis
online.
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