Grants for artists and creatives
Grants that Tennessee artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers and other creatives can apply for on their own. We list fellowships, project grants and emergency funds open to Tennesseans.
Federal programs artists win
Federal arts grants almost never go to individual artists. The National Endowment for the Arts' project grants go to organizations. It also sends money to the Tennessee Arts Commission each year, and the Commission runs its own artist fellowship. In federal award data (USAspending.gov and federal audit reports) we found no awards to individual Tennessee artists, so we don't list federal programs here. Tennessee fellowships, local artist grants and emergency funds are below. Foundations listed gave to Tennessee arts councils and artist groups, from IRS filings.
Open and opening-soon grants for this work
- Master Artist Apprentice Program (MAAP) 2027 · Tennessee Craft (with Tennessee Arts Commission) · Due Nov 7, 2026 · 29 days left · Up to $1,900
- Artist-in-Residence Fellowship 2027-28 · Newberry Library · Due Jan 15, 2027 · 98 days left · Up to $3,000
- Poets Laureate Fellowships · Academy of American Poets · Next round: about Jan 16 – Mar 24, 2027 (estimate) · Up to $50K
- Teaching Artist Cohort grants · Center for Craft · Next round: about Apr 3 – May 4, 2027 (estimate) · Up to $10K
- Cullman Center Fellowships (2027-28) · New York Public Library (Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers) · Next round: due about Sep 25, 2027 (estimate) · Up to $90K
- Grants to visual artists · The Pollock-Krasner Foundation · No deadline listed: see the official notice · Up to $50K
- Emergency Relief Grant (craft artists) · CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund) · No deadline listed: see the official notice · Up to $3,000
- Craft Artists from Underrepresented Populations Scholarship (professional development funds) · Tennessee Craft · No deadline listed: see the official notice · Up to $500
Every grant that fits, as individual artist or creative Foundations that fund this work Follow new ones by RSS
Tennessee programs that fund this work
- Merch Fund · Music Export Memphis · Due Oct 15, 2026 · 6 days left
- Ambassador Tour Grant · Music Export Memphis · Due Oct 15, 2026 · 6 days left
- Access/VSA International Young Musicians Program · The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Office of Access/VSA) · Due Nov 19, 2026 · 41 days left
- Individual Artist Fellowship – FY28 · Tennessee Arts Commission · Due Jan 15, 2027 · 98 days left
- Get Ready Grant (craft artist emergency preparedness) · CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund) · Opens Jan 12, 2027 · due Feb 16, 2027
- Artist Grants for puppet theater (Workshop, Production and Family Grants) · The Jim Henson Foundation · Next round: due about Mar 3, 2027 (estimate)
- Thrive Project Grants · Metro Nashville Arts Commission · Opens May 8, 2027 · due about Jun 26, 2027 (estimate)
- Emerging Traditional Artists Program (ETAP) · South Arts · Next round: about Jul 15 – Sep 30, 2027 (estimate)
- Southern Prize for Literature (2026) · South Arts · Next round: about Aug 12 – Oct 7, 2027 (estimate)
- GRACE Fund (Giving Relief to Arts & Culture in Emergencies) · Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Mural Funding Request (Public Art Mural Program) · City of Johnson City Public Art Committee · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Artist Emergency Fund · ARTSmemphis · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Community Cultural Connections (CCC) Grants 2026-27 · ArtsBuild · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Financial Assistance (medical, mental health, disaster, older musicians) · Sweet Relief Musicians Fund · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Musicians' Emergency Fund (housing and emergency assistance) · Jazz Foundation of America · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Marketing Grant (tour promotion) · Music Export Memphis · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Publicity Grant (album/EP release PR) · Music Export Memphis · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Financial Assistance Grants for professional musicians · Musicians Foundation · No deadline listed: see the official notice
- Education, Arts and Animal Welfare Grants · Julia C. West Foundation · No deadline listed: see the official notice
Foundations that funded Tennessee artists
From their IRS filings. Foundations that accept applications are listed first.
| Foundation | Based in | Funded | Total | How to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J R Hyde III Foundation | TN | Artsmemphis; Music Export Memphis | $513K | Takes applications |
| Public Welfare Foundation Inc. | DC | Memphis Artists for Change | $100K | Takes applications |
| Lillian L Colby Charitable Foundation | TN | Artsbuild | $50K | Takes applications |
| The Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation | TN | Memphis Black Arts Alliance; Music Export Memphis | $50K | Takes applications |
| Bailey Family Foundation | TN | Arts & Culture Alliance | $45K | Takes applications |
| Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation | NC | Memphis Artists for Change | $30K | Takes applications |
| George R Johnson Family Foundation | TN | Artsbuild | $25K | Takes applications |
| Weldon F Osborne Foundation Inc. | TN | Artsbuild | $20K | Takes applications |
| T W Briggs Foundation Inc. | TN | Music Export Memphis | $15K | Takes applications |
| Kennedy Foundation Inc. | TN | Artsbuild | $10K | Takes applications |
| Publix Super Markets Charities Inc. | FL | Tennessee Association of Craft Artists | $8,000 | Takes applications |
| Tucker Foundation | TN | Artsbuild | $6,000 | Takes applications |
| Hacker and Kitty Caldwell Family Foundation Inc. | TN | Artsbuild | $4,000 | Takes applications |
| Mary G K Fox Foundation | TN | Greeneville Arts Council | $2,750 | Takes applications |
| American Water Charitable Foundationinc | NJ | Artsbuild | $2,500 | Takes applications |
| Bailey & Lucy Evans Foundation | TN | Bedford County Arts Council | $1,100 | Takes applications |
| New Georgia Project Inc. | GA | Memphis Artists for Change | $250K | How to apply: not stated |
| Stand for Children Leadership Center | OR | Memphis Artists for Change | $76K | How to apply: not stated |
| Christian Community Foundation of Memphis and the Mid-South Inc. | TN | Artsmemphis; Memphis Music Export; Music Export Memphis | $71K | How to apply: not stated |
| Faith in Action Network | CA | Memphis Artists for Change | $70K | How to apply: not stated |
| The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc. | TN | Artsbuild | $67K | How to apply: not stated |
| Artsmemphis | TN | Memphis Black Arts Alliance; Music Export Memphis | $53K | How to apply: not stated |
| Power Coalition for Equity and Justice | LA | Memphis Artists for Change | $50K | How to apply: not stated |
| Borealis Philanthropy | MN | Memphis Artists for Change | $50K | How to apply: not stated |
| Memphis Equity Through Arts Inc. | TN | Memphis Black Arts Alliance | $45K | How to apply: not stated |
| South Arts Inc. | GA | Tennessee Arts Commission | $40K | How to apply: not stated |
| New Venture Fund | DC | Artsbuild; Memphis Artists for Change | $40K | How to apply: not stated |
| Solidaire Network Inc. | CA | Memphis Artists for Change | $40K | How to apply: not stated |
| Jewish Foundation of Memphis | TN | Artsmemphis | $38K | How to apply: not stated |
| The Howard Fund | TN | Artsbuild | $38K | How to apply: not stated |
Tennessee peers: see who funds them
- Artsbuild Chattanooga · 23 foundations
- Memphis Artists for Change Memphis · 17 foundations
- Artsmemphis Memphis · 10 foundations
- Music Export Memphis Memphis · 9 foundations
- Memphis Black Arts Alliance Memphis · 5 foundations
- Tennessee Craft Nashville · 4 foundations
- Jackson Arts Council Jackson · 3 foundations
- Bedford County Arts Council Shelbyville · 2 foundations
- Arts & Culture Alliance Knoxville · 2 foundations
- Greeneville Arts Council Greeneville · 2 foundations
- Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville Nashville · 2 foundations
- Paris-Henry County Arts Council Paris · 2 foundations
Eligibility tips
- The Tennessee Arts Commission's Individual Artist Fellowship is $5,000, with no project or match required. You must be 18 or older, a working professional artist, and have lived in Tennessee for the past three years in a row. Tennessee Arts Commission
- The National Endowment for the Arts' Grants for Arts Projects do not fund individual artists. Only nonprofits, governments and tribes with at least five years of arts programming can apply. To use NEA money for your work, team up with one of them. National Endowment for the Arts
- Many local artist grants are for one county only. ARTSmemphis's ARTSassist, for example, requires living in Shelby County for at least three years. Grants to artists count as taxable income; ARTSmemphis sends winners a Form 1099. ARTSmemphis
- Foundations that gave to Tennessee arts councils and artist groups are listed below. Who funded this group?
Checked Oct 9, 2026.