Widely varied opinions flood Metro Arts meeting on grant funding

After months of confusion and delays, Metro Arts is one step closer to funding artists and arts nonprofits for the current fiscal year. Last week, the city agency was explaining its reworked grant funding plan and gathering feedback at a series of community listening sessions.

A rainy night after a presidential election meant lots of empty seats at the first of these meetings, at East Park Community Center on Wednesday. But there was a lively discussion among members of the Nashville arts community who showed up.

First on the agenda, Metro Arts grants manager Sydnie Davis outlined two possibilities for how operating grants to arts nonprofits would be distributed this year. Because of a smaller grants budget, one proposal would give all returning grantees half of what they got last year. An alternate plan would give organizations a flat fee based on their budget size, but would be more selective about which of them receive funding.

But most questions and comments from the audience pertained to Metro Arts’ revamped Thrive program, which will also likely be announced in the next few months. Thrive used to give money directly to independent artists, but that violates state law. Now, it’s likely that individual artists will need to choose a fiscal agent — a nonprofit that will apply for money on their behalf.

More: What is Thrive? Inside Metro Arts’ closely scrutinized, equity-focused funding program

Nicole Minyard runs Daybreak Arts, which supports artists who are experiencing homelessness. She worried that the new system would restrict artists’ freedom.

“Now, the fiscal sponsors, they have the power to decide what art gets created, what is art, what art is valuable,” she said.

But singer-songwriter Christina Barclay said she doesn’t mind the change, and thinks it makes sense for local artists to have relationships with local nonprofits.

“You should already have those people in your network because that’s the client essentially,” she said.

After Friday’s final, online listening session, the Metro Arts Commission and Metro Council planned to sign off on a grantmaking plan. Then, a panel of community members will score the grant applications submitted back in January. That will determine how much money the selected artists and organizations get.