Paulette Coleman took over after last year’s chaotic grants cycle. Her resignation means Metro Arts has to navigate a precarious situation without its director.
The key question that caused chaos at Metro Arts in 2024
The debate can be summed up like this: should Metro Arts focus its grantmaking on individual artists or arts nonprofits? The issue has divided Nashville’s arts community.
Top Nashville Metro Arts staffers resign as future of arts grants remains uncertain
Three management-level staff members at Metro Arts announced their resignations at a commission meeting Thursday. One by one, the communications manager, public art manager, and finance and operations director stepped down. The commissioners barely reacted, other than thanking the staff members for their work.
Metro Arts likely won’t fund artists and cultural organizations until 2025
Metro Arts staffers need time to come up with a new grant scoring policy and to figure out how to manage the Thrive program for independent artists.
What is Thrive? Inside Metro Arts’ closely scrutinized, equity-focused funding program
The program’s future is in question because of its direct support of projects by individual artists, which might violate state law.
Some Nashville artists will get additional payments, resolving a discrimination complaint against Metro Arts
Nashville’s Metro Human Relations Commission has approved a resolution to a discrimination complaint filed last fall against Metro Arts.
Audit reveals improper hiring practices and grant irregularities inside Metro Arts
Metro Arts violated multiple government policies in the last two years, according to a report released Wednesday from the city’s internal auditor. This comes after the agency struggled for months to pay artists and arts organizations the grant money they were promised.
Artists waiting for Metro Arts Thrive funding will receive key updates this week
Artists who received funding from last year’s Thrive program should expect a letter in the next few days detailing how much money they will receive.
When will Metro Arts grant recipients be paid? Details remain murky
Nashville’s Finance Director, Kevin Crumbo, has not given a timeline for the payments, or explained how Metro Arts will be involved in the process.
Metro Finance will release long-held arts funding, but will temporarily take over the Metro Arts budget
Nashville artists and arts organizations that have been waiting for months to receive half the grant money promised by Metro Arts in 2023 finally have reason to be hopeful. However, serious questions remain about the future of arts funding in the city.
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