Current Art Fund - Project Grants for Tennessee Artists

Current Art Fund - Project Grants for Tennessee Artists

Funder: Tri-Star Arts, in partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Regional Regranting Program

Geographic Scope: Tennessee (statewide)

Award Structure:

Eligibility

• Age: 21 years or older
• Residency: Must reside in Tennessee with valid mailing address
• Proof of residency: Required
• Artist type: Contemporary visual artists and Tennessee-based artist collectives
• Prior grantees: May reapply if they have taken a gap year (e.g., 2023 grantee eligible in 2025)
• Application point person: For collectives, individual submitter must be project point person for all communications and funding distribution

Focus Areas

• Independent, non-traditional, public-facing visual art projects
• 2-D, 3-D, and 4-D work (or combinations)
• Projects that contribute to contemporary visual art dialogue in Tennessee
• Innovative projects that expand how audiences engage with visual art
• Projects with local community impact and social relevance
• Strongly encouraged: BIPOC and AAPI applicants

Project Requirements

• Public-facing: Must actively engage an audience and be accessible to the public
• Timeline: Must be completed by May 30, 2026
• Status: New projects only; cannot be in-process or completed
• Scope: Projects should consider expanding possibilities of engagement and inviting collaborators with diverse skill sets
• Budget: Must align with proposed $7,500 grant amount

Budget Categories (as applicable)

• Materials
• Fabrication
• Media
• Photo and video documentation
• Artist labor/compensation
• Contracted labor
• Transportation
• Advertising
• Other services
• Other expenses

What They Fund

• Artist fees and stipends for project contributors
• Equipment necessary for project development
• All enumerated project goals outlined in proposed budget

Jury Panel (2025)

• Brandon J. Donahue-Shipp (Artist, Baltimore, Maryland)
• Nelson Gutierrez (Artist and 2023 Current Art Fund grantee, Memphis, Tennessee)
• Audrey Molloy (Co-Administrator, Night Bloom: Grants for Artists, Tucson, Arizona)
• Katherine Ryckman Siegwarth (Executive Director, FotoFocus, Cincinnati, Ohio)

Grant Distribution Priority

• Awarding grants to artists living throughout the breadth of Tennessee is a high priority

Contact Information

• Email: info@tristararts.org ("Current Art Fund inquiry")
• Mailing address: 4450 Candora Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920
• Director: Brian R. Jobe
• Application language support: Contact info@tristararts.org to request application in another language

Reporting Requirements

• Regular progress updates (frequency determined collaboratively)
• Final report due by May 30, 2026 (may submit earlier upon project completion)
• Final $500 of award retained until final report submitted