ARTSmemphis, a prominent arts funder in the Mid-South, announced its annual distribution of $3.4 million to local arts organizations and artists. This brings the total funding by ARTSmemphis to $94 million in its 60-year history. Most of the funds raised this year were unrestricted, providing flexibility in distribution to benefit the arts sector and the Memphis community.
In the 2023 fiscal year, ARTSmemphis awarded 279 grants. These included new or expanded corporate giving programs with First Horizon, FedEx, and AutoZone, recovery funding of $700K for artists and arts organizations, and grants for various projects. These projects include the Brooks Museum capital campaign, Tone, and Shell on Wheels. Operating Support grants also saw a 10% increase.
For the 2024 fiscal year, ARTSmemphis has allocated $1.2 million in Operating Support grants to 45 local arts organizations. This marks a 20% increase from last year. The allocation process involved 34 volunteer panelists who spent 292 hours reviewing and making decisions.
Among the 45 organizations receiving grants, 31% are led by BIPOC and serve mostly participants of color. The data also reveals that 18 organizations have annual budgets over $1 million, while 21 organizations have budgets of $500,000 or less. The Operating Support grants were distributed among various artistic disciplines.
In 2023, ARTSmemphis grantee organizations reported a total of 2.1 million arts experiences. ARTSmemphis has launched an enhanced community arts calendar to promote these events. This platform lets the public search for events based on various criteria. ARTSmemphis continues to provide funds and resources to boost program attendance and community engagement.
This article was originally featured in “original.newsbreak.com”
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