Arts Fund for East Tennessee

General Description

Established in 1986 to serve as a source of funds to support excellence in the arts, expand access to the arts, and connect artists with each other and with East Tennessee communities.

Application Process

The Arts Fund for East Tennessee and Katherine Davis Moore and Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Davis Foundation Fund awarded grants in 2026. They will award grants in 2028.

Information about the next grant cycle will be available by January 31, 2028.

Grant Amounts and Terms

Organizations can apply for up to $15,000. Award amounts will be split between year one and year two.

Grants were awarded for two-year terms in May 2026. The grant term is June 1, 2026 – May 31, 2028.

Areas of Focus

The Arts Fund for East Tennessee focuses its grantmaking on celebrating our region’s richness in artistic expressions and cultural diversity. Grants are to support organizations whose work sustains cultural traditions and encourages all forms of artistic expression. Preference is given to:

Organizations whose projects extend art opportunities to underserved populations such as through outreach efforts or sliding scale ticket fees;
Public art displays and performances that are designed to bring the arts into the everyday lives of the general public; and
Projects that celebrate the art and culture of East Tennesseans.

The East Tennessee Foundation’s Katherine Davis Moore and Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Davis Foundation Fund awards grants in conjunction with the Arts Fund for East Tennessee. This fund was created in 2017 for the promotion of cultural growth and the development of music and arts programs in the East Tennessee area for the benefit of young persons under the age of 25.

Please note there is not a separate application for the Katherine Davis Moore and Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Davis Foundation Fund. It shares the same application as Arts Fund for East Tennessee. Organizations may only submit one application per grant cycle, not per fund.

Who May Apply

Click here for General Eligibility and Funding Criteria.
Additional eligibility criteria specific to the Arts Fund for East Tennessee:
- Art organizations must be located in and serve communities in ETF’s 25-county service area.
- Organizations that are not primarily art-based but which incorporate art-related programming are eligible to apply.
Additional eligibility criteria specific to the Katherine Davis Moore and Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Davis Foundation Fund:
- Art-related programs must benefit young persons under the age of 25 in East Tennessee.

How to Apply

Additional Information

Please direct your questions to a member of East Tennessee Foundation’s Grantmaking Team:
Ashley Siferd Butler, Director of Competitive Grants
Brooke Anguiano, Assistant Director of Grantmaking & Operations
Email: gr*********@*tf.org
Telephone: (865) 524-1223 ext. 144 or toll-free (877) 524-1223 ext. 144