Metro Arts: $3.1M in FY25 grants distributed; audit work underway and public-art dedications planned

Ashley Batchelder, interim executive director of Metro Arts, told the Metro Nashville Budget & Finance Committee that the department has distributed $3,100,000 of its $3.2 million FY25 grants allocation and is making “substantial progress” implementing recommendations from a recent audit.

Batchelder delivered the update during a departmental briefing to the Budget & Finance Committee and outlined grant disbursement timing, public-art projects across multiple council districts, work to relaunch court-involved youth arts programming, and steps taken to tighten contracting and internal controls.

Metro Arts said award authorizations for the FY25 grant cycle were completed in March and that disbursements began April 18. The department reported that it allocated 40% of its total grants budget to the Thrive program, which funds neighborhood-level, project-based arts activity, and that Thrive-funded projects now reach 27 of the city’s 35 council districts. Metro Arts also said 90 arts organizations receive operating grants.

“We have distributed $3,100,000 of the $3.2 million,” Batchelder said, reporting the amount already paid to grantees.

Batchelder summarized other near-term steps for the grant cycle: Metro Arts staff plan to present grant criteria to the arts commission in June, bring an annual…