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Metro Arts reports FY26 budget submitted, hiring delays and plans for public-art anniversary
Summary
Metro Arts submitted its FY26 budget and procurement documents and introduced interim executive director Ashley Batchelder. Staff said hiring for a public-art manager must restart and that finance and communications hires are priorities; commission anniversary planning is paused pending additional staff capacity.
Commissioners received several administrative updates on Feb. 28: Metro Arts has submitted its fiscal-year 2026 budget and procurement materials, announced staff hiring updates and discussed plans to mark the anniversary of Nashville's public-art ordinance.
"We have submitted our fiscal year 'twenty 6 budget," the commission chair said, and staff confirmed procurement information accompanied the budget submission. Ashley Batchelder, introduced as the new interim executive director of Metro Arts, told the commission that Feb. 28 was her one-month anniversary in the role.
Staff reported that the public-art manager position remains vacant and that the hiring process must restart after a procedural misstep. Metro Arts said the department is prioritizing hiring a finance manager first (interviews expected soon) and a public-information officer; once those positions are filled staff capacity will better support a public-art manager recruitment and programming.
"Because I don't have a timeline, I know that you probably shouldn't expect in the next couple of months," a staff member said about the public-art manager hiring process. Staff estimated a realistic application and review timeline of two to three months once the call is reissued.
Commissioners also discussed plans to mark an anniversary of the citypublic-art ordinance. Staff described a yearlong celebration spanning June to the following June and said programming ideas are being developed, but full execution is contingent on additional communications and public-art staffing. "We do need to have some of these positions hired, comms, public art manager, to be able to fully execute the anniversary and not pull down on staff capacity," a staff member said.
Why it matters: staffing and budget decisions affect Metro Arts' ability to manage large projects and community engagement programs. Commissioners asked that staff keep priorities aligned to fund and staffing constraints while pursuing outreach and anniversary programming.
Next steps: Metro Arts will proceed with finance-manager interviews, continue recruitment for communications capacity, and restart the public-art manager recruitment once procedural steps are complete. Staff will return with timelines and candidate updates.
