Andres Bustamante, a Nashville-based sculptor born in Cali, Colombia, was the Metro Arts Commission’s featured artist and used his presentation to describe his practice and argue for stronger direct support for working artists.

Bustamante told the commission his immigrant experience shaped his work and its themes of resilience and community. He described projects that included a collaborative 3-D mural commissioned by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition in Antioch, community engagement with students at Aventura Community School, and a site-specific installation titled Rio de Curiosidad in Franklin.

Throughout his remarks, Bustamante framed creativity as a public good. He asked commissioners to imagine a city without artists and described the practical pressures many artists face, including low pay and competition for limited funds. He described Thrive funding he has received and said much of a typical award “is going towards materials, labor, all the things that involve fabrication, community engagement.” He urged the commission to explore funding models that would let artists “have a living wage” and suggested the idea of dedicating space in new developments and offering substantial monthly support as a local experiment.

Several commissioners thanked him for the presentation. A commissioner asked what the single most important change the city could make to be a better advocate for artists; Bustamante answered that city leaders should “find the artists, find a way, create a bridge, create a platform” and suggested funding experiments such as housing and a $5,000 monthly stipend for an artist in a new development as a thought experiment.

Bustamante named collaborators and venues including Downtown Presbyterian Church (artist-in-residence), the Museum of Contemporary Art in Nashville (collection holdings), and several artists he recently curated in a show discussed in the talk.

Why this matters: Bustamante’s presentation raised advocacy questions about how municipal funding and private development interact with affordability for artists, and it resonated with commissioners discussing advocacy, committee priorities and staff hiring.

What’s next: Commissioners said they appreciated the perspective and suggested continued conversation about advocacy and stronger ties between artists and corporate or private development partners.

Quotes

"I make art because art is a medicine," Andres Bustamante said.

"Find the artists, find a way, create a bridge, create a platform," Bustamante said when asked what the city could do to better advocate for artists.

Clarifying details

- Background: Bustamante was born in Cali, Colombia; he moved to the Nashville area as a child and studied at Watkins College of Art in Nashville.
- Selected work: He discussed a Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition 3-D mural in Antioch, a collaboration with students at Aventura Community School, an installation in Franklin (Rio de Curiosidad), and curatorial work with local and visiting artists.
- Funding context: Bustamante noted Thrive awards and that typical grant amounts are often substantially consumed by materials and labor costs.

Speakers

- Andres Bustamante — featured artist (citizen/artist).
- Commissioner Hardin — Metro Arts commissioner (asked an advocacy question following the presentation).
- Commissioner Trey (referred to by a commissioner during Q&A) — Metro Arts commissioner (thanked the artist).

Authorities

- None cited specific to the artist presentation beyond earlier metrocourt appeal language read at the start of the meeting (Metropolitan Code of Laws §2.6803).

Provenance

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- {"block_id":"1598.35","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"I echo Trey\'s sentiments. Thank you. Or excuse me, Commissioner Hardin\'s sentiments. I had a question for you just from an advocacy perspective...","reason_code":"topicfinish"}

Sections

- lede: "Andres Bustamante, a Nashville-based sculptor born in Cali, Colombia, presented to the Metro Arts Commission and called for stronger direct support for artists while describing community-based projects and his immigrant-rooted practice."
- nut_graf: "Bustamante urged the commission to imagine new funding models that would improve artists' stability and argued that investing in artists benefits the city’s cultural life and community resilience."
- ending: "Commissioners thanked Bustamante and indicated interest in continuing discussions about advocacy, artist supports and stronger connections between artists and development partners."