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Metro Arts Commission reports FY26 grant awards; council members press for equity changes and director search timeline
Summary
Metro Arts interim director Ashley Batchelder briefed the committee on the FY26 grant cycle: $3.2 million in awards, $1.9 million for operating grants and $1.3 million for Thrive projects; committee members raised concerns about equity, consistency of community panels and next steps for an executive director search.
Ashley Batchelder, interim executive director (interim chair) of the Metro Arts Commission, presented results of the FY26 Metro Arts grant cycle and answered committee questions on process, allocation and next steps for department leadership.
Batchelder said Metro Arts received 106 operating grant applications and 275 Thrive applications in the most recent cycle. After technical review, she reported 13 operating applications and 57 Thrive applications were denied for eligibility reasons; 93 operating applications and 218 Thrive applications were reviewed by community panels. The department had $3.2 million available for grants in the FY26 cycle and allocated $1.9 million to operating grants and $1.3 million to Thrive project grants, Batchelder said.
“Thrive projects may request up to $15,000,” Batchelder said during her presentation, explaining that Thrive awards are paid at the full amount requested and are rank-ordered until funding is depleted. By contrast, she explained, operating grants do not…
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