Current Art Fund Project-Based Grants

Current Art Fund Project-Based Grants is sponsored by Tri-Star Arts. The Current Art Fund seeks to support visual artists and artist collectives in creating independent, non-traditional, public-facing projects that contribute to the rich dialogue within contemporary visual art scenes across the state of Tennessee.

Project Grants for Tennessee Artists Apply now! The 2026 open call will run from Regional Regranting Partner The Current Art Fund granting program is organized and administered by Tri-Star Arts as a partner in the Regional Regranting Program of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

2026 Current Art Fund Q&A sessions were held in the following places: Knoxville Q&A — Thursday, May 28 at 12:00 pm EDT at Tri-Star Arts , 4450 Candora Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920 Chattanooga Q&A — Friday, May 29 at 12:00 pm EDT at Association for Visual Arts , 30 Frazier Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37405 Nashville Q&A — Friday, June 5 at 12:00 pm CDT at Red Arrow Gallery , 919 Gallatin Avenue, Suite #4, Nashville, TN 37206 Memphis Q&A — Saturday, June 6 at 3:00 pm CDT at Crosstown Arts , 1350 Concourse Avenue, #280, Glassroom Classroom, Memphis, TN 38104 Virtual Q&A — Friday, June 26 at 11:30 am CDT/ 12:30 pm EDT via Zoom, recording link: click here / passcode: qPz5+%=v 2026 Project-Based Grants 2026 Project-Based Grants The Current Art Fund granting program is organized and administered by Tri-Star Arts as a partner in the Regional Regranting Program of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

The Current Art Fund seeks to support visual artists and artist collectives in creating independent, non-traditional, public-facing projects that contribute to the rich dialogue within contemporary visual art scenes across the state of Tennessee. The fund annually disburses grants totaling $60,000 to Tennessee-based artists 21 years of age and older in support of project expenses.

Grantees will be selected by a 4 person jury panel composed of internationally recognized artists, collectors, curators, administrators, gallerists, educators, and arts professionals. The Current Art Fund program tangibly illustrates the Tri-Star Arts mission of cultivating and spotlighting contemporary visual art in Tennessee, championing innovation within our local art communities, and supporting artists across the state.

BIPOC and AAPI applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. 2026 Project-Based Grants 2026 Project-Based Grants 2026 Project-Based Grants Our 2026 granting cycle will award project-based grants to fund artists’ innovative contributions to the visual arts conversation in Tennessee.

The Current Art Fund will distribute grants of $7,500 each to 8 Tennessee-based contemporary visual artists and artist collectives, selected by a 4 person jury panel, to use towards the realization of a dynamic and accessible project. Awarding grants to artists living throughout the breadth of Tennessee will be a high priority in the jurors’ selection process.

Applicants may submit projects featuring 2-D, 3-D, and 4-D work (or a combination). The online application open call dates span Monday, June 1, 2026 through Monday, August 31, 2026 . Project proposals should endeavor to be innovative and expand the possibilities of how the applicant’s work can engage audiences in Tennessee and the contemporary art world beyond.

Applicants should consider what visual and social impact their project could have upon local communities, and how it could expand how viewers experience their surroundings or circumstances.

Furthermore, applicants are invited to consider infusing their project’s vision with an expansive scope that invites collaborators and/or persons with additional skill sets into the process (to be reflected in the description of the project and budget).

Our 2026 jurors are Rebecca Kinslow (Executive Director, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition/ THRIVE Grants, Oklahoma City, OK), Ashley Layendecker (Director, Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN), Lester Merriweather (Artist, 2022 Current Art Fund grantee, Memphis, TN), and Chris Molinski (Janet L. Nolan Director of Curatorial and Educational Affairs, The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University, Auburn, AL). Bios listed below.

2026 Project-Based Grants There is no application fee to apply.

Artists will be asked to submit an application including the following: (1) Project title and artist or artist collective bio (2) Short and Full descriptions of the project (Short description: 200 word count maximum / Full description: 1000 word count maximum) (3) Description of the project’s audience (to be included in the Full description) (4) Proposed timeline (doesn’t have to be confirmed / to be included in the Full description) (5) Additional links to websites, image captions (6) A budget using our provided template (7) Up to 10 files sized to a maximum of 2mb each with a maximum of 2 minutes for video file length.

If applicants are unable to complete the online application, they are welcome to email their responses and/or any questions to “Current Art Fund inquiry” at info@tristararts. org or mail their physical application materials to: 4450 Candora Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920 If applicants would like the application in another language, they may submit that request to “Current Art Fund inquiry” at info@tristararts. org .

All applicants must be 21 years of age or older and reside (with a mailing address) in the state of Tennessee. Project proposals must be submitted by one individual and, if the proposal comes from a Tennessee-based artist collective, the individual submitting the application must be the project’s point person, designated to receive all communications and funding distribution.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions, the link to the online application, dates and locations of virtual and in-person Q&A sessions, and more are posted to this web page. Frequently Asked Questions Who is eligible? Is there an application fee?

Do I need to create a free Submittable account to apply? Contemporary visual artists who are 21 years of age and older and residing in the state of Tennessee are eligible to apply. Applicants must provide proof of TN residency.

No, there is not an application fee. How to Submit an application You can save a draft of your work if you would like to finish filling out the form at a later date. If anything changes with the information you submitted, please request to edit the submission The Submittable platform works best on Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.

Internet Explorer is not supported. Please make sure you are using a supported browser. You can download Firefox by following the instructions linked here .

You can download Chrome by following the instructions linked here . What is considered to be proof of artistic practice? Art portfolio website, CV, and other related documentation What is required for the application?

The submission of a project title, vision statement, long format project description, proposed timeline, proposed materials, audience description, geographic location, physical scale, applicable web links, and other descriptors is required. Applicants should upload the following to their application: concept renderings, relevant visuals, schematics, or plans. Including numerous support files with a proposal is strongly encouraged.

Applicants may submit up to 10 files sized to a maximum of 2mb each with a maximum of 2 minutes for video file length. 2D, 3D, and 4D work (or a combination) will be considered. Applicants should keep in mind that the grant amount and proposed budget should both total $7,500.

How much is each grant award and how many will be awarded? The Current Art Fund will award a total of $60,000 in the form of 8 grants of $7,500 each to Tennessee-based artists. Can applicants submit multiple individual projects?

Can grantees from prior years apply? No, applicants may not submit multiple individual projects. Yes, prior year grantees may apply if they have taken a gap year off from applying.

For example, a 2024 grantee may apply in 2026. How may applicants use the funds? What are the budget categories?

The award should be used to achieve all enumerated project goals as outlined in the applicant’s proposed budget. The budget categories are materials, fabrication, media, photo and video documentation, artist labor or compensation, contracted labor, transportation, advertising, other services, and other expenses. It is not necessary to address every category in your project proposal - only what is applicable to the project.

Can applicants pay artist fees or stipends with grant funds? Can applicants purchase equipment with grant funds? Yes, we expect you to pay the people involved in your project, including yourself, for their contributions.

Yes, as long as the equipment is necessary for the development of your project. What are the reporting requirements for the grant? Can I apply with a project that is in process or completed?

No, we are looking for new projects that can be accomplished within the given timeline. All projects must be completed by May 31, 2027. We cannot accept projects that have already begun or are currently in process.

We cannot accept already finished projects that are seeking reimbursement. What does public-facing mean? A public-facing project is one that actively engages an audience (anticipates an audience) and is accessible to the public.

This is a call for experimental projects that engage a Tennessee-focused audience in their authorship, process, and/or production. Can artist collectives apply? Can curators apply?

Yes, Tennessee-based artist collectives may apply. Please keep in mind that all project proposals must be submitted by one individual and, if the proposal comes from a Tennessee-based artist collective, the individual submitting the application must be the project’s point person, designated to receive all communications and funding distribution.

If individuals are part of multiple Tennessee-based artist collectives, they may be named (or be the point person) in submissions by multiple Tennessee-based artist collectives, as long as all projects are distinctly different from one another. No, curators may not apply. Current Art Fund grants are intended for artists to support their own practices/ studio work.

Who selects the grantees? Tri-Star Arts/ Current Art Fund invites contemporary art world leaders to serve on a jury panel.

Our 2026 jurors are Rebecca Kinslow (Executive Director, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition/ THRIVE Grants, Oklahoma City, OK), Ashley Layendecker (Director, Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN), Lester Merriweather (Artist, 2022 Current Art Fund grantee, Memphis, TN), and Chris Molinski (Director of Curatorial and Educational Affairs, The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University, Auburn, AL).

Reflecting a range of valuable perspectives, these jury panelists will review and assess the submitted applications. Jurors will select the grantees and then Tri-Star Arts/ Current Art Fund will award the grants.

Creative Capital Curriculum Creative Capital Curriculum * free optional resource Tri-Star Arts is pleased to share an opportunity for all artists, including 2026 applicants and prior grantees, to register for a free Creative Capital Curriculum account. This is a useful professional development tool and we’re grateful that it’s now available and FREE for individual, personal use. More information may be found here .

This is an optional resource and not required for completion of the Current Art Fund grant application. The Creative Capital Curriculum combines evergreen elements of artist professional development with contemporary critical frameworks in cultural discourse to create cohesive, multi-week asynchronous courses.

It offers access to exercises from working artists and educators, combining on-demand course modules and live discussions to enhance artists’ professional development. Submit your registration information here to enroll in one of their current offerings.

Rebecca Kinslow: 2026 Juror Ashley Layendecker: 2026 Juror Ashley Layendecker: 2026 Juror Rebecca Kinslow is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC), a 34-year-old nonprofit dedicated to strengthening Oklahoma’s visual arts community through education, promotion, connection, and funding.

Through her role at OVAC, Kinslow oversees the THRIVE Grants program as a partner in the Regional Regranting Program of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. She brings more than 25 years of experience as an arts leader, with expertise in event planning, marketing, community development, grant making, program management, and organizational development across the nonprofit, higher education, and government sectors.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Cameron University and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds Executive Certificates in Fundraising and Arts & Culture Strategy.

Throughout her career, she has led the development and oversight of programs, partnerships, and strategic investments that support strong arts and cultural ecosystems, expanding access to creative opportunities and helping communities thrive. Ashley Layendecker: 2026 Juror Ashley Layendecker: 2026 Juror Ashley Layendecker: 2026 Juror Ashley Layendecker (b.

1993) is the Director of Red Arrow Gallery in Nashville, TN and an Independent Curator. After an immersion in the practice of painting, she discovered her passion for curating shortly after receiving her BFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2016. Since joining Red Arrow in 2018, she has curated over 60 exhibitions in Nashville, New York, Mexico City, Chicago, and Miami.

As the Director of Red Arrow, Layendecker oversees daily operations, curates exhibitions, drives the gallery's strategic direction, and manages artist/ collector relations. She represents the careers of six artists: Annie Brito Hodgin, Ashanté Kindle, Julian Rogers, Karen Seapker, Margaret R. Thompson, and Emily Weiner.

Her curatorial work for Red Arrow has been featured in The Wall Street Journal , Galerie Magazine , and W Magazine. Additionally, Layendecker sits on the board of The Warhol Society at the Frist Museum of Art in Nashville and previously served as the Art Club Host for Soho House Nashville.

She is the Co-Founder of Nashville Pantheon, housed within Nashville’s Downtown Presbyterian Church, which hosts experimental and experiential pop-up exhibitions. As a fierce advocate of the Tennessee art scene, her mission is to make Southern-based artists better known outside of the region and to share the importance of art being made there. Lester Merriweather: 2026 Juror Lester Merriweather (b.

1978) is a Memphis-based visual artist. He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, holds an MFA from the Memphis College of Art, and a BA from Jackson State University. Merriweather has exhibited extensively throughout the U.S. at various venues such as the Studio Museum in Harlem (New York, NY), Contemporary Art Museum St.

Louis (MO), Tops Gallery, Crosstown Arts, and Powerhouse (Memphis, TN), DiverseWorks (Houston, TX), Stella Jones Art Gallery (New Orleans, LA), Tri-Star Arts (Knoxville, TN), and Atlanta Contemporary (Atlanta, GA). He has also exhibited internationally at the Zacheta National Gallery of Art (Warsaw, Poland) and the Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven, Netherlands).

Merriweather served as the first Curatorial Director of the Jones Gallery and the Martha and Robert Fogelman Galleries of Contemporary Art at the University of Memphis from 2010-2016. He also previously served on the Board of Directors for the Number, Inc. independent journal, where he created the Art of the South exhibition series.

Additionally, he is a founding member of the ArtsMemphis Artist Advisory Council and the artsAccelerator Grant Panel, and served as the Curatorial Consultant for the PPF Contemporary Art Collection, which is currently housed at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (Memphis, TN). Merriweather was a 2022 Tri-Star Arts/ Current Art Fund grantee, a regional regranting program of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

And, he was most recently featured in Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage , which traveled to the Frist Art Museum (Nashville, TN), the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (TX), and the Phillips Collection (Washington, D. C.) Chris Molinski: 2026 Juror Chris Molinski is the Janet L.

Nolan Director of Curatorial and Educational Affairs at The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University (AL) and is responsible for the stewardship and programmatic work to foster meaningful and transformative experiences at a premier teaching institution celebrating the visual arts and cultural discourse. Previously, he was at Harvard University serving on the team that launched the Harvard Art Museums.

There, he led new digital platform development for collaborative cross-disciplinary experiments as part of the museums’ academic and public programs team. In 2014, he worked with colleagues to develop the Lightbox Gallery, a Research and Development space for digital projects that respond to Harvard’s collections and exhibitions. In 2018, he served as project manager for the major sculptural commission Autumn (...

Nothing Personal) by artist Teresita Fernández, commissioned by the Harvard University Committee on the Arts. Molinski also worked in Knoxville, TN, where he co-founded the Art Gallery of Knoxville and served as Associate Curator for Education at the Knoxville Museum of Art. He organized major exhibitions and public projects there, including Anne Wilson: Wind/Rewind/Weave .

In 2009, he partnered to create the first Big Ears Festival. Molinski holds an undergraduate degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and graduate degrees from Goldsmiths College at the University of London and Harvard University, where he studied at the Graduate School of Design.

Current Art Fund — Alumni West Tennessee — Project Grantees Brittney Boyd Bullock (2022) Sarah Elizabeth Cornejo (2021, 2024) Sepideh Tajalizadeh Dashti (2023) MengCheng 梦城团 Collective (2023) Lester Merriweather (2022) Johana Moscoso (2021, 2025) Middle Tennessee — Project Grantees Mary Addison Hackett (2024) Sisavanh Phouthavong Houghton (2022) Emily Weiner (2021, 2025) East Tennessee — Project Grantees Mark Bradley-Shoup (2021) Jason Sheridan Brown (2024) Althea Murphy-Price (2021) Joeonna Bellorado-Samuels (2023) Brittney Boyd Bullock (2024) Karlota Contreras-Koterbay (2024) Patricia Lee Daigle (2023) Brandon J.

Donahue-Shipp (2025) Althea Murphy-Price (2022) Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi (2022) Katherine Ryckman Siegwarth (2025) Tri-Star Arts serves Tennessee by cultivating and spotlighting the contemporary visual art scenes in each region while fostering a unified state-wide art scene. Tri-Star Arts programs promote art dialogue between the different cities in the state, and between the state and the nation. The Current Art Fund amplifies this mission.

If individuals and businesses would like to support the Current Art Fund to extend its impact, tax-deductible donations may be made online or by mail to Tri-Star Arts Memo: Current Art Fund, 4450 Candora Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920. CONTACT: info@tristararts. org Follow Current Art Fund on Instagram and Facebook .

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