You may have heard recently about payment delays for the current Metro Arts funding cycle. We are writing to provide an update to the Nashville community.
Over the past year, Metro Arts – alongside our arts community - has been raising awareness about the urgent need to increase the city’s investment in Nashville's arts ecosystem. This past June, in addition to receiving our regular allocation from the city budget for the current funding cycle (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), Metro Arts received an additional, one-time allocation of $2 million for artists and arts organizations.
This $2 million was tied to mid-year budget processes and will not be available for distribution until January 2024, which is different than the typical funding allocation process for Metro Arts funds. As such, we encountered several unexpected delays as we navigated new processes, timelines, and restrictions that, unfortunately, have affected the entire funding distribution process.
We are working around-the-clock alongside Metro departments to distribute payments as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, we are actively reviewing our internal processes and systems to ensure that all future payments are issued in a timely manner.
We recognize that Metro Arts funding is critical to our community, and we deeply regret the very real and significant impact that payment delays have had on local artists and arts organizations. We commit to doing better as we move forward and into the new year.
Kind regards,
Daniel Singh