State Representative Joe Armstrong of Knoxville has released the list of the Tennessee Arts Commission’s grant award recipients in House District 15 for Fiscal year 2009 (July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009). The grants, totaling $364,200, will benefit the Carpetbag Theatre, Inc., Joy of Music School, Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville Writer’s Guild, Knoxville Symphony Society, Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, Jubilee Community Arts, Knox County Public Library, Friends of the Knox County Public Library, Circle Modern Dance, Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Inc., TN Theatre Association, Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation, Bijou Theatre Center, TN Folklore Society, TN Stage Company, Cumberland Communities Communications Corporation, and Knoxville Opera.

Armstrong, along with Knoxville Senator Tim Burchett, praised the Tennessee Arts Commission’s matching grants, which are funded by the General Assembly’s appropriation of state funds, the National Endowment for the Arts, and through the sale of specialty and collegiate license plates. Representative Armstrong added, “I am honored to have the opportunity to advocate at the state level on behalf of these and other arts-related programs. The services that the Tennessee Arts Commission and these organizations provide indispensably enrich our city and state and make me so proud to represent the 15th District and Knox County.”

According to Donna Chase, incoming chair of the Tennessee Arts Commission, over 850 grants statewide during Fiscal Year 2009, totaling more than $7.2 million dollars will be awarded by the Commission. These funds have a direct impact on communities across Tennessee, in both urban and rural areas.

Grant categories include:  Arts Build Communities, Arts Access, Arts Education, Arts Project Support, General Operating Support, Individual Artist Fellowships, Major Cultural Institution, Rural Arts Project Support, Student Ticket Subsidy, Technical Assistance, Touring, Special Opportunities, and Professional Development Support. The Commission’s allocation process involves a review by citizen advisory panels made up of Tennesseans with expertise in appropriate arts disciplines and a review and final approval by the full 15-member Tennessee Arts Commission.

“This state is indeed fortunate to have elected leaders who support the work of the Tennessee Arts Commission in building better communities through the arts,” said Chase. “The arts are changing lives in Tennessee. They improve education when integrated into the curriculum. They contribute to our economy, make our communities exciting and livable, and make us better citizens.” Additional information on grant programs offered by the Tennessee Arts Commission is available at www.arts.state.tn.us.