ArtsBuild proudly celebrates the recipients of its 2025-2026 Community Cultural Connections grant program, awarding a total of $65,000 in funding to 34 projects.
Created to expand access to arts and cultural experiences across Hamilton County, CCC grants directly fund public projects, performances, and workshops for the community.
Made possible by funding from National Endowment for the Arts, the CCC grant provides up to $2,000 per project to local nonprofit organizations, neighborhood associations, cultural groups, and individual artists.
The program focuses on under-resourced areas and populations that historically face barriers to participating in local arts activities, and it supports both emerging and established local creators and nonprofits.
2025-2026 Community Cultural Connections Projects
CCC grants are funded on a rolling basis with projects spanning the entire fiscal year. This past year’s CCC grants were awarded to the following organizations:
- Art to Empower: Break Dance Machine, a five-day STEM and dance camp that occurred during Hamilton County Schools’ fall break, October 13–17, 2025.
- Art to Empower: A four-day STEM and dance camp at Barking Legs Theater for grades 4 through 8 during Hamilton County Schools’ spring break, March 16-19, 2026.
- Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer: Art supplies for therapeutic art workshops serving children experiencing cancer (or in remission) and their families.
- Chickamauga Loop Church of God of Prophecy: Arts components for the free community Fall Harvest Festival on November 16, 2025.
- City of Red Bank: A series of 11 arts classes from September to November 2025, culminating in an artist showcase on December 4, 2025.
- Hip Hop Feeds the Streets: A two-day, post-Thanksgiving event featuring live music and visual arts, supporting and uplifting individuals facing homelessness or housing insecurity, November 27-28, 2025.
- Jericho Brass Band: Their annual Christmas concert, a collaboration between Jericho Brass Band and InSpirit Men’s Chorus on December 9, 2025.
- Jericho Brass Band: A Valentine’s Day Eve concert at North River Civic Center on February 13, 2026.
- Kingdom Partners: Artist fees for SPLASH, an afterschool program at Tommie F. Brown International Academy where 30+ youth engage in weekly visual arts classes.
- Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association: The Oral History Festival on September 13, 2025, an event preserving community stories and celebrating the legacy of the Lincoln Park neighborhood.
- Lookout Live dba Lookout Comedy: Five monthly comedy showcases featuring local comedians from February-June 2026.
- Lookout Live dba Lookout Comedy: Artist fees, marketing, and direction for the Lookout Comedy Festival, October 22–25, 2025.
- Lookout Live dba Lookout Comedy: A production of Ishmael Reed’s “The HAUNTING of LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA” at Crabtree Farms and ConNooga February 2026.
- Mary Walker Historical and Educational Foundation: Support for the performing arts initiatives that are an integral part of their Camp REACH in June 2026.
- Mid-South Symphonic Band (Mid-South Music Association): A May 2026 concert at the Volkswagen facility, with 200 people in attendance.
- Music, Fashion and Arts Foundation: A Mid-Southern Night’s Dream, a multi-genre fantasy experience fusing local music, dance, poetry, fashion, and visual arts that took place November 15, 2025.
- Music, Fashion and Arts Foundation: Hiring artists to integrate arts engagement into 423 Day and Chattanooga Week.
- Rhyme N Chatt Interactive Poetry Organization: An intergenerational poetry writing experience in April 2026 as part of Rhyme N Chatt Day.
- Scenic City Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, a free, outdoor production staged across multiple venues throughout October 2025.
- Scenic City Shakespeare: Othello, a free, outdoor production staged across multiple venues throughout May-June 2026.
- SEED Chattanooga: A field trip for the entire second grade of Hardy Elementary to the Hunter Museum of Art to explore art in relation to land/scapes, May 2026.
- Signal Centers and the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera: A quintet concert at the HART Gallery during an open studio block of time.
- Soddy Daisy Community Library (KELCURT Foundation): Everyone’s a Writer, a two-day workshop series with author Kristin O’Donnell for over 150 fifth-grade students from five Hamilton County Schools.
- Soddy Daisy Community Library (KELCURT Foundation): Spring 2026 arts-focused workshops in conjunction with their community bookmark initiative.
- SORBA Chattanooga: Hiring local musicians to perform on the Redbud Stage at the April 2026 Chattanooga Outdoor Festival.
- Southern Adventist University: Hiring artists to lead a hands-on arts session at the 2026 Illuminate Art and Faith Conference.
- The AIM Center: The purchase of accessible art equipment and supplies to create art for exhibition at their May 2026 Mental Health Art Showcase.
- The Chattery: A Black Art Lounge to support 5 local artists on February 19, 2026.
- The River City Company: The creation of a 10-foot puppet for two beloved community events, MainX24 and Reindeer on the Riverfront.
- The Sattva Project: A 6-week series blending yoga and literary arts for individuals incarcerated in Hamilton County.
- The Seed Theatre (B4CK): A December 2026 theatrical production centered on one family’s unique holiday experience, blending storytelling and seasonal spirit on stage.
- The Seed Theatre (B4CK): A stage performer workshop with concluding event at Barking Legs Theater, January-February 2026.
- Tivoli Theatre Foundation: TivEd, an educational initiative featuring a behind-the-scenes experience with the Broadway show CLUE and a cultural collaboration between La Paz and the Chattanooga Ballet during The Nutcracker.
“When we expand access to the arts, whole communities thrive,” said Melissa Astin, ArtsBuild’s Director of Grants & Community Engagement. “The CCC program ensures that everyone can experience the vibrancy and talent of our local arts and culture landscape.”
The application for 2026-2027 CCC grants is now open, and the next round of grant reviews starts September 14, 2026. Anyone interested in the grant and applying for this year’s funding can learn more at artsbuild.com/grant-making.
ArtsBuild is grateful to be supported by: City of Chattanooga, local foundations, National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, and individual ArtsBuild donors. To learn more about supporting ArtsBuild’s grants and programs, visit artsbuild.com/donate-form.