ArtsBuild affirms its commitment to recognizing, addressing and eradicating systemic racism and inequity. We are still learning as we focus our energy on engaging and collaborating with the local arts community in arts grant-making, arts programming and arts advocacy work. We will continue to use our work to reduce racial injustices both within the arts sector and the broader community. We know that the arts can heal as well as help us to understand and connect with each other.

We are united in the pursuit to end racial and ethnic bias as we endeavor to support more arts in more places for more people by:

• Continuing to make our grant-making programs more equitable;
• Using our “ArtsBuild in the Community” project to connect with communities that have been under-resourced when it comes to arts programming and grant-making;
• Providing racial equity training to arts organizations and educating ourselves;
• Using our mapping project to focus our programs and funding in under-served areas;
• Engaging our grantees with assistance in building more representative boards and staff;
• Empowering the “Ensuring the Arts for Any Given Child” initiative to advocate for equitable arts education for all Hamilton County Schools students;
• Listening and taking action when people and or communities tell us we can do more or better.

Racial Equity Learning Group

Arts Forward and ArtsBuild have partnered to create a Learning Lab, a forum intended to share mixed media resources and host arts community panels, workshops, and community dialogues around various topics presented by the Arts Forward Community.  Their intention is to tackle timely topics and to continue to create an inclusive, diverse, successful, and sustainable arts community in Chattanooga.  Arts Forward Learning Labs are a safe space for arts leaders to learn and discuss their own experiences, ideas, and growth. 

Arts Forward’s first chosen topic is Racial Equity In The Arts, and they will host a series of monthly ZOOM events taking a deep dive into this dialogue sharing resources related to how systemic inequalities have affected and continue to affect the arts.

Racial Equity Training and Consulting

Thanks to the generosity of the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, ArtsBuild has partnered with Sarah Marquez Berestecky of Bridge City Community and ARCC to offer ongoing racial equity consulting to our Mission Support funded organizations. This consulting arrangement allows organizations to explore systemic and structural equity concerns in programming, policies, community engagement, recruitment, advancement, and governance.

Racial Equity Resources

ArtsBuild is committed to using our role as a funder, convener, and advocate to further racial justice. We commit to listening to the honest comments and critiques. We commit to using our resources (and finding new resources) to provide opportunities for training, reflection, and solutions for the artists and cultural partners we serve. We want a better, more inclusive Chattanooga and we know the arts play a leading role.

Information about how to report discrimination in Chattanooga and Tennessee:

Resources

Please review and share this list we compiled of Racial Equity Resources. Feel free to suggest additional resources by emailing us!

Mapping our Work

ArtsBuild recently partnered with the Chattanooga Design Studio to create an interactive Google Map illustrating the geographic reach of ArtsBuild programs in the community over the past five years. The map shows the geographic location of recipients of all grant-making programs managed by ArtsBuild, as well as participants in ArtsBuild’s Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute. Although not shown on the maps, ArtsBuild supports arts education initiatives in all Hamilton County public elementary schools and many secondary schools.

ArtsBuild plans to use this mapping data to help inform and guide future decisions about mission, outreach and programs by identifying those areas of our county that are well-served, and those where more arts funding may be needed.

“Ultimately, our goal is to serve the needs of our community in a more holistic way.”

— JAMES MCKISSIC / PRESIDENT

Opportunity Fellowships

ArtsBuild is excited to partner with the Nancy Lackey Community Education Fund to offer the ArtsBuild Opportunity Fellowship. The Opportunity Fellowship places college juniors, seniors, or recent graduates in part-time work opportunities with ArtsBuild’s Community Arts Partners, providing valuable, paid arts administration experience in Chattanooga’s arts and cultural organizations.

The Fall 2020 Fellowship will last for twelve weeks, from September through November. Fellows will receive a $1,200 stipend for the duration of the program ($10.00 hour/10 hours a week). The program also includes professional development, networking and community engagement experiences. Women, people with disabilities, and members of other under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.

Learn How to Apply

The deadline for Fall 2020 applications has not yet been announced. For questions, please email saralee@artsbuild.com.