Tennessee Arts Commission Awards Town of Whiteville Two Grants
The Tennessee Arts Commission has awarded the Town of Whiteville two grants, one for $15,470 and the other for $14,040, totaling $29,510 for its 2025 fiscal year that runs July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. Receiving the grant is timely as the Town continues to make efforts to improve and revitalize its downtown area.
“We are really happy to get this grant, because it is an arts grant. What we really want to do is focus on the arts in our town, because they have been neglected for some time,” said Town of Whiteville Mayor Gene Bowden. “We didn’t have anybody really interested in the arts or in pursuing the arts for our children and for our adults as well. So, this money is going to help us bring things to our town. We will be able to utilize this money for sculptures and murals. We have got some local artists we are looking at and going to help us with that. All in terms of improving our Downtown area and so the money is really going to do well in that regard.”
The Commission’s allocations process involves a review by citizen advisory panels with expertise in various arts disciplines and a review by the full Commission. Mayor Bowden praised Angelous Simmons, the Town of Whiteville Finance Officer (CMFO) and City Recorder, for learning everything she has about the grant writing process and the resources that are available.
“Now, when we go after [a grant], we know exactly what they are looking for and we can give them all the information,” said Mayor Bowden.
Tennessee’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $1.4 billion in annual economic activity and strengthens quality of life, economic vitality, tourism, and arts learning for people of all ages. The Tennessee Arts Commission is the state arts agency whose mission is to cultivate the arts for the benefit of all Tennesseans and their communities. Other grant opportunities are offered throughout the year for qualifying organizations including grants for Arts Build Communities and Student Ticket Subsidy. Additional information on grant programs offered by the Commission is available at tnartscommission.org.
“It is important for the Whiteville changes that are coming, and people are moving into our area who are more inclined toward the arts than most of our people have been in the past. It is a good opportunity and a great change that is coming into our community, and we all want to be a part of it,” said Mayor Bowden. “I think it is going to create a greater sense of community as well. We can also use it, since it is an arts grant, when we have festivals. We can also use it for paying some of these artists who come to perform in our town.”
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