title
A resolution to approve the fiscal year 2026 criteria of the Community Arts Leaders of Nashville Internship Program for the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission.
body
WHEREAS, Section 2.112.040(H) of the Metropolitan Code of Laws allows the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission (“Arts Commission”) to award funds appropriated to it by the Metropolitan Council to deserving nonprofit and nonprofit charitable organizations; and,
WHEREAS, Section 2.112.040(H) of the Metropolitan Code of Laws requires that criteria for awarding funds to arts organizations shall be established by the Arts Commission and approved by resolution of the Metropolitan Council, and such resolution shall indicate whether there is a change in the award criteria from the previous year; and,
WHEREAS, the Arts Commission voted to approve the criteria for the Community Arts Leaders of Nashville Internship Program (“CALN Grant”) on July 24th, 2025, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein; and,
WHEREAS, Fiscal year 2026 CALN Grant criteria is updated to include a new description of an “arts-focused nonprofit,” grant recipient host sites will add interns as W-2 or IRS Form 1099 employees, removal of ten (10) paid hours of time off for interns, and program mentors cannot be employees of the host site where the intern is placed; and,
WHEREAS, the CALN Grant is an expense item from the Arts Commission operating budget; and,
WHEREAS, the CALN Grant awards funds to Nashville-based arts organizations to provide paid work experience and one-on-one mentorship to arts focused undergraduate students; and,
WHEREAS, approval of the CALN Grant criteria is in the best interest of the citizens of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the CALN Grant criteria, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein, is hereby approved.
Section 2. That this resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.
Agenda Analysis
Analysis
This resolution approves the criteria for the Community Arts Leaders of Nashville Internship Program (“CALN Grant”) for the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission (“Arts Commission”) for Fiscal Year 2026. The CALN Grant awards funds to Nashville-based arts organizations to provide paid work experience and one-on-one mentorships to arts-focused undergraduate students.
The CALN Grant program will take place in the spring of 2026. Funds will be allocated as $6,700 grants to selected host sites, who will then pay interns and mentors who participate in the program. The $6,700 grants will include:
• $3,750 to be paid to interns for 14 weeks of work on-site at the host organization, including a $500 transportation grant for interns to be paid before the internship begins;
• $450 to be paid to mentors matched to each intern by Metro Arts; and
• $2,500 administration support for host sites.
Undergraduate students at Tennessee public or private colleges, universities, or post-secondary institutes of higher learning are eligible to participate in the CALN Grant program. Students must be authorized to work in the United States. Priority consideration will be given to interns who qualify for a Pell grant through Federal Student Aid.
Arts-focused 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations located in Davidson County or that conduct a majority of their programming in Davidson County are eligible to participate in the CALN Grant program. An arts-focused organization is defined as an organization whose primary mission and majority of programming supports the performance, exhibition, instruction, creation or education of art.
Artist mentors are eligible to participate if they are professional artists or arts administrators with at least two years of paid experience in the arts. Mentors cannot be an employee of a host site where an intern is placed.
No participant in the program may work for the Metropolitan Government, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, or be a member of the Arts Commission.
Tennessee Code Annotated section 7-3-314(d) states that arts commissions formed by metropolitan governments may fund nonprofit organizations “involved in the study, participation in and appreciation of” the arts without approval from the Metropolitan Council. Section 2.112.040(H) of the Metropolitan Code of Laws permits the Arts Commission to award funds appropriated by the Metropolitan Council to deserving nonprofit civic and non-profit charitable organizations.
Substitute Ordinance No. BL2025-833, the FY26 operating budget, appropriated $3,262,200 to Arts and Arts Organizations for the purpose of funding grants to nonprofit organizations.
Metropolitan Code of Laws Section 2.112.040(H) further requires that the criteria for awarding funds to arts organizations must be established by the Arts Commission and approved by a Council resolution.
The Arts Commission approved the criteria for the CALN Grant at its July 24, 2025, meeting.