Mission & History

The mission of the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville is to serve and support a diverse community of artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions. The Alliance is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable nonprofit organization.

Arts & Culture Alliance Nondiscrimination Policy
No person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion, or sex shall be excluded from participation in, or be denied benefits of, or otherwise be subject to discrimination of services, programs, and employment provided by the Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville.

The Alliance was created in 2001 through a highly participatory community-driven process. Its predecessor was the Arts Council of Greater Knoxville, formed in 1974.

ADVOCACY: The Alliance operates as a unifying voice representing the arts and culture community to government, businesses, the media, and the general public, all of which benefit from a healthy, thriving arts and culture industry. The Alliance’s advocacy projects also create a channel for artists and cultural organizations to express their unique voices individually. Each year, the Alliance membership makes a positive impression on the Tennessee state legislature when more than 50 member artists and cultural representatives convene in Nashville for the annual Legislative Arts Day. Let your voice be heard! Join today as an individual or organizational member.

SERVICE: The Alliance provides many services and tools to help artists and organizations become more successful, including administrative assistance, planning tools, grant preparation, and access to information services. The Arts & Culture Alliance, in cooperation with the local arts community, proudly presents Penny4Arts, a program developed in 2010 to meet the local arts community’s long-term goal of serving and educating East Tennessee’s children. Penny4Arts provides children an opportunity to attend local arts and culture events/activities at the maximum cost of ONE PENNY when accompanied by an adult. Visit www.penny4arts.com.

SUPPORT: The Arts & Culture Alliance is the area’s premier united arts fund, distributing $2,000,000 annually to local artists and arts and culture organizations. There are five components to ACA’s Arts & Heritage Fund: Knox County Tourism Consortium Grants, Bailey Opportunity Grants, General Operating Support Grants, American Rescue Plan Grants, and Arts Build Communities (ABC) Grants.