| Name | Kathryn |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Wroth |
| Home Address | 301 E 11th St Suite 300 CHATTANOOGA, TN - Tennessee 37403 United States |
| Organization Name | ArtsBuild |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | Director of Development |
| Organization Address | 301 E 11th St Suite 300 CHATTANOOGA, TN - Tennessee 37403 United States |
| Website | https://artsbuild.com |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | 4237774212 |
| Alternate Phone Number | 4237562787 |
| Email Address | kathryn@artsbuild.com |
| Alternate Email Address | james@artsbuild.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | ArtsBuild’s mission is to build a stronger community through the arts. We do this by generating resources to invest in Chattanooga's arts and cultural assets; facilitating access to arts opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds; cultivating creativity to enhance academic and personal growth; using the arts to strengthen the economic environment; and advocating for the role the arts play in our lives and in our community. ArtsBuild provides operating support to nineteen diverse arts organizations as well as project support for dozens of local arts performances, programs, projects, festivals, public art, and collaborations each year. We support academic achievement through the integration of arts in education, and strive to ensure that everyone in Chattanooga, regardless of economic ability, has access to arts and cultural programs. We aim to make Chattanooga a vibrant place to live, work, and visit by nurturing our arts community. In 2021, ArtsBuild directly infused $2.1 million into the local arts and culture sector. With the City of Chattanooga’s partnership, we continue to serve as the City’s official arts agency, as designated by ordinance 9365 in May 1990 and amended by ordinance 13654 in February 2021. Our project will consist of two focus areas: 1) Regranting ($500,000, includes $75,000 administrative support) through competitive Community Cultural Connections (CCC) Grants, Racial Equity Grants for Individual Artists (REGIA), and Artists Work (AW) Grants; and 2) Facility improvements ($500,000) in support of ArtsBuild’s environmental sustainability goals and in support of the arts sector. The Arts Building located at 301 E. 11th St. houses four arts organizations in addition to ArtsBuild and serves as gathering space, exhibition space, and meeting and training hub for the arts sector . |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | ArtsBuild’s mission and ongoing programs, as well as the projects outlined in this request, align with several requirements listed in the American Rescue Plan. Negative Economic Impact - Assistance to Households ArtsBuild grants funded through CCC, REGIA, and AW prioritize paying individuals who want and are able to work in the arts sector. We also require that at least 75% of expenses for grant projects awarded through the AW program (supplies, contractors, vendors, etc.) stay in Chattanooga. These programs provide cash assistance to individual artists. We also have an Artist Emergency Fund to provide financial relief to artists in times of crisis. ArtsBuild provides internet access and digital literacy through our Tech Goes Home for the Arts program which we developed in collaboration with The Enterprise Center. The course teaches individual artists of any discipline and small arts organizations to become prepared to monetize their online presence and to use digital and social media to connect to their students, audiences, and collaborators online. Each year we host two sessions of Tech Goes Home for the Arts for adult artists and one summer session for high school artists. ArtsBuild plays a role in addressing the impact of learning loss for students through our Imagine! program and arts integration workshops for school teachers. ArtsBuild made changes to the format of both Imagine! And the teacher workshops during the last two years so they could continue in online formats throughout the pandemic. In fact, this change allowed us to make arts education programming available for the first time on streaming sites like YouTube and with broad access on WTCI and EPB Fi TV Channel 200. Additionally, many CCC grant recipients are doing programs and events that bring arts education to the schools (students) and neighborhoods (residents) of Chattanooga. Negative Economic Impact - Disproportionately Impacted Households Projects funded through CCC, REGIA, and AW programs are investments in Chattanooga neighborhoods that contribute to positive health outcomes. Many of these projects visibly improve vacant or unattractive properties, activating them with performances or murals, for example. Grant funds, like those awarded through REGIA, for example, are intended to specifically serve ethnic and racial minority and women artists from all disciplines. The arts education and teacher training initiatives mentioned above are serving to address educational disparities in Chattanooga. CCC grants bring arts education to diverse communities. One example is Guitars for Kids, a program bringing music education, instruments, and equipment to local schools that don’t have a music education program. SPLASH Youth Arts Workshop is another example of a program funded by ArtsBuild that is located in and serves the under-resourced neighborhood of Chattanooga’s Westside including the public housing complex College Hill Courts, providing hands-on arts education as well as mentoring for children and teens. Negative Economic Impact - Assistance to Nonprofits Local (Hamilton County) nonprofit arts and culture organizations were negatively impacted by the pandemic with an estimated $8.5 million financial loss. Local area businesses—restaurants, lodging, retail, and parking—also experienced loss in audience ancillary spending due to canceled arts and culture events. Through this project, ArtsBuild will be able to grant with a focus on mid-size, small and grassroots organizations, many of whom will not qualify for other sources of ARP funds (such as from the Tennessee Arts Commission) on their own. During the pandemic, ArtsBuild supported small- and mid-size arts nonprofits with a Grassroots Recovery Fund and the Artists Work Grant. In August 2021, local playwright Peggy Douglas said, “I am extremely grateful for the ArtsBuild grant, which has allowed me to pay assistant student directors, cast, crew, and musicians for their time, which has been especially valuable during the pandemic. With the Artists Work grant and our co-sponsors, River City Company and Mark Making, Inc., and the writer and director offering their work in-kind, we are able to offer the play free to the public at Miller Park.” ArtsBuild has technical assistance services that help mitigate the negative economic impact to nonprofits. Programs like Tech Goes Home for the Arts, and Shared Services (HR, accounting, marketing consulting, strategic planning, racial equity consulting, etc.), informational webinars, and free training opportunities for the arts sector provide valuable support for nonprofits struggling to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic. Last year, arts organizations who utilized our Shared Services combined saved $35,000. Our Holmberg Arts Leadership Program also serves the arts sector by cultivating skills for community members who want to support nonprofit arts organizations financially, professionally, or through advocacy. Negative Economic Impact - Aid to Impacted Industries Outside of these impacts listed above, an industry is impacted if there is at least 8% employment loss from pre-pandemic levels or the industry is experiencing comparable or worse economic impacts than travel, tourism, and hospitality. Johns Hopkins University reports that, as of December 2021, the percentage of job losses at nonprofit arts organizations in the U.S. remains more than 3 times worse than the average of all nonprofits (-12.5% vs. -3.7%). The U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Business Pulse Survey also reports that “arts, entertainment, and recreation” businesses are among the most likely to take longer than 6 months to recover from the pandemic. As the City of Chattanooga’s local arts agency, ArtsBuild is focused on strengthening and supporting the arts industry business and workforce. Our project, which provides aid to the local arts sector, also connects directly to several priorities outlined in the ONE Chattanooga Strategic Plan impacting education, economy, and health across the city. Build a Universal Path to Early Learning Our CCC grant program has funded projects since 2012 in early learning environments. One example of a funded organization is Move N Groove Kidz, a local nonprofit that fills a gap in early childhood education through music and movement enrichment programs. Catalyze the Resurgence of the Black Middle Class ArtsBuild programs increase pathways to entrepreneurship and workforce development, as well as access to capital. The arts are an economic driver and support a growing workforce. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Endowment for the Arts report that the arts contribute $764 billion to the U.S. economy, or 4.2% of the GDP, more than agriculture, transportation, or construction. (Source: https://www.americansforthearts.org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/naappd/arts-and-cultural-production-percentage-of-gdp). The local arts, culture and creative sector of Chattanooga-Hamilton County supports more local full-time jobs than BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Hamilton County Schools, TVA, Volkswagen, or the City of Chattanooga (Source: https://www.chattanoogachamber.com/images/uploads/pdfs/Major_Employers.pdf), but it is often overlooked in conversations about workforce development. According to the Arts & Economic Prosperity Report from Americans for the Arts (2017), the arts sector supports close to 6,400 full-time employees, generates $7,284,000 in government revenue, and has an economic impact in Hamilton County of $172 million. In the City of Chattanooga, $615,00 is spent on arts, culture, entertainment, and tourism each day. Mayor Tim Kelly’s new One Chattanooga plan acknowledges the centrality of the arts to our local economy, workforce development, and economic development, as it establishes the City Priority of “advancing the arts, culture, and creative economy across Chattanooga.” The arts play a substantial and less acknowledged role in economic recovery after downturns and disasters as well, producing jobs and revenues, stimulating economic activity in other sectors, and fostering vitality for businesses to thrive. In 2020, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies commissioned economic research to compile empirical evidence measuring the connection between states’ economies and their cultural and arts sectors, in particular examining before and after the economic shock of the 2012 Great Recession. The report’s results suggest that the arts and cultural sector can improve, not merely reflect, the health of the broader economy. (Source: https://nasaa-arts.org//www/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/ArtsCultureContribEconRecovery-KeyFindings.pdf). The report makes a compelling case for investing in the arts sector as one that grows independently from other sectors because it is not as reliant on supply chains, and rebounds faster than the broader economy. In fact, the arts sector proved resilient and adaptable in the face of the pandemic. As other sectors shut down, the arts sector moved performances and exhibits outdoors, established creative means of social distancing, and leaned into virtual programming like never before. There truly is no way to have an economic recovery without the arts sector, as arts and culture are an integral part of what makes Chattanooga a great place to live, work, and play. ArtsBuild CCC grants have made investments in programming, organizations and artists in historically underserved neighborhoods. We recently mapped the reach of our funding throughout the city over the past five years, and are redoubling outreach efforts in those neighborhoods that have never received ArtsBuild funding before. ArtsBuild’s REGIA program came out of a commitment to provide more racially equitable funding in our community. In an analysis of our grantmaking from prior years, we determined that about 20% of funds were going to BIPOC artists and organizations. As a result, we launched the REGIA program with $200,000 to support the careers, practices, and projects of BIPOC artists. Funding for this project will allow ArtsBuild to add at least $50,000 specifically for BIPOC women artists. Build a Competitive Regional Economy ArtsBuild’s mission and programs help to develop a workforce for the arts sector in Chattanooga, providing income and skills training. Although our mission extends to anyone in Hamilton County, we often collaborate with regional partners to have a wider reach. We work closely with Thrive 2055 and Southeast TN Development District on initiatives that bolster regional economies through the arts. In 2022, ArtsBuild will be conducting a comprehensive survey as part of the Americans for the Arts Arts and Economic Prosperity Study, collecting a broad range of data on the regional economic impact of the arts, including impact of spending (FTE jobs, household income, revenue generated to government, event-related spending, and ancillary spending on meals, transportation, lodging, etc.) This information is critical in helping us build a competitive regional economy. The arts play an essential role in fostering inclusion and prosperous cities for all Americans. According to Americans for the Arts’ Arts and Social Impact Explorer, the cohesion of a community is what binds residents to each other and to their locality. A community is at its best when it feels coherent, collaborative, and safe. Social tensions created by an influx of new people, economics, environment, or any number of factors can disturb citizens’ sense of self and stress the threads that bind them. Arts participation contributes to social cohesion by reducing isolation, encouraging cooperation, and building community networks. Involvement in the arts helps build individual identity, as well as group solidarity. Arts participation helps to resolve conflicts and increase tolerance and cross-cultural understanding by bringing together people from different backgrounds and providing opportunities to recognize the contribution of many segments of the community. Arts participation crosses barriers of social class and ethnicity and leads to residents learning about each other and other neighborhoods. People involved in the arts meet more people, and participatory arts projects make marginalized groups more visible and promote positive community connections. Close the Gaps in Public Health Strong presence of the arts in our community can help address public health problems like violence, mental health, and lack of physical activity because of inadequate or unwelcoming public spaces. Involvement in the arts can be tremendously beneficial to both victims and perpetrators of violence. The arts have been used as a path to healing, especially among formerly incarcerated populations, not to mention improving rates of recidivism, as arts programs help develop the core skills that employers require. The arts are a powerful tool, adding expression and compassion to the prison environment and experience, which is often so dehumanizing. People who have been incarcerated aren’t the only ones who benefit from arts programming. The healing effect of arts programs is so marked that even the California Correctional Peace Officers Association asked for a program for their officers as part of their wellness push and efforts to lower the tragic suicide rate among correctional officers. ArtsBuild has funded programs for the arts in the juvenile justice system, as well as an extensive Arts in the Jails program led by Southern Lit Alliance. Art therapy or similar programs can help heal those who have been harmed by crime or violence, and arts-based programs can serve a preventive role as well. Children and youth exposed to various forms of crime, violence, and trauma often find it difficult to articulate their feelings. Arts-based therapy can help them share their emotions and begin healing. Participants may engage in drawing, painting, sculpture, music, drama, and many other art forms. Evidence-based arts therapies programs can be very beneficial in destigmatizing mental and emotional health. Beautification and activation of outdoor spaces utilizing the arts can leverage and improve outdoor spaces for the goals of public health. |
| Where would your project take place? | This project takes place within the City of Chattanooga. |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 1000000 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | Yes |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | ArtsBuild has a pending request ($390,000) for funding from the Tennessee Arts Commission which will support this project. We also have a matching commitment for facility improvements from the Southface Institute in Atlanta (amount to be determined). Southface works in collaboration with a network of partner nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, universities and technical experts to implement sustainable, high-performance and scalable solutions in homes, workplaces and communities. More than 650 individual donors, business, and private foundations contribute ($475,000) to ArtsBuild’s Annual Campaign which will support this project. |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | 30% |
| If funded, when would your project start? | July 1, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | 1-3 years |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | Milestone: We will award 20 CCC Grants, 5 REGIA Grants and10 Artists Works Grants each year. Measurements: We will document and report the amount of funds awarded and survey all applicants and artists/orgs involved on the economic, learning, health, community vitality and quality of life outcomes attained. Milestone: We will provide three years of shared services and offer one session of the Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute each year. Measurements: We will document and report the amount of funds saved by participating organizations and survey all orgs involved on the economic, learning, health, community vitality and quality of life outcomes attained. We will adjust the annual shared services offerings and vendors as needed based on feedback from the participating organizations. Milestone: Each year we will host three sessions of Tech Goes Home for the Arts, two for adults and one for high school students. Measurements: We will document and report the number of participants and survey all applicants and artists/orgs involved on the economic, learning, health, community vitality and quality of life outcomes attained. We will collect and display participant portfolios and refer them to arts and creative entrepreneurism programs that can take their learning to the next level. Milestone: Using the feedback from our Southforce grant Facility Review we will make the recommended environmental improvements to our building. Measurement: The Arts Building will have a lower environmental impact and lower utility costs, allowing us to invest more into the local arts sector and allowing our building to be a more conducive home for trainings, events, exhibits and meetings for the arts sector. |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | We ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project by engaging citizen volunteer review panels on all grants. Our financials and operational processes are available to the public upon request and our annual audit is shared on our website. We compile an impact report that is shared with donors and the public at the end of each year. All programs, staff, and processes are evaluated regularly to align with our mission and the goals and priorities outlined in our Strategic Plan. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | Our project will support economic recovery for the local arts sector as well as ArtsBuild’s capacity to impact the community through the arts post-pandemic. We will provide technical and financial assistance to a diverse range of nonprofits, individuals, and learning for students. This project will also allow us to make capital improvements that help us better serve Chattanooga as a physical location for convening partners, training, and events. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | We will attract community buy-in through focus groups, surveys, and conversations with the public at various community fairs, festivals, and events. |
| Name | James McKissic |
| Contact Information | james@artsbuild.com |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | |