Memphis arts groups receive $500K in funding

Written By DCA Memphis

Wendy Guzmán | Memphis Business Journal

Memphis arts organizations have been selected to benefit from a $500,000 grant program.

The First Horizon Foundation and ARTSmemphis recently announced that 23 local organizations are set to receive its ArtsFirst grant.

The First Horizon Foundation makes the ArtsFirst investment annually and sees it as a way to advance arts and culture in Memphis. First Horizon's charitable arm has contributed $6.5 million to community arts organizations through ARTSmemphis since 2011.

"ARTSmemphis helps make creativity and learning accessible for every child and fuels a stronger Memphis economy,” Bo Allen, Mid-South Regional President for First Horizon, said in a news release. “Through First Horizon Foundation's long-standing partnership, we are proud to invest in organizations that serve to strengthen the communities we call home.”

First Horizon has also donated to impact areas, such as education and leadership, the environment, financial literacy, and health and human services.

Last year, ARTSmemphis hit $100 million in grant dollars distributed to local artists and arts organizations since its founding in 1963. It is the Mid-South’s primary arts funder.

"ARTSmemphis is fortunate to have a corporate philanthropic partner that recognizes the role the arts play in driving our community's growth and continues to invest in that vision through meaningful financial support, leadership, and engagement," ARTSmemphis president and CEO Elizabeth Rouse, said in a news release.

This year’s ArtsFirst grant recipients include:

  • AngelStreet Memphis

  • Ballet Memphis

  • Carpenter Art Garden

  • Cazateatro Bilingual Theatre Group

  • Company d

  • Contemporary Arts Memphis

  • Creative Aging Memphis

  • Crosstown Arts

  • Dixon Gallery & Gardens

  • Germantown Performing Arts Center

  • Hattiloo Theatre

  • Memphis Jazz Workshop

  • Memphis Symphony Orchestra

  • Metal Museum

  • New Ballet Ensemble & School

  • Opera Memphis Inc.

  • Orpheum Theatre Group

  • Overton Park Shell

  • Soulsville Foundation

  • Tennessee Shakespeare Company

  • Theatre Memphis

  • UrbanArt Commission

  • Young Actors Guild

DCA Memphis https://dcamemphis.com
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First Horizon Foundation and ARTSmemphis Announce 2026 ArtsFirst Grant Recipients