Laurie Fleming from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center recently served on the Tennessee Arts Commission's 2015 Citizen Advisory Panel in Nashville. Nominated panelists meet once a year to offer advice on program planning and to review grant applications. In addition, they serve as year-round resources to the Tennessee Arts Commission staff as advocates for the arts in their communities.
Fleming is the UCEDD Program Coordinator for the VKC and served on the Funds for At-Risk Youth panel.
The annual meetings were held throughout the month of April. Panels are divided into different categories including: Arts Education, Arts Access, Community Arts, Folk Arts, Literary Arts, Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Theater, Inter-Arts, Funds for At-Risk Youth, and Rural Arts. Panel members are appointed to two-year terms and generally consist of professional artists, arts administrators, patrons, sponsors, educators and community leaders.
"Our citizen panels consist of dedicated, informed and impartial individuals from across the state who provide an invaluable service to the arts in Tennessee," said Anne B. Pope, Executive Director of the Tennessee Arts Commission. "The caliber of individuals serving on the panels is impressive and their nomination for the panel is a testament to their expertise in arts-related fields. We are so appreciative of their time and effort—they are critical to making arts investments in every Tennessee community.”
In 2014, $5.3 million in arts grants was invested in every region of the state. The Tennessee Arts Commission, a state agency that cultivates the arts for the benefit of all Tennesseans and their communities, made grants to over 600 non-profit organizations, over half of which were schools.
The panel process is open, fair and based on independent, nominated peer reviews. In order to be selected, panelists are required to provide a statement of their individual qualifications to serve on the advisory panel. Nominees are contacted to confirm their interest and commitment to attend specific meetings and their willingness to serve as arts advocates in their areas. Panelists are expected to make a commitment to participate in an area orientation and to attend the grant applications review meeting.
For more information on the Citizen Advisory Panels, contact Hal Partlow at (615) 741-2093 or hal.partlow@tn.gov. More information on the Tennessee Arts Commission and its grant programs is available online at tn.gov/arts.
Last Updated: 4/30/2015 11:22:05 AM
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