Reimbursement for a prestigious federal arts grant awarded to a Hamilton County organization could be delayed amid the government shutdown. If delayed, it would be the $90,000 grant’s second speed bump this year.
In July, the National Endowment for the Arts green lit the grant for ArtsBuild, a local community arts organization and grant maker in Chattanooga. ArtsBuild then distributed funds to dozens of local artists, organizations and municipal governments.
Late last month, ArtsBuild submitted its first reimbursement application for about $65,000 in funds it had already awarded, said James McKissic, the organization’s president. But while the federal government is shut down, McKissic said, he doesn’t have a timeline for when that money will come in.
Despite the uncertainty brought on by the shutdown and the accompanying stress, McKissic said it’s worth it to bring national recognition to the arts in Hamilton County.
“What it means in the arts is that you, as an organization, are performing and serving your communities in the highest ways,” McKissic said in an interview.