The Tennessee Arts Academy gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following individuals, businesses, and organizations whose contributions have helped make the 2026 TAA Summer Institute possible.
MAJOR FUNDING SUPPORT
Country Music Association Foundation
Dettwiller Foundation
Ingram Charities
Jackie Jensen Hart Foundation
Marlene and Spencer Hays Foundation
Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission
Middle Tennessee State University
National Endowment for the Arts
Pinnacle Financial Partners
Sandra Schatten Foundation
Smith & Smith
Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation
Tennessee Arts Commission
Tennessee State Government
EVENT AND SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT
The American Snuff Company Charitable Trust
Madeline Bridges
Marion and Stephen Coleman
Commercial Bank and Trust Company
Rena Ellzy
Morel Enoch
Dianne Evans
First Community Bank
The Fott Family
Germantown Performing Arts Center
Dorothy M. Gillespie Foundation
HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health
Kimberly Heimert
Kem Hinton
James R. Holcomb
Patricia A. Hudson
Lingner Gift Fund
Ludus
Leah Tolbert Lyons
Ron and Karen Meers
Michael Meise
Flowerree W. McDonough
Middle Tennessee State University College of Art and Design
SmartBank
Theatrical Rights Worldwide
Wilson Bank & Trust
MAJOR SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT
HCA Healthcare Foundation
INSBANK
William Rollins Fund for the Arts of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Amy Savell
Tennessee Book Company
Jeanette and Bill Watkins
Talmage Watts
VIP Bravo Society Sponsors
Frank and Brenda Bluestein
Germantown Association
HCA Healthcare/TriStar Health
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen O. Hewlett
Kimberly Heimert
INSBANK
Middle Tennessee State University
Jeff Myrick
Pinnacle Financial Partners
Smith & Smith
Steinway Piano Gallery Nashville
Tennessee Book Company
The University of Central Arkansas, Department of Music
Jeanette and Bill Watkins
Break & Newsletter Sponsors
Arts Education Alliance
Bob Rogers Travel
Concord Theatricals
Ludus
Music Theatre International
SCAD - The University for Creative Careers
Steinway Piano Gallery Nashville
Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation
Tennessee Educational Theatre Association
Tennessee Shakespeare Company
Tennessee Theatre Educators Association
Theatrical Rights Worldwide
Advertisers and Arts Vendor Fair Exhibitors
Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
ArtsEd Tennessee
Belmont University
Bethel University
Blick Art Materials
Bob Rogers Travel
Broadway Trax
Center for the Arts
Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at Austin Peay State University
Children's Dental of Columbia
College of Liberal Arts of Middle Tennessee State University
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Cumberland County Playhouse
Davis Publications
Drama Notebook
Drama Teacher Academy
The Educators' Cooperative
Frist Art Museum
Germantown Performing Arts Center
GIA Publications
Gitelman & Good Publishers
INSBANK
Knoxville Museum of Art
LD Enterprise
Lipscomb University School of Music
Ludus
Mary B. Martin School of the Arts at East Tennessee State University
MusicFirst
Nashville Shakespeare Festival
Nashville Symphony
National Museum of African American Music
Orpheum Theatre Group
Perform Murfreesboro
Pioneer Drama Service
SCAD - The University for Creative Careers
Smith & Kraus Publishers
Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment
Steinway Piano Gallery Nashville
Tennessee Art Education Association
Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation
Tennessee Music Education Association
Tennessee Performing Arts Center
Tennessee Shakespeare Company
Tennessee Technological University School of Music
Tennessee Theatre
Tennessee Theatre Educators Association
Theatrical Rights Worldwide
Union University, Department of Music
The University of Central Arkansas, Department of Music
The University of Memphis, College of Communications and Fine Arts
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Department of Theatre
Wilson Bank & Trust
Goods and Services
A. Ray Hospitality
Freedom Middle School, Franklin Special District
Jerry's Artarama
Johnson Elementary School, Franklin Special District
KHS America
Music Theatre International
Chris Parnell
Peripole, Inc.
Siegel High School
Smith and Kraus Publishers
Steinway Piano Gallery Nashville
Tennessee Art Education Association
Theatrical Rights Worldwide
The Tennessee Arts Academy Foundation receives a direct appropriation grant funded by the State of Tennessee.
The Honorable Bill Lee - Tennessee State Governor
Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds - Commissioner of Education
Atticus Hensley - Manager of Fine Arts
To learn more about all services provided by the State of Tennessee, please visit their website at: https://www.tn.gov/
Tennessee Arts Commission
The Tennessee Arts Academy is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee, the Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Anne B. Pope - Executive Director
Chris Sweatt - Director of Arts Education
About The Tennessee Arts Commission......When the Tennessee Arts Commission was created in 1967, it was given a special mandate by the General Assembly to stimulate and encourage the presentation of performing, visual and literary arts throughout the state and to encourage public interest in the cultural heritage of Tennessee. Through a variety of programs, the Commission has encouraged excellence in artistic expression through the state's artists and arts organizations. That commitment has continued to expand through the years to ensure that the citizens of Tennessee have access to, and the opportunity to participate in the arts.
To learn more about the Tennessee Arts Commission, please visit their website at: http://www.arts.state.tn.us.
Support the arts by purchasing a Tennessee specialty license plate. The Tennessee Arts Commission receives funds collected through this initiative to benefit arts organizations including the Tennessee Arts Academy. Click here to learn more about the specialty license plate program.
Middle Tennessee State University
1301 E. Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Middle Tennessee State University's (MTSU) rich history dates back over a century to 1911 when the school started as Middle Tennessee State Normal School. Established by the Tennessee General Assembly, the school was created to build strong teaching standards or "norms." The state recognized the growing importance of proper teacher training and preparation. At the opening, there were 125 students enrolled. What began as a small, two-year teacher preparation program evolved into a flourishing university dedicated to serving all areas of the community.
Spreading out over 500 acres of a scenic, park-like atmosphere, MTSU has more than 900 faculty members and over 300 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral concentrations that are nationally and internationally recognized for their excellence. The University has been named one of the best colleges in the United States by The Princeton Review, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and U.S. News and World Report. The goal of every program is to help students create careers, not just prepare for a job. They are one of the leading institutions supporting the Middle Tennessee workforce with more than 70,000 alumni living in the Nashville region.
What kind of school is MTSU?
With a strong commitment to the arts, MTSU boasts a nationally recognized school of music, and the highest ranked audio engineering program in the US with students, faculty, and staff winning 47 GRAMMYs collectively since 2001. Its award-winning department of art and design features state-of-the-art studios, labs, and galleries, and the theatre programs are some of the most competitive and collaborative programs in the United States.
Where is MTSU located?
Nestled in the heart of Tennessee, MTSU sits in Murfreesboro—a vibrant and fast-growing city just a south of Nashville. It's the the perfect blend of small-town charm and big-city opportunity.
How many students attend MTSU?
MTSU is home to approximately 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
To learn more about Middle Tennessee State University please visit the website: www.mtsu.edu
