A New Start for the Arts

Located on the west wall of the building, the new stage will be significantly larger to accommodate a wider variety of performances, ranging from plays to dance recitals to concerts.  Even more exciting, the stage will extend beyond the west wall to the outside of the building, facing the large, grassy lot between the Farmers Market and the River Centre.  Both sides of the stage will be connected by large, sliding doors, enabling them to share common electrical service and easier movement of lighting and sound systems.  When completed, Dyer Countians will be able to bring blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy outdoor movies, concerts, festivals and more.

To assist with funding, we turned to the Tennessee Arts Commission, created in 1967 by the Tennessee General Assembly with the special mandate to “stimulate and encourage the presentation of the visual, literary, music and performing arts.”  Their Rural Arts Facilities Fund provides competitive grants to help rural communities “build, renovate, or expand arts and cultural facilities resulting in positive economic and community outcomes.”

We are proud to have been selected as the recipient of a Rural Arts Facilities Fund (RAFF) grant in the amount of $81,900 to assist with the construction of the new stage.  The RAFF is made possible, in turn, by your support of the Tennessee Specialty License Plate program. When you purchase a specialty plate for your vehicle, a portion of the proceeds helps fund programs such as RAFF.

We are grateful that the Tennessee Arts Commission shared our community’s dream for a new start for the arts.  And we’re also thankful that Joe Adams and the Dyersburg – Dyer County Arts Council partnered with us to solicit arts funding for our project.

Now, final design and construction management services are being solicited by our close partner in this project, the City of Dyersburg.  Stay tuned for more updates as we progress towards construction.