Henry Walker Appointed to the Arts Commission. Congratulations!

Henry Walker

by Rod Williams, July 22, 2026 - Henry Walker has been appointed to the Arts Commission for a term expiring January 1, 2028. 

Henry M. Walker is a Nashville-based partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, focusing on state utility regulation and energy law, with a career that includes 13 years as General Counsel for the Tennessee Public Utility Commission. He is also an art collector, an art connoisseur, and patron of the arts. 

Before joining Bradley in 2013, Walker served 13 years as General Counsel for the Tennessee Public Utility Commission. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and as Assistant District Attorney General in Nashville. He was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Energy Law in Nashville by Best Lawyers in 2012 and 2015.

He is vice president of his neighborhood association, Senior Warden at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, and serves on boards including Tennessee History for Kids, Tennessee State Museum Foundation, and East Nashville Hope Exchange. 

If you remember the old Teddy Barts Roundtable, you may know Henry as a regular on that program, and he has also been a journalist with The Nashville Scene.

For many years, the Arts Commission has been plagued with controversy. I don't know why anyone would want to serve on the dysfunctional Arts Commission, but I am glad good people are willing to do so. You may recall that other prominent people, including philanthropist Will Cheek and former Judge Carol McCoy served on the Arts Commission and either resigned or were forced out. 

I wish Henry all the best as he navigates the challenges of the Arts Commission. Thank you for your willingness to serve in this challenging position.

For more on the Arts Commission, see the following:

Metro Council Ensures the Chaos at the Arts Commision Continues

Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.

 More Weird stuff at the Arts Commission. New Interim Director job offered while Director is still Sick from Racism and cannot Defend himself Because that would be Work.

Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.

Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state

How Did Metro Arts Get Here?

Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.

Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.

Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.

Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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Who's Running for What

by Rod Williams, July 16, 2026 - I was preparing to compile a post on the topic of 'who's running for what," but then came across an excellent post from the Pamphleteer on the topic and am reposting it here. Their article is much better than what I would have had the time to compile.

I try to be respectful of copyrighted material, but sometime back I asked the Editor in Chief if I could, on occasion, repost Pamphleteer articles and was given verbal permission. The pamphleteer is an excellent publication with a small staff, focusing on Nashville arts, culture, and politics. If you are not familiar with the publication, please check it out at this link and consider becoming a subscriber. It is important to support quality, independent journalism. Here is the article:

Who's Running for What

By The Pamphleteer, Newsletter • 16 Jul 2026 - Early primary voting kicks off tomorrow. The GOP primary for governor has grabbed all the headlines, but contests for the GOP spot in the 6th Congressional District, the Democrat spot in the 7th Congressional District, and the Democrat spot in House District 59 are also worth monitoring.

Noticeably absent from any Davidson County ballot is the District 5 race. Nashville is now split between Congressional Districts 4, 6, and 7. Early voting and sample ballot information is available on the Davidson County Election Commission website. Use your address to find your new congressional district here.

A breezy look through the races follows with fundraising totals for the candidates in competitive races. If you want to dig deeper into candidate funding, Who Funds Tennessee is an excellent resource.

✰   ✰   ✰

Governor 
Though the Democratic side of the ticket is crowded, the real contest is unfolding on the Republican side of the ticket. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn entered the race as the clear frontrunner, but a few late-campaign missteps has given Republican challengers U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts an opening to close the gap.

John Rose (R): $10,876,559 raised; heavily self-funded
Marsha Blackburn (R): $9,541,518 raised; significant out-of-state contributions
Monty Fritts (R): $281,860 raised; distant third

Campaign finance records show that PACs have spent more than $2.5 million supporting Blackburn. The D.C.-based Tennessee Freedom Fund PAC raised $4.6 million from April to June to target Rose.

✰   ✰   ✰

U.S. Senate 
The only competition in Tennessee’s U.S. Senate primary race is on the Democratic ticket. Sitting Senator Bill Hagerty is enjoying an uncontested primary run and is highly favored in November’s general election.

Meanwhile, a slew of challengers will be duking it out for the Democratic nod over the next month. That said, the campaign finance disclosures show just how unserious Hagerty’s competition is.

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U.S. House District 4
 Incumbent Congressman Scott DesJarlais is the clear favorite in the new 4th Congressional District GOP primary. The district remains heavily Republican, making the GOP primary the real contest, but he faces a well-funded challenger on the Democratic side in Metro Councilmember Mike Cortese. Cortese is battling it out with Victoria Broderick—who previously ran for the 4th District in 2024—alongside a few other underdogs.  

Scott DesJarlais (R, incumbent) $523,391 raised; 81% from out of state
Mike Cortese (D)  $706,113 raised; best-funded in the race

✰   ✰   ✰

U.S. House District 6 
A contentious primary race is cooking up for Congressman John Rose’s open seat in District 6. State Representative Johnny Garrett and former TN-4 U.S. representative Van Hilleary are the top Republican candidates in pursuit of the nomination, with underdog Jon Henry a distant third on the fundraising front.

Johnny Garrett (R): $2.2 million raised
Van Hilleary (R): $1.5 million raised
Jon Henry (R): $67 thousand raised

Chaney Mosley, Mike Croley, and Lore Bergman—who has previously challenged Rose as the Democratic nominee for this congressional district—look to be the most competitive Democratic candidates in this race.

Though the new TN-6 lines make it somewhat less Republican-leaning than the previous version of the district, it is still a Republican-favored seat.

✰   ✰   ✰

U.S. House District 7 
Congressman Matt Van Epps, who recently tasted victory after winning the special 7th District congressional election to replace Mark Green last year, faces no competition in the Republican primaries.

On the Democratic ticket, likely frontrunners are Darden Copeland—who is the strongest fundraiser on the ticket—and state Representative Vincent Dixie—an elected official with strong grassroots support. 

Darden Copeland (D) $677,614 raised; 53% from out of state
Vincent Dixie (D) $218,197 raised

✰   ✰   ✰

State Senate 
The only contested state senate race on the Davidson County ballot is District 17. Newcomer Theodore (Butch) Baker has an uphill battle against incumbent state Senator Mark Pody for the Republican nomination. Only two Democrats are competing for the primary nod: Joni Cochran and Lindsey Patrick-Wright.

Mark Pody (R, incumbent) $674,051 raised
Butch Baker (R) $46,430 raised
Joni Cochran (D) $88,166 raised
Lindsey Patrick-Wright (D) $44,732 raised

Tennessee Senate District 19 incumbent Charlane Oliver and District 21 incumbent Jeff Yarbro are both uncontested.

✰   ✰   ✰

State House 

The only competitive House seat primary is on the Democratic side of the ticket in state Rep. Caleb Hemmer’s vacated District 59 seat. A crowded field finds Rick Ewing, husband of councilmember Sandy Ewing, attorney Angie Lawless, former THP Mark Proctor, and nonprofit executive Beth West duking it out for the opportunity to take on uncontested Republican nominee Bill Hancock in November.

Mark Proctor (D) $171,515 raised; top D59 Dem. fundraiser
Angie Lawless (D) $121,200 raised; 43% self-funded
Rick Ewing (D) $82,886 raised
Beth West (D) $65,558 raised
Bill Hancock (R) $225,251 raised; sitting on ~$205K cash for November

In Districts 52, 55, and 60, both the Republican candidate and the Democrat candidate will advance uncontested. Republicans don’t have challengers in House Districts 50 (Bo Mitchell), 51 (Aftyn Behn), 53 (Jason Powell), 56 (Bob Freeman), and 58 (Harold M. Love, Jr.).

✰   ✰   ✰

County General Elections

You’ll also find a number of uncompetitive county general election races on your ballot, including judgeships, school board members, and the sheriff. Given the Republican Party’s lack of candidates during May’s primaries, all candidates are uncontested.

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The Phony Moral Exhibitionism on Display at the Metro Arts Commission

by Rod Williams, April 22, 2026- Wokeism really galls me. Sometimes, I think that is the point. It is intended to trigger normal people. It is an in-your-face, ostentatious display of virtue signaling and holier-than-thou phony piety. As an example of what I am talking about, for years, I would get fundraising emails from Dakota Galban, Chair of the Davidson County Democratic Party. He would always follow his name with a "he/him" tag.  He stopped that about a year ago or more. Maybe some consultant told him it alienated some people and the Democratic Party should attempt to appear more normal, or maybe attaching a preferred pronoun to your name simply fell out of fashion. I don't know.

An example much more offensive than attaching a preferred pronoun tag to your name is the Land Acknowledgement ceremonies that some woke organizations engage in before conducting business. To see what I am talking about, watch the first minute and a half of the video of the last meeting of the Metro Arts Commission. They start every meeting with this recitation that says they are occupying stolen land.  As far as I know, the Metro Arts Commission is the only metro commission that engages in this little ritual.

If you look at the history of the world and want to think of it that way, aren't all, or almost all, people everywhere, living on "stolen land?" The country known as England has been inhabited for 800,000 years. Prior to the arrival of the Germanic tribes from the continent, it was inhabited by hunter-gatherers. The Germanic tribes settled there, followed by the Romans; after they departed, the Anglo-Saxon migrations began. That is kind of the way things work. 

So, if the Metro Arts Commission is going to acknowledge that they are occupying stolen land, who was it stolen from? Surely answering "the native inhabitants" does not answer the question. That is kind of vague. Which native inhabitants? I turn to my friendly Google AI looking for an answer:

Indigenous people have inhabited the Nashville area for at least 14,000 years, beginning with Paleo-Indians, followed by Archaic and Woodland peoples. The area was most notably dominated by the Mississippian culture (c. 1000–1450 AD), who built large mound cities. Later, the Shawnee, Cherokee, and Chickasaw hunted and settled in the region before European settlement.  

The Middle Cumberland area was heavily populated, with roughly 130 towns and villages existing within a day's walk of Nashville. These people were agricultural mound builders (e.g., Mound Bottom) who built significant, now-buried cities beneath modern downtown Nashville. Mississippian sites were largely abandoned by the late 15th century due to unknown reasons.

Durning the 1700s–1800s the region became a heavily used hunting ground, often contested by the Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw. The Shawnee were believed to have been pushed out of the area shortly before white settlement in 1779. The Cherokee remained in the region, with notable figures like Chief Black Fox maintaining camps nearby, until they were forcibly removed on the Trail of Tears in 1838. 

Throughout the centuries, this area was often a crossroads, and many tribes used the rich Cumberland River valley for hunting and trade rather than permanent habitation during the late 17th and 18th centuries. 

So, this area was not really occupied when "we" "stole" it. It was a vast contested unoccupied hunting ground. So, who did we steal it from?  The Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, or Choctaw? And who did they steal it from?

I question who the "we" is that stole it. I didn't steal it. I don't carry around with me the sins of my ancestors. I don't have any settler's guilt or White guilt or occupier's guilt. I am only responsible for the things I do. Even if I did carry around the burden of my ancestors' sins, they did not live in Nashville, so I still would not be guilty. 

I like the story of Stuart Reges, a professor at the University of Washington who taught an introductory computer science course at that school. The school had a land acknowledgement statement and Regis wrote a statement mocking the concept. The University tried to discipline him, but he fought back and won on First Amendment grounds. (link). This is what he wrote that got him in trouble:

"I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property, the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington." 

The Metro Arts Commission has been a dysfunctional mess for years. I wish there was at least one sensible person on the Commission who would speak up and ask to be recorded as not participating in the Land Acknowledgement ritual. That wouldn't solve what is wrong with the Arts Commission, but it would be something. 

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Metro Arts: Grant Panelist Applications Now Open

by Rod Williams, April 21, 2026- Metro Arts Commission is a mess. While it has not been in the news lately, it is my understanding from people knowledgeable of the local art community that things have not substantially improved at Metro Arts. 

For a recap of some of the troubles at Metro Arts, you may recall that a couple years ago, the Director of Metro Arts took months of sick leave, ill from the effects of racism and then he was paid a lot of money to resign. You may recall that Will Cheek was appointed to the Arts Commission and then resigned after receiving death threats. Will Cheek is a liberal from a civic-minded wealthy family.  He has been a big supporter of liberal causes. Yet, he was not woke enough for the activist who held sway and influence at Metro Arts. 

You may recall that former judge Carrol McCoy, who in addition to being a respected judge, has arts credentials, was appointed to the Commission and then resigned after trumped up ethic complaint charges were filed against her. 

The above is only part of the drama that has dominated Metro Arts for years. I have posted about Metro Arts about a dozen or more times over the past years. To read some of those posts, follow this link. 

Some of my conservative friends may think that the government should not even support the arts. That is not my position. I want to live in a city that is aesthetically pleasing and where there is public art and a rich culture. Public funds can help move a city in that direction. My problem is not with public funding of the arts, but with the Metro Arts Commission.

I am posting this notice because we need a broader spectrum of points of view and artistic tastes than those currently dominant at Metro Arts. We need sane, normal people at all levels of the Commission and involved in the arts community.  If you are a lover of the arts, you may want to apply to be one of the people who determine which art projects get funded by Metro. It would be nice to have some institutionalists and traditionalists around the table when decisions are being made. 

 
 

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Councilmember Joy Styles Announces Mayoral Run

Joy Styles

by Hannah Herner, Nashville Scene, Jan. 21, 2026 - District 32 Metro Councilmember Joy Styles has announced her intention to run for Nashville mayor in 2027. 

Styles, who has served the Antioch area as a councilmember since 2019, is the second candidate to officially challenge first-term Mayor Freddie O’Connell, should he choose to run for reelection. As reported by the Nashville Banner, the only other candidate to have officially entered the race is Lou Wilbanks, a West Nashville development skeptic.

“I'm running because Nashville needs a fighter, someone who is going to fight for you and your neighborhood,” Styles told reporters during a Tuesday press conference.   ... Styles has pushed back on additional affordable housing in Antioch,... Styles herself — along with Metro Human Relations Commission executive director Davie Tucker — was the subject of an ethics investigation in 2024. The two were found to have behaved improperly toward two Metro Arts employees. ... worked to create the Nashville Office of Entertainment ... “Councilmember Joy Styles is at war with the mayor’s office. The outspoken second-term councilmember has made no secret of her disdain for Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s approach to — well, pretty much everything.” ...  calls O’Connell’s focus on public safety “smoke and mirrors.” ... (read it all)

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Metro School Board approves $6.5 million settlement, sparking concerns

By Rod Williams, July 25, 2025 - It seems that Nashville has a hard time hiring competent or honest administrators for key positions. The Arts Commission is probably the best example, but its budget is a relatively small part of the total Metro budget. The Arts Commission has been dysfunctional for years. (link)

The school budget gets the bulk of Metro tax dollars. With school directors and arts administration and some other positions, it seems we hire based on identity politics, the new person makes a mess of things, or engages in atrocious or embarrassing conduct, we do not want to be seen firing a member of a minority or angering social justice warriors, so we pay them a lot of money to just go away. Also, when those who worked for the director or a department head end up suing the city for the malfeasance of the disgraced former director or department head, we pay off the claimants rather than trying to defend against the claim.

MNPS Director
Adrienne Battle

We paid a lot of money- $6.5 million - to settle the claims of five former administrators who filed formal complaints against the Metro School District for misconduct tied directly to school Director Adrienne Battle.  The five school administrators, Dr. Jenai Hayes, Dr. Lily Moreno Leffler, Dr. James Bailey, Dr. Pippa Meriwether, and Dr. Damon Cathey, claimed MNPS retaliated against them for complaining of wrongdoing by Battle. These five exercised their First Amendment rights. One of the five alleged discrimination based on age, another retaliation based on sex and a violation of Title VI laws that protect employees from forms of hiring discrimination. One plaintiff said he was fired after calling for Battle’s brother to be removed from his position as Whites Creek High School's basketball coach after he got into a fight with a parent.

The school board voted 9-0 to pay the settlement, which far exceeds the typical $300,000 cap for cases of this nature. Dr. Battle has not gone away nor has she been disciplined and still serves as Metro Director of Schools. She has not been punished and she has not publicly addressed the allegations or the settlement. 

For more on this, see this link, this link, and this link.

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Continuing Choas at the Metro Arts Commission

 Metro Arts Commission Interim Director Resigns After Brief Tenure

The Nashville Scene, Jan. 15, 2025- Interim Metro Arts executive director Paulette Coleman tendered her resignation on Saturday after less than a year leading the department.

Coleman was named interim director in April following a botched fiscal year 2024 grants cycle that left artists and arts organizations with little faith in the department’s ability to distribute funds in a timely manner. The situation resulted in a conciliation agreement between the Metro Arts Commission, Nashville artists and other Metro departments to improve the grants process for future years. Coleman was tasked with overseeing the department through that rebuilding phase.

However, according to emails and letters obtained by the Nashville Banner, Coleman was failing to hold up Metro Arts’ end of the agreement, leading artists to question if Metro Arts was about to have a repeat of the FY24 grant cycle. ... second time in less than a year that the department responsible for distributing grants to artists and arts organizations is left without leadership at an essential time.

Former Metro Arts Director Daniel Singh resigned in May with a $200,000 settlement agreement. Before that, he had been on FMLA leave followed by administrative leave since February, leaving the department rudderless. (read more)

For more on the years of chaos at the dysfunctional Metro Arts Commission see the following.

• Audit finds array of problems at Metro Arts: improperly used temporary employees; did not correctly document their scope of work; paid them exorbitant salaries.
• Metro Arts director Daniel Singh agrees to Resign. Gets Paid $200,000.
• Metro Arts Commission Drama Update: Metro HR Concludes Councilmember, Commission Director Intimidated City Employees
• Walk-our Denies Quorum for Dysfunctional Arts Commission Meeting
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.

• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

 

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Audit finds array of problems at Metro Arts: improperly used temporary employees; did not correctly document their scope of work; paid them exorbitant salaries.

by Nate Rau, Axios, June 16, 2024 - An audit of the embattled Metro Arts Commission, released Wednesday, found a cavalcade of financial, human resources and contracting problems. According to the audit, Metro Arts lacks "comprehensive policies and procedures for critical areas such as grant management and financial transactions." (link)

Go deeper: Read the full audit

Read the Nashville Banner's timeline of issues at Metro Arts

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How Much of the left-wing "Peoples Budget" will make it into the Metro Budget?

by MEGAN PODSIEDLIK, Reposted from The Pamphleteer, June 13, 2024- Budget and Finance Committee Chair Delishia Porterfield seems to be an ally of the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition. Yesterday, Porterfield took to social media to share the substitute budget carve-outs negotiated in accordance with their demands.  

One of these changes would raise the mayor’s 3.5 percent COLA recommendation to 4 percent—a compromise down from the coalition’s request for a 5 percent increase.

Haggling over cost-of-living adjustments for Metro employees has always been a sticking point during budget season. Last year, Councilmember Courtney Johnston attempted to remedy this with a bill that would have made the adjustment automatic based on data consistent with the Consumer Price Index for urban areas. The council vehemently shot it down, and Johnston had this to say: “Civil service commission makes a recommendation, the administration does what they want to, and then we amend it however we want to and a lot of times it’s completely arbitrary. It’s not based [on] anything except for, apparently, wild emotion.”

Porterfield also highlighted that O’Connell’s budget has been substituted to include $1 million for the Varsity Spending Plan, $30 million for the Barnes Fund, $400,000 for an Arts Equity Study, and more than $1 million for indigent defense. She also mentioned she’d look into finding $130,000 for masks to be provided in public buildings in the future, per the coalition’s request.

These adjustments will go before the council next Tuesday, when they cast their final vote on this year’s budget. 

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Metro Arts director Daniel Singh agrees to Resign. Gets Paid $200,000.

by CHAR DASTON, WPLN News,  MAY 24, 2024 - Metro Arts director Daniel Singh has agreed to resign after less than two years on the job. Singh presided over a chaotic grant funding cycle where artists and arts nonprofits waited months to receive the money they were promised.

Singh’s resignation was approved by the Metro Arts Commission at a specially-called meeting on Friday. In return, he’ll receive a $200,000 settlement payment from the city government.

That settlement will prevent Singh from suing Nashville, Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz said during the meeting. link

#

The Tennessean: Metro Arts board votes to approve director's resignation settlement; new lawsuit filed link

Rod's Comment: This is good news, but it is a shame that we had to pay someone $200,00 to resign when he deserves to be fired. I am betting that this will not end the drama. For more on the drama, death threats, lawsuits, ethics complaints, resignations, controversies, disfunction, and chaos occurring at the Metro Arts Commission, follow this link. 

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Metro Arts Commission Drama Update: Metro HR Concludes Councilmember, Commission Director Intimidated City Employees

 Metro HR Concludes Councilmember, Commission Director Intimidated City Employees

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Walk-our Denies Quorum for Dysfunctional Arts Commission Meeting

by Rod Williams, May 16, 2024- I attended the Metro Arts Commission meeting today and the big newsis that a walk-out of one of the members of the commission led to the Commission unable to conduct business. The Commission is supposed to be a 15-member body but has four vacancies. Eight members constitute a quorum and there were exactly eight members in attendance.

Durning the Commission meeting, one member was discussing Director Daniel Singh and praised him for his work on diversity but listed other areas of disappointment, saying when Singh was hired there was an understanding that he had other things he was supposed to accomplish that he had not. While that commission member was speaking, another member, I assume displeased by the criticism of Singh, got up and walked away from the table where members were seated and went and stood with the audience. Commissioners looked perplexed and the speaker stopped speaking. The member who had left the table, then left the room and then someone said we do not have a quorum. 

Discussion then ensued as to whether or not in fact the Commission did or did not have a quorum. Metro Legal made it clear that the Commission did not have a quorum. It was determined the Commision could continue discussion but could not "take action," meaning the Commission could not take any action requiring a vote. One member expressed her displeasure about what had occurred and said, she attends the meeting to work and if there was not going to be a quorum, she may not show up at the next meeting. 

Arriving late, I missed the part of the meeting where it was announced that Paulette Coleman, a former chair of the Arts Commission, agreed to accept the position of interim director and where the Commission voted to affirm giving her the position. I assume it was at today's meeting, with an interim director in place, that the Commission was going to decide what to do about Singh. At the last meeting he was placed on administrative leave. Singh has been on paid sick leave due to being a victim of racism since February 23rd. He comes off of paid administrative leave on May 30th. I am not sure where that will leave the Commision. They will have a director on sick leave and an interim director. Surely, there is a limit to how long one can get paid sick leave. I assume it is still paid sick leave, at least it was until recently. To read about the discussion about Singh's status as of last meeting and the complexity or timidity of dismissing him, follow this link. 

Ms Coleman spoke to the Commission about the hard work ahead and the challenges facing the Commission and urges everyone to treat each other respectfully and with kindness. She said the next big challenge is the upcoming May 23rd Metro Council departmental budget hearing. 

Either Coleman or someone else said the Commission continues to be under audit and cannot spend any money without specific authorization of the Metro Finance Director. The Commission is in a real bind. To go before the Metro Council for a budget hearing with its finances controlled by the Metro Finance Director and paying both a director and an interim director, and unable to conduct business would not inspire confidence even among the most progressive of Council members fully supportive of the Commission's diversity agenda. The Commission needs to meet again soon because they were unable to take up the agenda today due to the walkout and it would be better if something has been resolved about Singh before the Council budget hearings. They did not set that next special called meeting today. Members will be polled to see which date would work for the members. They would not want to again meet and fail to have a quorum. 

 Unfortunately, I am unfamiliar with who is who on the commission and was unable to identify the commission members in the above report. If I learn their identity, I will update this post. Another development I find interesting is that the regularly scheduled Arts Commission Committee for Anti-Racism and Equity Meeting scheduled for May 17, 2024 has been cancelled. 

For a list of other post detailing the drama at the Arts Commission, follow this link. 

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Metro Council Ensures the Chaos at the Arts Commision Continues.

by Rod Williams, May 13, 2024- Anyone who is paying attention knows things are a mess at Metro Arts Commission. We have a director who has been on sick leave due to being a victim of racism and has not worked in months and a Commision that won't fire him without hearing from him, but to hear from him would constitute "work" and he can't work while on sick leave. We had a respected wealthy patron of the arts and a good liberal who is a donor to the Democratic Party and Democrat candidates, who was serving on the Commission, who due to receiving death threats because he was deemed insufficiently woke, resign. We had frivolous ethics charges brought against a member of the Commission for simply doing her due diligence. There have been lawsuits and inability to finalize grants. The Commission unconstitutionally made race-based grant awards that had to be rescinded. The chaos has been going on for years and does not get better. 

What does the Council do? They endorse the chaos and ensure things will not get better. The Metro Council at its last meeting amended the purpose of the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission by adding language specifying that its purpose is to also "promote equity in the arts community." 

The purposes of the Arts Commission were the following: 

A. To promote the study, participation in and appreciation of the visual, performing and literary arts;

B. To support and participate in the presentation of displays, exhibits, recitals, concerts, lectures and symposia;

C. To cooperate with and assist public and private educational institutions, the media, and other private and governmental entities involved in artistic and cultural promotion;

D. To provide information and recommendations to the metropolitan county council and the metropolitan county mayor with respect to the architectural design and aesthetics of public places and property.

Now added to that is:

To promote equity in the arts community 

The ordinance does not define "equity," but equity usually means equal outcomes. It means there should not be a greater percentage of the Black population in prison than the White population nor a greater percentage of White homeowner than the percentage of Black homeowners. It means there should not be a greater percentage of White brain surgeons that Black brain surgeons.  It assumes than any unequal outcome is the result of racism. An equity policy works to correct the imbalance, often without regard to factors such as effort or merit or ability that may contribute to the imbalance. 

Already the Commission had an Equity Statement. Now, equity is one of the legislated official purposes of the Arts Commission. This will give more power to the disrupters who want to fund murals and progressive political art rather than the Symphony. 

The bill had twelve co-sponsors and passed the Council in an unrecorded voice vote. If I had been on the Council, I would have had myself recorded as voting "no." I am disappointed that none of the more conservative members of the body did not do so.

To read the bill and the analysis follow this link. For more on the Metro Arts Commission visit this link and link. To view arts commission funded art, follow this link. For more on the chaos and disfunction at the Metro Arts Commission, see the following:

• More Weird stuff at the Arts Commission. New Interim Director job offered while Director is still Sick from Racism and cannot Defend himself Because that would be Work.
• Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.
• When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.
• Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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More Weird stuff at the Arts Commission. New Interim Director job offered while Director is still Sick from Racism and cannot Defend himself Because that would be Work.

by Rod Williams, May 6, 2024- The Metro Arts Commission should be a case study in the folly of wokeness and government ineptitude. You would think that after years of chaos, they would have to bend the curve and things would have to start to get better as some point, but they don't. Mayor Freddie O'Connell tried to turn the corner by appointing new high-profile commissioners in April 2023, including patron of the arts and wealthy Democrat donor Will Cheek, and former Davidson County Chancelor Carol McCoy and others. It hasn't helped. Will Cheek resigned after getting death threats and intimidations and before a resolution calling for his removal could be acting upon in the Metro Council. Carol McCoy is still there but recently had to defend herself against an unfounded ethics charge. Who would want to serve on the Commission in that environment? 

The most recent development at the Metro Arts Commission is that last week the Commission offered the position of interim director to Paulette Coleman, a former chair of the Arts Commission. Usually, an organization does not have and interim director while having a director but if Coleman accepts the job that will be the case.

The current director, Daniel Singh, is on sick leave. At last week's meeting he was also placed on administrative leave. He is obviously on his way out. Singh has been on sick leave since February 23rd. No, he doesn't have cancer or a heart condition or some other serious injury or illness. He is sick from racism. He says, “The racist behavior of the Metro Government has affected my health." 

The position of Executive Director pays $165,000 dollars a year and the Director has been on sick leave for 14 weeks. That is a lot of money. That is about $25,000 for not working.  Also, I wonder how one knows when they are no longer sick from racism. He has no plans to return to work or resign.  As reported in The Nashville Banner last week, the Commission is considering termination of Singh but is moving cautiously. At last week's meeting a motion to terminate Singh was made but failed.  “I am uncomfortable making a decision about someone’s livelihood without hearing from them,” said Commission Chair Leah Love.

There is a problem in hearing from Singh, however. To hear from him would be considered "work."  Metro legal says he cannot work while on sick leave. 

For more on chaos at the Arts Commission see the following: 

• Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.
• When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.
• Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.

Carol McCoy

by Rod Williams, April 18, 2024- Things just seem to not improve at the Metro Arts Commission. I don't see how they could get much worse, but they are not getting better.

The last thing to occur is that an ethics complaint was filed against Carol McCoy, a member of the Metropolitan Arts Commission. The way it looks to me is that she was doing nothing but doing her job as a conscientious member of the Arts Commission. 

Carol McCoy is the former Davidson County Chancellor, who served two decades on the bench. She was first elected Chancellor of the Chancery Court, Part II, Davidson County Tennessee in August 1996 and re-elected Chancellor in 1998, 2006 and 2014. She has an impressive resume and has served on various boards for nonprofit organizations in Nashville.  She was the first female President of the Tennessee Judicial Conference and a founding member of the Lawyers Association for Women. 

Carol has served as a Commissioner on the Tennessee Arts Commission as well as Trustee for Watkins School of Art, Film, and Design. She was appointed to the Metro Arts Commission by Mayor Freddie O'Connell in April 2023, along with three other new commissioners. 

The ethics complaint is that McCoy discussed and voted on matters not on the agenda of Arts Commission meetings thus violating open meetings rules, publicly humiliated a Black female Arts Commission employee by questioning her qualifications and made racist and classist remarks concerning certain members of the arts community.

As to humiliating a Black employee, the employee was the new Director of Finance for the Arts Commission introduced to the Commission during the meetings of November 16, 2023.  The complaint says McCoy "aggressively" asked, "You’re the director of Finance? What qualifications do you have?”. The Complaint says she challenged the qualifications of the Black female employee but not the qualifications of the two White female employees, and this caused the Black employee to become visibly upset and exit the room in tears.

As far as making racist and classist remarks, one of the examples to support that charge is that during a meeting she said the following:

I have been a member of many nonprofits. I don't think I've ever been on a micro agency that has a budget of $25,000. That is not even enough to pay one staff person, so it occurred to me that if you give money to a micro agency or to an individual, how do you do it in such a way it can be accounted for and properly used.

The other evidence to support the charge of racist and classist remarks is that she said this:

People who come in who just want to start a new venture. Their application is woefully poor, you wouldn't award anyone that money until you thought it would be handled properly... The one I remember was the Chinese New Year's festival, it was a little group of people getting together and I think they asked for $5,000 but the grant was just so poorly written, maybe if they'd gone to the center for nonprofits they might have gotten some help.

I can't believe it. In the above examples it sounds like someone simply doing their job. Those are the kinds of questions and comments I would expect from a responsible board member. 

The Metro legal department concluded the complaint, if true, did not violate ethical standards and should be dismissed. On April 5th, the Board of Ethical Conduct unanimously voted to dismiss the complaint (1). 

This is just the latest in the drama that has been going on at the Arts Commission for years. For more on the topic, see the following:

• When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.
•  Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?

• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

 

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When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.

by CHAR DASTON, WPLN, MARCH 29, 2024 - It’s been a week since Nashville’s Finance Director, Kevin Crumbo, announced that he’ll take charge of paying the arts community the grant money promised them by Metro Arts in 2023. This plan is meant to resolve months of delays and disputes over the amounts each artist and arts organization will receive. But Crumbo has not given a timeline for the payments, or explained how Metro Arts will be involved in the process. 

Until the 2023 grants are paid, Metro Arts staff and commissioners say they’re putting the upcoming grant review cycle on hold. That affects a record number of artists and organizations who applied for funding back in January. 

Moreover, Crumbo is hesitant to fund the next round of grants, saying he lacks confidence in Metro Arts leadership. And Mayor Freddie O’Connell has said there may not be additional money to accommodate the higher number of applicants. 

“(Fiscal year) ’25 is not going to be a year where we look to increase investments in ... (read more)

Also see:

•  Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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Metro Adds $3 Million to Cover All Grants Promised by Metro Arts

 Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state

Also see:

• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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How Did Metro Arts Get Here?

"Ghost Machine for the East Bank Machineworks" designed by
Alice Aycockis a project by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission.
Credit: Banner Photo/Martin Cherry

A detailed timeline of the issues surrounding Metro Arts, disputes over funding and more

By Connor Daryani, Nashville Banner, March 22, 2024 - What’s controversial about funding the arts? In Nashville, it turns out, a lot.

Metro Arts, the body responsible for distributing grants from Metro to local artists, has been embroiled in controversy over how funding is distributed. The issue has grown to include multiple legs of Metro government, multiple investigations and multiple layers. To better understand the issues, the Banner has created a timeline of key events that brought us to this moment. This timeline will be updated as the situation evolves. 

In 2021 Metro Arts began an overhaul when allegations of racism and mistreatment by leadership were revealed by the Nashville Scene. Those allegations led to the executive director’s departure and, in August 2022, Daniel Singh was hired with the task of bringing increased equity to the arts. 

A report from the Metro Human Relations Commission found that since 1987, the Arts Commission has awarded approximately $61,572,329 to arts organizations in Nashville, and 71 percent of it has gone to organizations with an annual budget of $1 million or more. Singh set out to change this, with the goal of increasing Thrive grant funding, which goes towards independent artists and small arts organizations, but the situation quickly devolved. Over the course of 2023, nearly half of the Metro Arts Commission resigned and multiple investigations were spawned out of events surrounding the grant distribution process, which ended with Thrive artists losing out on funding and operational grants being delayed by months. 

There are at least three ongoing reviews:

• The Metro Human Relations Commission found probable cause of discriminatory action by the Arts Commission and Metro Legal. They plan to hold a public hearing on the matter, but a date has not yet been set. 
• An audit of Metro Arts is expected to be completed “soon,” according to Metro Finance. 
• On April 4, the Board of Ethical Conduct will consider a complaint made by an artist who was supposed to receive Thrive funding. 

How we got here:

December 2022

With Singh at the helm, the Metro Arts Commission adopted a grant funding formula that would fund independent artists and small art organizations at historic levels. Created with community input, this formula aimed to push funding towards independent and BIPOC (Black, indigenous and other people of color) artists and organizations, while still maintaining some level of funding for larger organizations that have historically received funding. 

June 2023 (Continue reading)

Also see: 

• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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What happened at last night's council meeting

by Megan Podsiedlik, THE PAMPHLETEER NEWSLETTER, 20 MAR 2024 - Last Friday, William Cheek resigned from the Arts Commission amid a flurry of death threats. Though a handful of council members were prepared to give Cheek the boot this week, his decision, along with the deferral of the bill to establish the East Bank development and lease agreements, took much of the bite out of last night’s agenda. Nonetheless, the body still had a few items to bark about.

NEST: THE END OF COMMUNITY INPUT?

Midway through the meeting, the council passed a resolution giving several Metro departments permission to conduct a “comprehensive analysis” of the effects of density and zoning changes in Davidson County. The legislation was filed in response to the deluge of bills introduced under the NEST initiative, which blindsided both council members and Nashvillians when they were brought forward by at-large Councilmember Quin Evans Segall two months ago.

Though it will delay her legislation, Evans Segall added herself as a supporting sponsor on the resolution. That being said, the legislation appears to be less about community input and more about expert analysis. In fact, Councilmember Burkley Allen had Metro’s Assistant Director of Land Development, Lisa Milligan, explain how NEST is an extension of the NashvilleNext plan, an initiative which has already been vetted by Davidson County residents.

“...All of our decisions and the work that we do is grounded in NashvilleNext,” Milligan said to the council. “There was a huge amount of engagement that took place with NashvilleNext in regards to the overall community vision. And so that's definitely the backbone of all of the work that we do.”

In accordance with the deadline established by Councilmember Emily Benedict’s amendment to the resolution, departments’ analyses and recommendations must be submitted by March 31st, 2025.

While the council may be happy with their compromise, Mayor O’Connell seems a tad disappointed with how NEST was introduced. In an interview published by the Banner this morning, O’Connell supported “Looking at Nashville Next and applying lessons learned, but taking a similar approach to what NashvilleNext did where they went out all over the county and got tens of thousands of points of input about growth. I think this is a great time to go have that conversation. I don’t feel like that is what the NEST bills did. That was not the spirit in which they were offered.”

REMEMBERING COVENANT

“I’m tired of thoughts and prayers,” Councilmember Sandy Ewing said after her resolution recognizing the anniversary of the Covenant shooting passed unanimously. Though the legislation honored the six victims and commended the bravery of both the school staff and the first responders, some council members felt it wasn’t enough. 

“I think we all wish that the Covenant community had not had to face this,” Ewing began. ”But they did. And their lives are forever changed.” After personally recognizing all of the victims that lost their lives, she divulged her disappointment with the state. “As a country, we have a gun problem,” Ewing explained. “...I would ask those who serve us at the state and federal level these questions: while we fund more CSOs in our schools, why are we not also funding more mental health professionals in schools? Why are we not working harder to control access to guns to curb gun violence?” 

“I call on every single person who occupies a position of power and influence at every single level— state, local, federal— to actually take action to make sure that we are honoring the memories of those who are lost,” added Councilmember Jeff Preptit. “Nobody in this country has to continue to be a victim of gun violence simply because of the influence of an outsized lobby.”

Councilmember Jacob Kupin rounded out the floor discussion by calling for gun reform: “How can we watch children die and do nothing? How can we claim thoughts and prayers, but not show actionable change…?”

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Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.

From The Pamphleteer, March 15, 2024- This morning, Arts Commission member Will Cheek announced that he would be resigning his post. In an email to Mayor O'Connell and the other arts commissioners, Cheek cites "death threats" and "intimidation" stemming from his opposition to Daniel Singh's initiative to "increase equity" in the funding process. Back in January, we reported on Singh's initiative to remake Metro Arts into a vessel for antiracism.

The resignation comes as a resolution put forward by CM Joy Styles and sponsored by CMs Jacob Kupin, Erin Evans, Ginny Welsch, Terry Vo, Jordan Huffman, Rollin Horton, and Russ Bradford sought to remove Cheek from the art's commission. The resolution cites Cheek's unwillingness to play ball in expanding equity in the department as the grounds for his removal, referring to the Metro Arts Cultural Equity Statement to make the case.

I could make some jokes here, but all I'm going to do is point you to a public statement made during the Metro Arts Oversight Committee meeting earlier this week in which much blame was placed on Cheek for failures that, by other accounts, arise from director Daniel Singh's poor leadership. Drink every time you hear "white supremacy."

As Metro Finance carries out its financial audit of Metro Arts, it will be interesting to see if this uneasy coalition that has emerged to deflect blame from Singh will persist. I'm feeling bearish about the whole thing and am taking up a short position on this mutiny.

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