The Fly Arts Center Advances to Public Voting Phase For Up to $120K Multi-Year Grant for Free Outdoor Music Series in Shelbyville
- bedfordcoart
- Aug 27
- 4 min read
The Fly Arts Center and Shelbyville are now in the running to bring a free outdoor music series to residents starting in 2026.
Supported by a joint partnership between the Levitt Foundation—a national social impact funder at the intersection of music, public space, and community building that supports the largest free outdoor concert series in America—and the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, with support from the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, The Fly Arts Center hopes to qualify as a finalist competing for a Levitt AMP Music Series Grant.
The public is urged to support The Fly’s proposal by participating in the public voting process, via online or text to vote, taking place from September 5-15, 2025, at levitt.org/vote.
Levitt AMP Music Series Grants are an exciting, multi-year matching grant created by the Levitt Foundation to bring the joy of free outdoor concerts to small and mid-sized towns and cities across the country.
For the 2026–2028 grant cycle, the state and the foundation will together award up to six Tennessee-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits up to $120,000 over three years (up to $40,000 per year) to produce their own Levitt AMP Music Series—an outdoor, free concert series featuring a diverse lineup of music genres with professional musicians, activating an underused public space and creating a vibrant, inclusive community destination.
The special partnership with Tennessee will amplify stages across the state with up to 180 free concerts for Tennesseans of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.
Aaron White of The Center for Family Development submitted the proposal for The Fly Arts Center to present the free Levitt AMP Music Series in Shelbyville.
That proposal is now posted on the Levitt Foundation website, where the public can vote and learn more about the proposals from Tennessee and across the country that have advanced to the voting phase. Thanks to the special partnership between the Levitt Foundation and the Tennessee Entertainment Commission, Levitt AMP Music Series applicants from Tennessee will only be in the running with other Tennessee-based Levitt AMP applicants.
An individual may submit one vote for up to five proposals of their choosing. There are two easy ways for the public to cast their vote: online at levitt.org/vote or via text to 877-409-5525 with keyword SHELBY.
Reflecting the Levitt Foundation’s mission that all Levitt projects are community-driven, the public voting phase of the Levitt AMP Music Series Grant selection process is an important way to measure community support. The number of online and text votes received for The Fly Arts Center will be one of the key factors used when the Levitt Foundation and the Tennessee Entertainment Commission determine the grant recipients this November.
Online public voting opens September 5, 12:00 pm CST and ends September 15, at 7:00 pm. CST. The top six finalists will be selected through the online and text-to-vote public voting phase. The Levitt Foundation and the Tennessee Entertainment Commission will then review the top proposals to select up to six Tennessee-based Levitt AMP Music Series Grant recipients, which will be announced on November 18, 2025.
"Reaching the voting phase for the Levitt AMP Music Series grant is so exciting," shared Jody Barnes-Turner, President of The Fly Arts Center. "Thanks to the support of Cooper Steel, The Center for Family Development, the City of Shelbyville and our other community partners we've been able to get this far in the selection process. Now it's up to our community to show we want free concerts in Shelbyville by voting!"
The Fly asks supporters to spread the word throughout the community to family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors and rally the community to vote for Shelbyville's proposal.
Learn more about the Levitt Foundation and the Levitt AMP Music Series grant at levitt.org/vote.
The Fly Arts Center is the home to the Bedford County Arts Council, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. For more information, please visit FlyArtsCenter.com.
The Levitt Foundation is a private family foundation that exists to strengthen the social fabric of America. The Foundation supports change makers and nonprofits across the country to activate underused public spaces through free outdoor concerts, creating welcoming, joyful, and inclusive destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together, fosters belonging and social connections, creates economic opportunity, and invigorates community life. Levitt venues and concert sites attract people of all ages and backgrounds and reflect the character of their town or city, while benefiting from the framework and best practices of the Levitt program.
In 2025, Levitt Foundation grantees are presenting 650+ free concerts in more than 50 towns and cities across the country, with a total audience of nearly one million people. In addition to funding free concerts, the Levitt Foundation supports advancing vibrant music ecosystems through research and partnerships.
The Tennesse Entertainment Commission (TEC) promotes and facilitates economic development of the film, music and tech sectors in Tennessee, as part of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), the state's primary agency committed to fostering economic growth through job creation and community development. By attracting new corporate investment and facilitating the growth of existing businesses, the department works to strengthen Tennessee's competitive landscape. Additionally, TNECD strives to increase the economic prosperity for all Tennesseans by providing grants to communities statewide, helping them to become vibrant, business-friendly environments where companies can flourish. For more information, visit tnecd.com.
