Today on Community Corner, we’re thrilled to be with Stephanie Eatherly and Joshua Stimpson, board members over the Nashville Industry Fund! The Fund was founded in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic in 2020, when so many artists were at risk of losing their homes. The Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping musicians in Nashville stay in the city and continue contributing to its artistic character. This mission is especially important, as Nashville is one of the least funded cities in America concerning the arts, and the cost of living for artists is skyrocketing.
The Nashville Industry Fund is skilled at assisting musicians in becoming homeowners in the city, and works with a large group of realtors and advisors. These allies do great work with artists who may not have traditional financial streams – especially 1099 workers. They know it has become so hard for artists to stay in the city that they enrich so much, with one out of every four artists leaving the city as of late. The Nashville Industry Fund encourages the city’s artists to apply for their assistance – they have a litany of advisors to help The Fund offer down payment assistance of up to $2,500, and they hope to raise that funding level to $5,000 in the future. Their fifth annual fundraiser, Nashville Industry Fest, is on November 22nd at the Eastside Bowl from 3 P.M. to 8 P.M. It is a kid friendly event welcoming the whole community, with a silent auction and of course plenty of music.