Nashville, Tenn – Established in 1978, Metro Nashville Arts Commission is the office of Arts & amp; Culture for the city of Nashville and Davidson County. We believe that the arts produce a more vibrant and equitable community. In addition, we strive to ensure that the broad scope of Nashvillians has access to a creative life through community investment, artistic and organizational training, public art, and direct programs involving residents in all forms of art and culture. Needless to say, we are very pleased with the number of physical art shows we have put up throughout Nashville for the enjoyment of the entire community.
And while our arts community thrives, we also strive to ensure that our internal operations meet Metro’s equity expectations. We certainly recognize that inequity lies in systems at all levels in the cultural / creative ecosystem. And we are no exception. We have individuals who currently claim that Metro Arts fails to enforce the equality standards set by the Metro Arts Commission itself. We are determined to put in the effort and oversight to achieve our DEI goals.
Two former and current staff members have filed charges of discrimination in this office. There were 5 allegations and formal complaints submitted to Metro Human Resources through the standard process to collect the facts of each case. The 5 resulting reports were co-led and produced by a team other than Metro’s HR with an extensive review and verification by the HR department prior to publication. Interestingly, the first two complaints filed by former employees were followed by a related article in another newspaper that mainly cited the allegations. The Commission immediately asked Metro HR to investigate these claims as well. Metro HR thoroughly investigated and provided copies of reports in January 2022. Its independent reports found no violations of policies, rules or laws by the Metro Arts leadership.
These incidents kept us safe inside. This resulted in Metro Arts Commission adopting a list of recommendations. The first is the hiring of an external DEI consultant, experienced in adding more resources to improve our DEI work throughout. In short, other steps include collaborating with Metro’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer to: (1) lead internal conversations among staff toward workplace recovery, (2) review and recommend additional management training, and leadership for all employees at the management level, and (3)) conducting a specific review with Metro HR of the use of Performance Improvement Plans ensuring that they are used appropriately, and (4) using the next strategic planning process of the agency to better define and craft our work of racial equity and anti-racism for the future to ensure that we meet. community needs.
We know that this is a principle and that this work is still ongoing. We are committed to continuing towards a better Metro Arts.
By Jim Schmidt, chairman of the Metro Arts Commission
