Antioch is in line for a major new arts anchor, as Moves & Grooves, the Nashville nonprofit behind after-school arts and STEAM programs, unveiled plans Tuesday for a permanent Youth Arts & Innovation Center in the neighborhood. The organization says the facility will pull its scattered programs under one roof, centralizing instruction, performances, and maker-space programming that combine artistic training with hands-on STEM and career pathways for local young people.
Local station WSMV profiled the announcement, reporting that founder Dr. Emerald Mitchell described the project as an effort to create “Nashville's first youth arts & innovation center.” WSMV's coverage shows Mitchell casting the site as a year-round hub for training, mentoring, and community events, not just a place kids visit once a week.
What the center will include
Moves & Grooves says the planned center will house classrooms, rehearsal and performance space, maker labs, and dedicated studios that extend the nonprofit's in-school and after-school curriculum. Those program priorities, including arts integration, STEAM, and youth development, are reflected across the organization's public materials. According to Moves & Grooves, the group focuses on arts-infused learning and partnerships with schools and local cultural institutions.
Funding and campaign status
A GivingMatters report from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee lists the Moves & Grooves capital campaign with a $10 million goal and shows roughly $2.5 million in early commitments. The report traces the campaign back to 2021, underscoring that the center has been in development for several years rather than arriving as an overnight announcement.
Land purchase and financial backing
According to The Housing Fund, the nonprofit secured short-term financing that enabled it to acquire a roughly three-acre parcel intended for the center. The lender says the site acquisition is positioned to allow the Moves & Grooves Center for Arts & Innovation to serve a large number of area youth and families as the project moves into the next phase. See The Housing Fund for details on that financing.
Why Antioch
Moves & Grooves already operates NAZA-funded after-school programs at Antioch Middle and other south Nashville schools, giving the group a deep operational footprint in the neighborhood. The NAZA program listing details in-school and after-school offerings, including dance, STEAM enrichment, and homework support, that the center aims to scale. See the local program listing on NAZA.
Next steps
Organizers say immediate priorities include continued fundraising, site preparation, and lining up community partners before breaking ground. Moves & Grooves leadership has emphasized the group's long record of youth programming and partnerships, a point highlighted in a profile by the Nashville Area Chamber, as it pushes the campaign into a construction phase.
