Building Bridges: Connecting Communities through Culture and Commerce, Memphis 2026, will be focused on cities with populations under 200,000, rural areas and Appalachian communities who are incorporating arts and culture into placemaking, place keeping and place honoring. 
 

The theme of the conference is centered on social and economic justice, equity and inclusion, and grassroots community-led efforts that create positive impact and enhance the quality of life for smaller communities across the Southern U.S.

  
Eligibility/Requirements:

• Participants must live and work in the 16-county Thrive Region located in the states of Alabama, Tennessee or Georgia (see map and list below)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• The scholarships are open to both individuals and organizations

• Individual/organization must have a significant programmatic emphasis on creative placemaking

• Scholarship recipients will be required to attend a post-conference meeting to debrief, share lessons learned, and deepen local collaborations

• No more than two scholarship awards will be given to an organization 

• Scholarship recipients will receive complementary full registration to the Summit

• Participants chosen must provide a 2025 W-9 and include the correct address for mailing a check reimbursement

• Applications from outside the counties listed below cannot be considered