Gretta Carr
Pay-It-Forward Awardee

Gretta Carr is an Appalachian artist and community leader who helped found East Tennessee Artscapes in 2016, a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing deep-rooted challenges of rural poverty, addiction, and social division through the transformative power of the arts. Bringing lived experiences to her work, she developed programs at Artscapes that respond to community needs, including a collaboration with a court diversion program for nonviolent drug offenders, offering 8 months of classes in dance, visual arts, and poetry. Carr’s work is dedicated to creating spaces that empower participants, foster belonging, and introduce new pathways for personal and community growth.
Newport, Tennessee
May 12, 2026
Pay-It-Forward
Award
Awarded to:
Downtown Newport Artscape
Individual award recipients are not eligible for a grant, but can “pay it forward” by recommending a values-aligned organization to receive a grant. When an individual receives a “Pay It Forward” award, they are invited to recommend a grant to a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in their community that is aligned with the values of the project. “Pay It Forward” recipients are typically awarded to one or several individuals for personal acts of courage








