10/15/2026
SEQUOYAH BIRTHPLACE MUSEUM AWARDED A CAPITAL MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS GRANT FROM THE TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM
GRANT WILL BE USED BUILDING REPAIRS.
VONORE, TN – October 15, 2026 – Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is a recipient of a 34,545.00 grant for Capital Maintenance and Improvements from the State of Tennessee as administered through the Tennessee State Museum. The grant award will be used for repainting the outside poles at the entrance way as well as the amphitheater, and pavilion.
The Tennessee General Assembly made available $5 million in funding from the 2026-2027 Appropriations Act, “for the sole purpose of providing grants to museums with a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization or affiliated with a governmental entity for capital maintenance and improvements.”
In the fourth year of the grant program, it remains a highly competitive process. In total, the Tennessee State Museum received 160 applications, totaling $10,434,851 in requests. The Museum has made full or partial awards to 102 museums across the state, representing 49 counties. In the four years the Museum has administered the grant program, it has served museums in 76 counties across the state. A complete list of 2026-27 grantees, counties and amounts is posted at TNMuseum.org/grants.
“The Tennessee State Museum’s Capital Grant program continues to support the infrastructure of Tennessee museums,” said Ashley Howell, Tennessee State Museum Executive Director. “It is an honor to support the incredible work of our strong network of Tennessee museums. This grant is an extension of how the State of Tennessee can further support their efforts and the preservation of local and state history. We thank the Tennessee General Assembly for their support for Tennessee museums.”
“The Capital Maintenance Grant from the Tennessee State Museum assist smaller museums, like ours, to cover large capital projects that other grants will not cover. Without the support and funding from the Tennessee State Museum we would not be able to complete projects like repainting and repairing the entrance way poles, pavilion poles, and the amphitheater”, stated Charlie Rhodarmer, manager/ director of Sequoyah Birthplace Museum.
The Capital Maintenance and Improvements grant had a minimum request amount of $5,000 and a maximum request amount of $100,000. All projects must be completed by June 30, 2027.
About Sequoyah Birthplace Museum
The mission of the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, a property of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, is to promote understanding and appreciation of the history and culture of the Cherokee in eastern Tennessee, particularly the life and contributions of Sequoyah. The Museum will collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit objects and data that support this mission.
About Tennessee State Museum
The Tennessee State Museum, located on the corner of Rosa L Parks Blvd. and Jefferson Street at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, is your home to thousands of years of Tennessee history, art, and culture. Through six permanent exhibitions titled Natural History, First Peoples, Forging a Nation, The Civil War and Reconstruction, Change and Challenge and Tennessee Transforms, the Museum takes visitors on a journey–through artifacts, films, interactive displays, events and educational and digital programing–from the state’s geological beginnings to the present day.
Additional temporary exhibitions explore significant periods and individuals in history, along with art and cultural movements. The Museum is free and open to the public Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. For more information on exhibitions and events, please visit TNMuseum.org.
