Unmanageable Gives Artists Room To Thrive
In a world where artists are often expected to be their own managers, fundraisers, producers, and administrators, Unmanageable offers a different model. Founded in Tennessee in 2019, the nonprofit organization helps independent artists develop ambitious projects by providing the practical support that often exists outside an artist’s creative expertise. Its work is centered on connecting art with history, culture, community, and social change while creating greater opportunities for people whose voices have traditionally received fewer resources.
At the heart of Unmanageable are co-founders Carissa Stolting and Celine Thackston, whose professional experiences complement one another. The two recognized that many artists have extraordinary ideas but lack the infrastructure needed to turn those ideas into sustainable projects. Their organization was created to address that problem by combining artistic development with fundraising, project management, organizational planning, and financial support. Rather than asking artists to fit into a predetermined system, Unmanageable builds its approach around the individual needs of each project.
Carissa Stolting brings a deep understanding of the music industry and the realities of producing large-scale cultural events. As an artist manager, producer, and arts professional, she has worked closely with musicians and creative projects that often exist outside conventional commercial models. Her experience includes working with artists such as Abigail Washburn, Allison Russell, Leyla McCalla, Rachel Grimes, and Wu Fei. That experience has given Stolting a firsthand understanding of how much work is required behind the scenes before an artist’s vision can reach an audience.
Stolting has also been involved with major festivals and cultural productions. Her professional history includes work with AC Entertainment and leadership at Big Ears Festival, along with production work involving artists such as Rhiannon Giddens and Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn. These experiences are reflected in Unmanageable’s hands-on approach. The organization can help artists think through everything from budgets and fundraising to production and long-term planning, allowing creators to spend more of their energy developing the actual work.
Celine Thackston brings another essential dimension to the organization through her background in fundraising, nonprofit development, grant writing, and music. Her experience has included helping cultural organizations, grassroots initiatives, social-justice groups, festivals, and individual artists secure the resources necessary to continue their work. Her knowledge of the nonprofit world allows Unmanageable to help artists navigate a complicated funding environment that can otherwise be overwhelming for independent creators.
Thackston’s musical and academic background also informs the organization’s approach. Her experience in performance, arts administration, and nonprofit management gives her an understanding of both sides of the equation: the creative ambitions of artists and the organizational structures required to support those ambitions. Together, Stolting and Thackston have created a partnership that combines artistic knowledge with fundraising and institutional expertise. That combination is one of the qualities that makes Unmanageable different from a traditional arts funder.
The organization’s portfolio illustrates how broad its definition of an arts project can be. Unmanageable has supported projects involving Rhiannon Giddens’ Biscuits & Banjos, the Farm Aid Family Reunion, We Are North Nashville, Amber Rubarth’s Cover Crop, Allison Russell’s Once & Future Sounds, Breaking the Thermometer, the Rancho La Puerta Artist Retreat and Folk Festival, and the Shockoe Institute. These projects demonstrate that music and the arts can also serve as tools for storytelling, cultural preservation, education, community engagement, and the exploration of complicated histories.
Unmanageable’s support does not end with producing a single event. Through its Fiscal Sponsorship PLUS program, the organization works with emerging initiatives that may eventually develop into independent nonprofits. Artists and organizations can receive assistance with fundraising strategies, grant applications, donation systems, and long-term organizational planning. Black Opryand Your Song are examples of projects connected to this model. The objective is to give promising initiatives enough support to strengthen their foundations and expand their ability to serve their communities.
Another important part of Unmanageable’s work is its willingness to provide professional assistance to artists who may not have the money to hire consultants or grant writers. Its pro-bono services can give independent creators access to fundraising advice, career planning, industry guidance, and grant-writing expertise. This matters because financial limitations can prevent talented artists from pursuing opportunities even when they have compelling ideas. By reducing that barrier, Unmanageable helps make the cultural landscape more accessible.
Since 2020, Unmanageable has raised more than $5 million for independent artists and community-focused cultural projects. But the organization’s impact cannot be measured solely by the amount of money raised. Its larger contribution is helping artists develop the relationships, structures, strategies, and confidence necessary to give their work a longer life. Through the vision of Carissa Stolting and Celine Thackston, Unmanageable has created a model in which artists remain in control of their creative ideas while receiving the support needed to make those ideas possible. Its work demonstrates that when artistic imagination is matched with community investment and practical resources, a single project can become something much larger—a lasting cultural contribution.
