Artist Support Grant

Applicant Guidelines

North Carolina Arts Council Artist Support Grant
Applications due by September 30, 2024

Guidelines and Information

The Artist Support Grant is a regional grant program to support individual artists in all phases of their career. The grant funds professional and artistic development for emerging and established artists to enhance their skills and abilities to create work or to improve their business operations and capacity to bring their work to new audiences.

Artists representing visual, craft, performing, traditional, and interdisciplinary art forms are encouraged to apply. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to spending a significant portion of their time on their work as artists. The Artist Support Grant will support projects taking place from January 1 – December 31, 2025. Awards may range from $500-3,000. Applicants may receive full or partial funding.

Artists residing in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Iredell and McDowell Counties are now eligible for Artist Support Grants. The program will be administered by Arts Culture Catawba, Burke Arts Council, Caldwell Arts Council, Hiddenite Center (Alexander County), Iredell Arts Council, McDowell Arts Council Association, and Rock School Arts Foundation (Valdese/Burke County), in partnership with the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Artists must contact an organization staff member in their county of residence before submitting an application. 

Timeline

August 29, 2024 - Virtual Grant Workshop, 10:00 am (register at artscatawba.org)

September 1, 2024 - ASG Grant Applications Open

September 30, 2024 - ASG Grant Applications Due by Midnight

November 30, 2024 - ASG Applicants are notified of their award decision by this date

January 1 - December 31, 2025 – Project must take place within this timeframe

June 30, 2025 – Grant funds must be requested by this date

January 31, 2026 - Final Reports Due

How to Apply

Email or call the contact for your county to set up an appointment to begin your process (contacts are listed on the last page of this document). You must contact the Arts Council representative in the county where you currently reside. After discussing your project idea and confirming your project’s eligibility, a link will be shared to the online application portal.

Eligibility

Individuals and Artist Collectives — Both individual artists and small, unincorporated groups of collaborating artists are eligible to apply.

Residency — Artists should have lived continuously in the region where they are applying for at least one year before the consortium’s application deadline. An applicant must be at least 18 years old and either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien. The consortium may require proof of residence and status. Artists who live in more than one region should apply only where they spend most of the year. All members of a collaborating team must be North Carolina residents, live in the region in which they are applying, and meet the other eligibility requirements. Résumés documenting residence for all team members should be included with the application.

Multiple Awards — Artists who are sole proprietors of organizations that have already received funding for FY 2024-2025 from the N.C. Arts Council are ineligible to apply. Awardees must also wait at least two years after the award year before becoming eligible to reapply.

Conflict of Interest — Current board and staff members of the consortium partner organizations and their family members are not eligible to apply for the award.

Student Status — The Artist Support Grant is intended for adult, nonstudent artists. Artists enrolled full-time in undergraduate or associate degree-granting programs may not apply for the grant. Artists in certificate programs are generally eligible. Artists pursuing graduate degrees in subjects other than their art form may be eligible if they meet the other eligibility criteria. Other questions and special circumstances should be discussed with N.C. Arts Council staff.

Eligible Projects and Costs

Up to 50 percent of the grant amount may be used for artist fees.

Completion/Presentation of a New Work — Cost of resources necessary to complete or present a significant new work (e.g., purchasing art supplies or equipment (digital may qualify) or space rental) 

Career Promotion — Projects aimed at advertising artists’ work and/or demonstrating their skill level (e.g., websites, portfolios, audio-visual documentation, and online presentation)

Training — Costs to attend a class or workshop (in-person or virtual) aimed at either enhancing the artist’s skill level or professional development (e.g., a master class or workshop taught by acknowledged authorities in the applicant artist’s medium)

Travel — Costs of transportation, lodging, and food for training, professional conferences, or research.

Ineligible Projects and Costs

· Scholarships for undergraduate- or graduate-level education

· Projects that support or oppose a particular candidate for public office

· Projects that are exclusive to members of a particular religious faith group

· Projects that do not have a direct effect on the applicant’s growth as an artist (e.g., the promotion of other artists’ work)

Evaluation Criteria

· Overall excellence of the applicant’s artwork as demonstrated by work samples

· Feasibility of the proposed project

· Contribution of the proposed project to the advancement of the applicant’s professional artistic development and practice

Review Process

All completed Artist Support Grant applications will be judged by a multi-county panel of established artists, arts professionals, arts educators, and administrators who will review and evaluate the applications and allocate funds for selected projects.

Local Arts Council Contact Information

• Arts Culture Catawba: Chris Coffey, grants@artscatawba.org 828-324-4906

• Burke Arts Council: Deborah Jones, director@burkearts.org 828-433-7282

• Caldwell Arts Council: Ellen Ball, ellen@caldwellarts.com 828-754-2486

• Hiddenite Center (Alexander County): Donna Latham,   

donnahiddenitearts@gmail.org 828-632-6966

• Iredell Arts Council: John Koppelmeyer, jkoppelmyer@gmail.com 704-880-2101

• McDowell Arts Council Association, Susan Pyatt-Baker, 

susanmcdowellarts@gmail.com 828-652-8610 

• Rock School Arts Foundation: Sharon Bowman, rsaf1893@gmail.com 828-838-9806