Artist Support Grant Program

The N.C. Arts Council-sponsored Artist Support Grant is a regional program designed to provide financial assistance of up to $1,200 to individual artists and artist collectives. This initiative directly aligns with the mission to support professional and artistic development for creatives at all career stages. By fostering emerging and established artists, the grant aims to enhance their skills, improve business operations, and expand their reach to new audiences. Arts of the Albemarle serves as a key donor and consortium partner, facilitating the delivery of this program across North Carolina. The grant targets a broad spectrum of individual artists and small, unincorporated collaborating artist groups who are at least 18 years old and are either U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens with a continuous residency of at least one year in the applying region. This includes artists in visual, craft, performing, traditional, and interdisciplinary art forms, with an emphasis on adult, non-student artists, though some exceptions apply for graduate students in non-art fields and those in certificate programs. The impact goal is to empower artists to strengthen their professional practice and create or present new work, ultimately enriching the cultural landscape of North Carolina. The program prioritizes projects that demonstrate overall artistic excellence, feasibility, and a clear contribution to the applicant's professional artistic development. Evaluation criteria focus on the quality of the artwork, the practicality of the proposed project, and its potential to advance the artist's career. The grant encourages a commitment to dedicating significant time to artistic work, ensuring that funding supports dedicated and passionate creatives. Expected outcomes include enhanced artistic skills, improved business acumen for artists, and a greater capacity to engage new audiences. Awards typically range from $500 to $1,200, with a grant duration of one year, and the project period typically runs from January to December. The program’s strategic theory of change is that by investing directly in individual artists, the N.C. Arts Council and its partners can stimulate artistic innovation, promote economic stability within the creative sector, and ensure a vibrant artistic community across the state.