Artist Support Grants for Artists to Enhance their Skills and Abilities

Deadline: 30-Sep-21

North Carolina Arts Council and Cowee School Arts & Heritage Center have announce the Artist Support Grants to award project grants to artists in 18 regions across the state.

These grants will fund the professional and artistic development of emerging, midcareer, and established artists so they can enhance their skills and abilities to create work or improve their business operations and capacity to bring their work to new audiences.

The Artist Support Grant is intended to support a broad range of talented artists in the genres of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music composition, choreography, and interdisciplinary arts.

Types of fundable projects are as follows:

Completion / presentation of a new work: Cost of resources necessary for you to complete or present a significant new work (e.g., buying art supplies or equipment—digital may qualify—or space rental)
Career promotion: Projects aimed at advertising your work and/or demonstrating your skill level (e.g., websites, portfolios, audiovisual documentation, and online presentation)
Training: Costs for you to attend a class or workshop (in-person or virtual) aimed at enhancing either your skill level or professional development (e.g., a master class or workshop taught by acknowledged authorities in your artistic medium)
Travel: Costs of transportation, lodging, and food for training, professional conferences, or research as allowed or possible within social distancing guidelines
Half of the grant may go toward artist fees.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible candidates may be either emerging or established artists. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to spending a significant portion of their time on their work as artists.

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 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 FY2020–2021 from the NC Arts Council are ineligible to apply.
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.