Artist Support Grant Opens for Applications

Grants of up to $3,000 will be awarded to regional artists across disciplines

August , 2023 | Asheville N.C – Through September 5, artists in any discipline are invited to apply for the 2023-24 Artist Support Grant. This year’s grantees will be awarded $500-$3,000 in categories including visual arts, literary arts, music, film, choreography, interdisciplinary arts, and more. This regional grant is open to residents of Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania counties working as individuals or in small, unincorporated groups of collaborating artists.

Artists in any stage of their career, whether early or established, may use funds to create new work, improve business operations, and reach new audiences. Past awardees have purchased equipment and materials, attended professional development workshops and training, covered costs of travel to conferences and exhibitions, and developed promotional materials. Last year, 24 recipients across the region received over $48,000 in funding.

The Artist Support Grant was created by the N.C. Arts Council in 2020 as a way to bolster artists hit hard by the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, it has drawn hundreds of applicants and become one of the state’s most anticipated initiatives. Grant cycles are managed by 19 groups of arts councils working regionally. In Region 17, ArtsAVL partners with the Haywood County Arts Council, the Arts Council of Henderson County, the Rutherford County Arts Council, the Transylvania Community Arts Council, and the Tryon Fine Arts Center to support the application and decision process.

Proposals will be judged based on artistic merit and project feasibility. Awards will be announced in October, and funds distributed in November. Funds should be spent by June 30, 2024, with projects completed before December 31.