ARTS BUILD COMMUNITY GRANT
Overview
Closed | Next Grant Cycle in Spring 2026
Since 2018, the Arts Build Community grant has supported innovative, public art projects that inspire diverse groups of participants to be more active, involved, and civically-engaged by creating together. Funded projects must be free and open to the public, and include some aspect of community engagement. Grants range from $1,000-2,500.
“Public art” shall be defined as any permanent or temporary work of art created or led by artists or craftspeople. The project or event must be located in a space that is accessible for the public to experience. Public art can include, but is not limited to: murals, sculpture, community art, digital new media, and performances and festivals as long as it is open to the public.
Sponsored in part by
Interested in supporting more arts-based community projects? Click here to learn more.
WITH ADDITiONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY:
Pete & Cindy Perez
Application Process
Description & Eligibility
Organizations must have been in operation for at least one year and be physically located in Buncombe County. Priority is given to projects focused on community recovery and revitalization following Hurricane Helene, and/or programs impacting residents based in low-income neighborhoods and/or local communities in need.
Other Eligibility Considerations:
- The arts must be centered in the proposed project.
- Funds may be used to cover expenses such as art supplies, professional artists’ fees and travel, space rental, advertising, marketing and publicity, website and electronic media, scripts, costumes, sets, props, music and equipment rental.
- Funded projects must be free and open to the public, and include some aspect of community engagement.
- Fundraising events are NOT eligible.
- For profit applicants are encouraged to partner with nonprofit organizations on your project.
- For projects in partnership with schools or afterschool programs, please see our Arts for Schools grant.
- Organizations may not receive more than one ArtsAVL grant for the same project within a single year, except in the case of events supported by the Event Support Grant. Events funded through the Event Support Grant may also be eligible for an Arts Build Community grant for the same event, but are not eligible for additional grant categories for that event.
Funds are for projects taking place from July 1, 2025 -June 30, 2026. This can be a reimbursement for projects occurring during this funding period that have already taken place or for projects that have not yet occurred. Projects must be completed by June 30, 2026.
Questions? Email Rebecca Lynch at rebecca@artsavl.org
2025-26 Timeline
- June 23, 2025 – Application opens
- July 21, 2025 – Application deadline
- Late Aug 2025 – Awards Announced
- Late Aug/Early Sept 2025 – Funds distributed
- May 31, 2026 – Final report due
Application & Support Resources
Application Link
Apply Now (Question PDF) Deadline to apply was July 21 at 11:59 pm.
Support Resources
Grant Guidelines (PDF)
Overview for Applicants (Video | Slides)
If you need help with your application or have specific questions, email Rebecca Lynch at rebecca@artsavl.org. No phone calls, please. If you would like to discuss your application, please email us to set up an appointment.
2025-26 Award Recipients
- 12 Baskets Café, born out of the Asheville Poverty Initiative, will use the ABC grant to expand their publication offerings from a quarterly zine to create “The Intersection,” a street paper benefiting the unhoused community. They will also bring more visibility to their work through a public reading and exhibition. Facilitator Leslee Johnson shared, “This grassroots publication celebrates and showcases creative responses to real, often challenging circumstances, and invites all residents, especially those in West Asheville, to see each other as neighbors, instilling the kind of knowledge and trust that makes mutual aid and true community possible.”
- The Asheville Downtown Association Foundation plans to revitalize the Wall Street staircase mural to spark local pride, welcome all, and support downtown local businesses through vibrant public art.
- Black Wall Street AVL, in collaboration with Pink Dog Creative, will hold a dynamic, community-centered Poetry Slam and Arts Showcase. The event will bring together Black and Brown poets, visual artists, and performers to share original works that explore themes of identity, resilience, and community healing.
- Artist Carolina Corona, in partnership with Bounty and Soul Latino, will host a Latinx-led community celebration around the one-year Helene milestone. The event will showcase culture, art, mutual support and multigenerational collaboration. “Unfortunately, there is not as much access to art experiences in the communities I am serving,” shared Corona. “It is important to me to help create these opportunities so that people can use art as a tool for what they need.”
- Happy Chaos, LLC, will create two accessible, neuro-affirming, and inclusive community art events for autistic children and their families: Makerspace and Crafty Cats.
- LEAF Global Arts will use grant funding to host the Black Legacy Project (Black LP) in October for the LEAF Festival. The Black LP is a musical celebration of Black history to advance racial harmony, bridge-building, and partnership.
- Open Hearts Art Center will create a collaborative public mural celebrating resilience and unity. This mural will be co-designed and painted by Open Hearts Art Center artists—adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities—alongside residents from a local community in need of revitalization, particularly one affected by Hurricane Helene.
- Playground Stage Children’s Theatre will welcome young children and their caregivers to the Playground Stage Summer Family Musical Program. Over three weeks, professional directors, choreographers, stage managers, and leading actors guide families through the process of producing a full musical complete with sets, props, and costumes.
- Story Parlor will use ABC grant funding to support their long-standing monthly All Arts Open Mic between August 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. The grant will provide funds for modest host stipends, accessibility efforts, promotional materials, staffing and tech support, and space usage to allow for free admission.
- Trans Acro will utilize funding to expand their work and produce a free, month-long workshop series centering 2SLGBTQ+ people in Asheville. The series will culminate in a community-devised performance following the final workshop.
- Turning the Page on Helene’s grant will support the facilitation of six free therapeutic altered book art workshops in Asheville to help our community heal from Hurricane Helene. “At Turning the Page on Helene workshops, community members use art to express their own individual stories of Hurricane Helene, but they really find connection through their shared experiences,” said Founder Angela Modzelewski, ATR-P. “Everyone who was impacted by Helene deserves the opportunity to co-create and heal through art. Thanks to ArtsAVL and the Art Builds Community grant, we can offer even more free workshops in Asheville.”
- Umoja Health Wellness and Justice Collective will utilize ABC funding to provide continued support and revitalization of the John R. Hayes High Steppin’ Majorette and Drum Corp, a historically rooted Black community-based marching band in Asheville. Funds will support youth participation in regional performances, the purchase and upkeep of instruments and uniforms, and transportation to local parades and cultural events.
- Virtuous Music, in partnership with Shiloh Community Association (SCA), will host the Shiloh Community Garden Concert to uplift and engage multicultural community members of all ages through music, fellowship, and the sharing of vital neighborhood resources. This event combines live performances, community updates, and free refreshments in a welcoming, inclusive environment. Kia Rice of Virtuous Music said, “Downtown venues get a lot of love when it comes to concerts, but we want to bring the life of music to this historically Black neighborhood. Grants like the Art Builds Community Grant makes it possible to take the ARTS (and for me specifically, the music) to the communities often overlooked.”
- Wortham Center for the Performing Arts will host a free community choir and vocal masterclass with the Reginald Golden Singers. Participants of the community choir group will then join the Reginald Gold Singers on stage to perform together as part of the ensemble’s Wortham Presents evening performance.