The Union County Community Arts Council and the NC Department of Cultural Resources provide funding for qualified nonprofit arts organizations and individuals whose purpose is to promote and develop diverse cultural arts programming in Union County through the Grassroots Arts Program. Grants may be awarded for cultural arts projects, events and services on an annual basis. For grant details, guidelines, information and applications simply click the appropriate button(s) below. Funding decisions are made in September of each year.

The Union County Community Arts Council has announced that 6 Union County arts groups have received funding from the council’s Grassroots Arts Grant program. Funds have been made available to non-profit, tax-exempt organizations whose purpose is to promote and develop diverse cultural arts programming in Union County.

A program of the NC Department of Cultural Resources Grassroots Arts Program, grants have been offered by the Union County Community Arts Council since 1987. Grant applications are available in the spring of each year.

A panel of board and community members reviewed all applications and made a recommendation to the board of directors. The board awarded grants to the Union Symphony Society, Union County Playmakers, Union County Council on Aging, Union County Library Foundation, The Storefront Theatre Company, and the Marshville Musuem and Cultural Center.

The Artist Support Grant (ASG) provides direct support to individual artists. ASG will fund such projects as professional and artistic development, creation of new work, improvements to business operations, or bring work to new audiences.

Last year, over $13,000 was awarded the following artists: Austin Coats (Stanly County) for sound equipment and studio time for recording; Brett Downey (Moore County) for new computer; Lisa Jacoby Downey (Moore County) for a new camera to document artwork; John Gessner (Moore County) to Create vinyl records as promotion for his project, Vinyl on Vinyl; Robert Hill Long (Moore County) for his Juneteenth photo portrait project; Christian Payne (Stanly County) for a new camera for live-streaming; Matthew Rock (Moore County) to present a new outdoor dance concert; Jean Skipper (Moore County) for a new camera & equipment for live-streaming & photographing work; Lemuel Subdias, Jr. (Moore County) for equipment & software to create a series of “tradigital” portraits; Michelle Walker (Richmond County) for a de-airing pug mill to recycle clay for future pieces; and Linda Ann Watt (Union County) for copyediting a new book on acting.

Eligible artists must be individual artists (or small, unincorporated group of collaborating artists), not enrolled in a degree or certificate program, at least 18 year old, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, and reside (for at least 1 year) in Anson, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Stanly, or Union counties. Grant awards will range from $500 to $1,500, and funded projects must occur between the dates of January 1 – December 31, 2022. ASG is not a matching grant and 50% of the funds may be used for artist fees.

Artists at any stage of their careers, emerging or established, are eligible to apply for a grant in all disciplines, such as visual art and craft, traditional art forms, music, composition, film/video, literature or playwriting, choreography and dance. Types of fundable projects include the creation of new work, purchase of equipment and materials, and professional development workshops.

Two ASG workshops for interested artists will be offered at 5:30pm on August 23, 2022 via Zoom, and September 13, 2022 in person at the Arts Council of Moore County offices in Southern Pines, NC. RSVP is required to attend either workshop by contacting ACMC at 910-692-2787 or acmc@mooreart.org.

Application forms and grant guidelines for ASG are available on ACMC’s website at MooreArt.org or may be picked up at ACMC’s office on weekdays (9a-5p). ACMC will also email and mail applications and guidelines upon request. Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 14, 2022.

For questions or to RSVP for the online grant workshops, contact ACMC at 910-692-2787 or acmc@mooreart.org.