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.

$15,800 was awarded in 2023 to 8 artists within Region 12: Sean Bergenson (Moore County) for a film project and online film courses; Richard Dean Cutright Jr. (Stanly County) to purchase a computer & software to record new music: Vanessa Grebe (Moore County) for art supplies to create a new body of work; Susan Lackey (Stanly County) to upgrade equipment to create larger artwork; Kelly Martin (Moore County) for supplies to install a large sculpture; Desmond McRae (Moore County) for training at Gat3 Studios’ music recording program; Eric D. Wells (Union County) to record and mix new music; and Sydney Williams (Moore County) to upgrade equipment in her pottery studio.

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 $3,000, and funded projects must occur between the dates of January 1 – December 11, 2024. 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 29, 2023 via Zoom, and at 5:30pm on September 12, 2023 in-person at the Arts Council of Moore County officers in Southern Pines, NC. RSVP is required to attend wither workshop by contacting ACMC at 910-692-2787 or chris@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 12, 2023.

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