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Artists in Davie, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, and Randolph counties eligible

WINSTON-SALEM — The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County is seeking applications for its new Artist Support Grants program (formerly the Regional Artist Project Grant), which will help artists in a five-county region further their professional and artistic development.  Committed, gifted individual artists and collaborative groups in Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Guilford and Randolph counties are eligible to apply.  Deadline for applications is Sunday, Oct. 4, by midnight. Grants will range from $500-$2,000.

“The new Artist Support Grants program responds to the impact of the pandemic by ensuring that artists and the state’s arts infrastructure have the resources needed to help our state make a strong social and economic recovery,” said Wayne Martin, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council. It is a one-year regional program to help support individual artists during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jordan Booker-Medley, manager of grants and support services for The Arts Council, said, “As an artist, as well as an arts administrator, I’m acutely aware that artists are being greatly impacted by the COVID pandemic, and these grants will help to alleviate some of that burden by investing in both artists and supporting their artistic projects.”

Guidelines, application and online information sessions are available at www.intothearts.org. There will be two information sessions held online to assist with the application process and to address any questions. The dates for the information sessions are Wednesday, Aug. 12, from noon-1 p.m. and Tuesday, Aug. 18, from 5-6 p.m. Artists need to attend only one session and are asked to RSVP to jmedley@intothearts.org. Respondents will be sent the link to attend. A recorded information session will be available online for those who cannot attend.

Artists in all disciplines — and at any stage of development, e.g., emerging, mid-career and established — are eligible and are encouraged to apply.  Also, artists who are currently receiving a Regional Artist Project Grant under the former program are eligible to apply.

The new Artist Support Grants program has several features that are different from the former program. For example, this year, artists may (and they are encouraged to) include up to 50% of their budget as their artistic fees. Grants will be made to support a range of professional and artistic development, including the creation of work, improvement of business operations and expanding capacity to bring work to new audiences.

The grants are supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and are jointly administered by The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County and ArtsGreensboro. Additional regional partners include Arts Davidson County, Davie County Arts Council, High Point Arts Council and Randolph Arts Guild.