Artist Support Grant

This year's Artist Support Grant window opens on September 1st and funds indivudual artists, collectives, and groups. 

2025-2026 Artist Support Grant
Apply by 11:59pm on September 30, 2025.

The North Carolina Arts Council understands the important role artists contribute to the vitality, unity and resiliency of our communities. NCAC has established the Artist Support Grant (ASG) as a one-year regional grant program to support individual artists. It provides the opportunity for our regional groups of Arts Councils to award project grants to artists living in Caldwell, Burke, McDowell, Catawba, Alexander and Iredell counties. The program will fund professional and artistic development for emerging or established artists to create work, improve their business operations, or bring their work to new audiences. 

Grants ranging from $500 to $1500 will be issued to support emerging and established artists in any discipline and at any stage in their careers to pursue projects that further their professional development. This grant funds projects that will be conducted in 2026. Types of fundable projects include:

• Creation, completion and presentation of new work.
• Purchase of equipment and materials.
• Professional development workshops both in-person and virtual.
• Travel support for expenses associated with a professional opportunity such as participating in an exhibition or a conference.
• Development or upgrading of promotional materials such as brochures, DVDs, CDs, and websites.

Applicants will apply through an online grant portal. Before doing so, Caldwell County artists must contact Caldwell Arts Council Executive Director Ellen Ball by phone at 828-754-2486 or email for an initial review to confirm that the project meets required criteria and to receive instructions for using the grant portal. In addition, applicants who do not have access to a computer or lack adequate internet, etc. are encouraged to request assistance from our office.

For complete details, click here or the Guidelines button on the right side of this page.

Application Deadline: 11:59pm on September 30, 2025
Award Notifications: by November 30, 2025
Project Period: January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026
Final Report Deadline: January 31, 2027