ARTIST SUPPORT GRANT
Applications are currently open
deadline: August 29, 2025
Overview
Open | Deadline August 29, 2025
The North Carolina Arts Council Artist Support Grant is a regional grant program to support individual artists in all phases of their career. The program funds professional and artistic development for emerging or established artists to create work, improve their business operations, or bring their work to new audiences. This grant is intended to support a broad range of talented artists in the genres of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music composition, choreography, and interdisciplinary arts. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to spending a significant portion of their time on their work as artists. Grants range from $500 to $1,500. The deadline to apply is August 29, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
The ASG program is funded by the N.C. Arts Council to provide the opportunity for regional consortia of local arts councils to award project grants to artists in their regions. Region 17 is led by ArtsAVL and support artists in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania counties.
ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS
Open | Deadline August 29, 2025
The North Carolina Arts Council Artist Support Grant is a regional grant program to support individual artists in all phases of their career. The program funds professional and artistic development for emerging or established artists to create work, improve their business operations, or bring their work to new audiences. This grant is intended to support a broad range of talented artists in the genres of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music composition, choreography, and interdisciplinary arts. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to spending a significant portion of their time on their work as artists. Grants range from $500 to $1,500. The deadline to apply is August 29, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
The ASG program is funded by the N.C. Arts Council to provide the opportunity for regional consortia of local arts councils to award project grants to artists in their regions. Region 17 is led by ArtsAVL and support artists in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania counties.
ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS
- Individuals and Artist Collectives — Both individual artists and small, unincorporated groups of collaborating artists are eligible to apply.
- Residency — Artists should have lived continuously in the region where they are applying for at least one year before the consortium’s application deadline (Region 17: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania). Artists should have lived continuously in Region 17 for at least one year prior to the application deadline. An applicant must be at least 18 years old and either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien. The consortium may require proof of residence and status. Artists who live in more than one region should apply only where they spend most of the year. All members of a collaborating team must be North Carolina residents, live in the region in which they are applying, and meet the other eligibility requirements. Résumés documenting residence for all team members should be included with the application.
- Multiple Awards — Artists who are sole proprietors of organizations that have already received funding for FY 2025-2026 from the N.C. Arts Council are ineligible to apply. Awardees must also wait at least two years after the award year before becoming eligible to reapply.
- Conflict of Interest — Current board and staff members of the consortium partner organizations and their family members are not eligible to apply for the award.
- Student Status — The Artist Support Grant is intended for adult, non-student artists. Artists enrolled full-time in undergraduate or associate degree-granting programs may not apply for the grant. Artists in certificate programs are generally eligible. Artists pursuing graduate degrees in subjects other than their art form may be eligible if they meet the other eligibility criteria. Other questions and special circumstances should be discussed with N.C. Arts Council staff.
- Project Deadline — Funds must be spent by June 30, 2026. Projects must be completed before December 31, 2026.
