The awards, made possible by the Infusion Fund, recognize creatives who build and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to community by engaging residents.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (June 26, 2024) – Five creative individuals will each receive $50,000 awards that celebrate their contributions to Charlotte-Mecklenburg as 2024 recipients of ASC Founders Grants.

ASC Founders Grants support visionary artists who build and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to community by directly engaging residents through relevant and innovative cultural experiences.

Recipients are creative entrepreneurs and can be founders of grassroots or emerging nonprofit cultural organizations. The grants recognize and honor the creative visions of individuals and are not awarded to organizations. 

ASC Founders Grants are made possible by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors.

“At ASC, we believe in investing in the people, places and ideas that move us towards a more innovative, sustainable and equitable cultural ecosystem. These artists represent that spirit. They share a deep commitment to fostering connection and belonging in our community,” said ASC Interim President Adam Santalla Pierce. “ASC is committed to providing artists and creatives in Charlotte-Mecklenburg with resources they need to thrive. We are grateful for the investment from the Infusion Fund, which has made this innovative opportunity possible.”

ASC Founders Grants allow recipients to determine how they will use their awards without specific programmatic or reporting requirements. Such investments in creative individuals fit into ASC’s larger commitment to cultural equity.

ASC received 81 applications for its FY24 Founders Grants, with available funding to support five awards ($50,000 per award, or $250,000 combined). The grants, which were first awarded in 2023, represent the largest awards ASC makes to individuals. 

This year’s ASC Founders Grants recipients are:

• Tony Arreaza, a musician, event organizer and promoter of Latin music for more than two decades. A native of Venezuela, Arreaza was instrumental in transforming the Latin American Coalition’s Latin American Festival from a small celebration into a massive festival featuring world renowned acts. He is a founding member of the band UltimaNota.
  
  
• Manoj Kesavan, a designer, educator and community organizer, as well as the founder and executive director of BOOM Charlotte, a multidisciplinary artist collective and nonprofit that addresses issues of equity, access and opportunity through innovative and collaborative programming.
  
  
• Ashley Nickens, a storysharer, educator and founding director and editor-in-chief of SISTORIES, a Black feminist storysharing organization that recognizes reflexive storytelling as an ancestral healing tool within the Southern Black radical tradition.  
  
  
• Rosalia Torres-Weiner, an artist, activist and community leader. Her work captures the themes, colors and symbolism of her native home of Mexico, and raises awareness about issues affecting immigrant communities. Her Red Calaca Mobile Art Studio, a 24-foot “Art Truck,” takes the arts directly to communities across Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
  
  
• Arsena Todd, an alternative R&B, acoustic and jazz-influenced recording artist and singer-songwriter. She is also the founder of Dear Soul Music Co., an arts and entertainment company that provides community programming and resources for independent artists.

About ASC

ASC is the chief advocate, resource hub and steward for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region’s cultural community. Its core functions include advocacy, cultural education programs, cultural planning, fundraising, grant making, public art and workshops and trainings for the cultural community. ASC works to ensure Culture For All by combining resources from local and state government with those of the private sector to maximize community impact throughout the cultural sector.

ASC believes that arts, culture and creativity play a critical role in creating a sense of belonging to a community. Stay up to date on ASC news and happenings at ArtsAndScience.org and on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

ASC is supported, in part, by the Infusion Fund and its generous donors: City of Charlotte, Bank of America, C.D. Spangler Foundation / National Gypsum Company, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Trane Technologies, Albemarle Foundation, Atrium Health, Barings, Duke Energy, Honeywell, JELD-WEN, Inc., LendingTree Foundation, Lowe’s Companies, Inc., Novant Health, Red Ventures, Truist, Ally Financial, The Centene Charitable Foundation, Childress Klein Properties, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Deloitte, EY, The Gambrell Foundation, Moore & Van Allen, PwC, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A., Rodgers Builders, Wells Fargo, Fifth Third Bank, Foundation For The Carolinas, Deidre and Clay Grubb, Leslie and Michael Marsicano, Jane and Hugh McColl, Nucor Corporation, PNC Bank, Premier, Inc., Jane and Nelson Schwab.

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