CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Feb. 6, 2023) – Multiple funding opportunities to support Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s cultural community are now available through the Arts & Science Council (ASC):

• Cultural Vision Grants support high quality arts and culture projects presented within Mecklenburg County by Mecklenburg-based creative individuals, nonprofit organizations or community groups that build community or increase access and relevance. ASC will award grants of up to $20,000. The application deadline is Monday, March 6 at noon.
• New Creative Mecklenburg Grants fund professional development and artist development for Mecklenburg-based emerging and established artists to enhance their skills and abilities to create work or to improve their business operations and capacity to bring their work to new audiences. Artists may request up to $3,000. The application deadline is Monday, March 6 at noon.
• ASC is also accepting applications from professional, regional artists for participation in Going Public: A Public Art Incubator, made possible by the financial sponsorship and partnership of Lowe’s. This workshop series will help artists better understand the process behind public art, preparing them for opportunities and challenges they may face while working in public space. Selected artists will receive a $500 stipend. The application deadline is Friday, March 3.

To ensure potential applicants have the resources they need to submit a competitive application, ASC staff provides information sessions and office hours for funding opportunities. Full details for all ASC grant opportunities are available at ArtsAndScience.org.

“ASC’s funding opportunities respond to the growing needs of creative individuals and organizations of all sizes across Charlotte- Mecklenburg,” said Krista Terrell, ASC president. “I am grateful to our public and private donors that support our work for the broader cultural sector.”

These current funding opportunities come on the heels of ASC’s recent investment of $841,000 in Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s cultural community.

In December, ASC announced that 54 groups and individuals were selected to receive a combined $631,150 in funding through the first round of ASC Cultural Vision Grants. Twenty-eight of the projects are led by and/or serve communities that have been historically excluded, including African, Latin-a/o/x/e, Asian, Arab and Native American (ALAANA), LGBTQ and disability communities. Eleven are led by independent creatives.

It also announced in December that 75 creatives in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region were selected to receive 2023 ASC Artist Support Grants of up to $3,000. These grantees received a combined $209,886.59 in funding and represented creative disciplines from visual art and music to literature and dance.

In Fiscal Year 2022, ASC made a historic $1.7 million investment in the creative individuals and artists whose work is strengthening Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s cultural community – the first time in the organization’s 65-year history that its investments in creative individuals surpassed the million-dollar mark. Highlighting ASC’s FY22 investments were 20 creative individuals who received a combined $250,000 to refresh their creative energy or develop their creative capacity through the Creative Renewal Fellowship and Emerging Creators Fellowship programs.

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’s mission is to ensure access to an excellent, relevant, and sustainable cultural community for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region.

Stay up to date on ASC news and happenings at ArtsAndScience.org and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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