When you think about arts and culture in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, what springs to mind?

It may be the talent of local artists or the quality of programming close to home or something else entirely – there are so many possibilities. One big reason is because today’s ASC touches every corner of cultural life in Mecklenburg County, from performing and visual arts to large museums and small theatres, and from culture-driven festivals to the public art we pass every day.

This is the new ASC.

ASC has always believed – and continues to believe – that the arts and culture provide important benefits for all of us who call Charlotte-Mecklenburg home. It’s why ASC was founded in 1958 – to meet the community’s need to support the arts where they are.

 From the 1970s to the 90s, ASC led the development of Charlotte’s uptown cultural footprint and expanded arts and cultural offerings throughout the county. From the 1990s to the mid-2010s, ASC’s primary focus was organizing workplace giving campaigns for donors and providing operating support grants for larger organizations, with a secondary focus on supporting small organizations and individual artists. 

Now, as the organization continues to listen and respond to community, ASC has shifted to:

• Continue to facilitate donors’ desire to support art, science and history, while connecting them directly to those making programming possible
• Evolve its grantmaking focus to one that is equitable and ensures broad impact by providing more financial support to creative individuals and organizations of the future

Today, ASC has helped build an arts scene that is nationally recognized. It’s also expanded focus to the grassroots, fostering a bottom-up approach to:

• Use art as a pathway to build community
• Invest in artists at all stages of their careers
• Equitably distribute resources 
• Cultivate appreciation and love for art, culture, history and science

ASC advocates for, and works every day for, a community where cultural experiences are within reach for every person, not just those who can afford it.

This is what ASC is about today.