Artist Support Grants

The Artist Support Grant by The Arts Council of Moore County provides funding to support the professional and artistic development of North Carolina artists across various genres. Eligible projects include the completion of new works, career promotion, training, travel, supplies, and artist fees. Open to both emerging and established artists who have resided in the specified region for at least a year, this grant aims to enhance their skills and expand their audience reach.

We do this through our many arts programs, support to individual artists & organizations, and other special partnerships.
The Artist Support Grant (ASG) supports a broad range of talented North Carolina artists in multiple arts genres. The grant funds professional & artistic development for emerging & established artists to enhance their skills & abilities to create work or to improve their capacity to bring their work to new audiences.
The following projects & costs are eligible for funding:
Completion/Presentation of New Work — Cost of resources necessary to complete or present a significant new work (e.g., purchasing art supplies, equipment, or space rental)
Career Promotion — Projects advertising artist’s work and/or demonstrating their skill level (e.g., websites, portfolios, audio-visual documentation, & online presentation)
Training — Costs to attend a class or workshop (in-person or virtual) for enhancing the artist’s skill level or for professional development (e.g., master class or workshop taught by acknowledged authority in the applicant artist’s medium)
Travel — Costs of transportation & lodging for training, professional conferences, or research
Services — Rental of equipment or facilities for presentation of a new work, recording studio space, etc.
Supplies — Cost of supplies & materials necessary for the completion or production of a new work deemed by the artist to be an essential work in his/her career.
Artist Fee — Up to 50% of the grant amount may be used for costs of labor, which equals the time that one spends on a project. (Two ways to show a reasonable artist fee is by the hour and/or by the month).

Eligibility

ASG is intended to support a broad range of talented artists in the genres of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music composition, choreography, & interdisciplinary arts. Eligible candidates may be either an emerging or established artist.
Individuals & Artist Collectives — An Individual artist & small, unincorporated groups of collaborating artists are eligible to apply.
Age — Artist must be at least 18 years old.
Residency — Artist must have lived continuously in ASG’s Region 12 (Counties of Anson, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Stanly, & Union) for at least one (1) year before the application deadline. An applicant must be either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien; Proof of residence & status may be required. Artists who live in more than one region should apply only where they spend the majority of the year. All members of a collaborating team must be North Carolina residents, live in the region in which they are applying, & meet the other eligibility requirements. Resumes documenting residence for all team members is required with the application.
Prior Winners — Artists who receive this grant must wait at least two (2) years before reapplying.
Multiple Awards — Artists who are sole proprietors of organizations that have already received funding from the NC Arts Council in the last two (2) years may not apply.
Conflict of Interest — Current board members, staff, & family members of the regional partner organizations are not eligible to apply.
Student Status — This grant is intended for adult, non-student artists. Artists enrolled full-time in undergraduate or associate degree programs may not apply. Artists in certificate programs or pursuing graduate degrees in subjects other than their art form may be eligible if they meet the other criteria.

Ineligibility

Examples of ineligible projects & costs are:
Projects that have no direct effect on the applicant’s growth as an artist (e.g., promotion of other artists’ work, teaching a class/workshop, curatorial work, etc.). This grant is all about YOU as an artist!Scholarships &/or tuition for undergraduate or graduate level educationProjects that support or oppose a candidate for public officeProjects that are exclusive to members of a religious faith groupProjects that have already taken placeNonprofit initiatives or start ups