Grants are available for local artists, thanks to the North Carolina Arts Council and the North Carolina legislature. The Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC) and regional partners, including the ArtsAVL, Transylvania Community Arts Council, the Tryon Fine Arts Center, the Arts Council of Henderson County, and the Rutherford County Arts Council, call upon artists served by their organizations to apply to the Artist Support Grant, which closes on September 5, 2023. Counties served by this regional consortium are Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania, also called Region 17.

The Artist Support Grant was created in 2020 to support individual artists during the pandemic and has become a staple for local artists. Region 17 reviewed 80 applications in 2022 and awarded over $48,000 in grant funds to 24 individuals. The types of projects were each unique and included a wide variety of mediums. Grants were awarded to help purchase special equipment, materials, and even travel expenses to do research for a book. Jim Brandon, Transylvania County wood artist and a member of Number 7 Arts, was the recipient of a 2022 Artist Support Grant which enabled him to secure a source of large-scale wood for various projects. “We were thrilled that Jim was an ASG recipient last year and that he was able to use the grant funds for such an important purpose,” notes Kathy King, executive director of Transylvania Community Arts Council.  

Region 17 will use a Google Form to collect applicant information this year. “We decided to use a Google form to help us make things easier for applicants and jurors,” says Tonya Harwood, HCAC executive director. This year the grants will cap at $3,000. Because this year’s grant guidelines do not require an artist match, Region 17 partners hope the grant funds will enable artists to bring a project to completion without burdening them with needing to match a higher amount.   

The Region 17 partners are excited to see the applications for the 2023 season. This grant opens August 7th and closes on September 5th. More information can be found on Haywood County Arts Council’s website and on North Carolina Arts Council’s website. The application form is here. 

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