[Fayetteville, North Carolina] – The Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County (Arts Council) has awarded $28,482 in Mini Grant funding to sixteen nonprofit organizations, municipal entities, and individual artists operating or residing in Cumberland County for projects that take place in 2022.
The Mini Grant program was created in 2019 to help fund creative arts, culture, or history-based projects, activities, and events. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 and are supported in part by the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. Mini Grants may support artist fees, project supplies and materials, contracted services, marketing and outreach expenses, equipment and facility rentals, etc.
Eighteen applications were submitted for the December 2021 Mini Grant cycle, seventeen of which met the eligibility requirements. The Arts Council’s Grants Assessment Committee, chaired by Dr. Kenjuana McCray, recommended sixteen of the applications for funding. On January 11, the Arts Council’s Board of Trustees voted to approve $28,482 in Mini Grants to
nine nonprofit organizations, one municipal entity, and six individual artists.
Funded Mini Grant projects approved in January include:
NONPROFITS
Armed Services YMCA Ft. Bragg
Operation Little Learners is a program for military children aged 18 months to 5 years. The Mini Grant will fund arts supplies used to support motor skill development and creative manipulation of materials. Operation Hero is an afterschool program for Elementary-aged military children. The Mini Grant will fund arts supplies for creative expression activities as part of the biweekly curriculum. Awarded $1,200.
Crossroads Outreach Alternative Program Ministries
Arts Exp’osion Youth Program provides instruction in music theory, piano, poetry, and painting on canvas. The Mini Grant will fund the purchase of five new Yamaha keyboards and five new Asus VivoBook laptops. Awarded $2,000.
Cumberland Choral Arts
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is a Black History Month concert featuring local black soloists. The Mini Grant funds will pay for contracted artists and marketing. Awarded $2,000.
Fayetteville Pride
The Youth Empowerment Group is extended to LGBTQIA+ children ages 12 to 19. The Mini Grant funds will support arts supplies for creative activities in response to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, visiting lead artists’ fees, and rental space for monthly meetings. Awarded $2,000.
Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra
The new “Symphony on Tap” series was created as a way to “connect with the community.”. The Mini Grant will fund musician fees for six performances at local breweries. Awarded $2,000.
FTCC Foundation
The Mini Grant will fund local artist and FTCC graduate, Britany Deveault, who will paint a Mural on the campus Food Pantry rolling door. Goals for this project include increasing visibility of the food pantry and creating a bright and inviting entry for food-insecure students. Awarded $2,000.
FTCC Music Department
The Mini Grant will fund artist fees and marketing costs to pilot an FTCC Concert Series. The first concert will present the Fayetteville Symphony String Quartet in masterclass and recital. Awarded $2,000.
GroundSwell Pictures
Mini Grant funds will support the launch of Fayetteville’s first 48-hour film festival, F-48, with a focus on young and emerging filmmakers. Mini Grant funds will support the purchase of an outdoor screen for film viewing, artist fees, and marketing. Awarded $2,000.
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
The Mini Grant will support the Middleground Arts Series event “The Idea of Freedom” featuring Black artists from Cumberland County. The interactive experience will engage artists and attendees as they create together using the artist’s preferred medium. Awarded $2,000.
MUNICIPALITY
Office of Indian Education
The Office of Indian Education is a grant-funded office housed in the Education Resource Center that connects to over 1,100 native students in Cumberland County. The Mini Grant will fund the purchase of art supplies for the creation of Native American Regalia made through the leadership of community elders to ensure authenticity and presented at an open powwow in the Fall. Awarded $2,000.
ARTIST
Paul Anderson II
The Mini Grant will support the concert launch of “Deep River” Podcast to “encourage the exploration and preservation of the Negro Spirituals.”. The podcast will feature performances paired with discussions that provides an in-depth overview of the history and meaning behind the folk songs. The Mini Grant will fund artist fees, marketing, and recording equipment. Awarded $2,000.
Lawrence Bullock
Mini Grant funds will support the release of the poetry book “Abstract Intoxication” that addresses topics such as mental health, doubt, and self-reflection. The Mini Grant will fund printing costs and art fees. Awarded $506.
Brandon McLean
The artis will present a Virtual Concert of his own musical compositions. The Mini Grant will fund the purchase of a P.A., mixer, and marketing expenses to promote the concert. Awarded $2,000.
Katelyn Murphy
The artist and victim advocate for the Rape Crisis Center of Cumberland County will release “The People You Will Meet”. The children’s book introduces young victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to the judges, police officers, and other advocates they will encounter during their journey to safety. The Mini Grant will fund printing
costs and art supplies for production of the book. Awarded $2,000.
Carolyn Rose-Grayson
The artist will release the zine “Strange Fruit”, a printed and online publication by and for QTBIPOC artists. The sophomore issue will feature visual and written works submitted by community artists. The Mini Grant will fund the purchase of printed zines and provide funds for contracted services. Awarded $1,526.
DorMiya Vance
The artist will lead a group of performing artists from BabyTalk TV and FLEX in a concert launch. The Mini Grant will fund the fees for Cumberland County performing artists and marketing for the event. Following the launch event in Fayetteville, the collective will tour four other cities in the Southeast. Awarded $1,250.
APPLY FOR A MINI GRANT
Interested applicants that meet the eligibility requirements may apply during the current Mini Grant cycle. Deadline to apply is Friday, March 25, 2022.
Download the complete Mini Grant Guidelines and Application at www.theartscouncil.com/minigrants.
MINI GRANT WORKSHOP – INFO SESSION
The Arts Council encourages interested applicants to attend the Mini Grant Workshop – INFO SESSION on Tuesday, March 1, 2022, beginning at 5:30pm at The Arts Center, 301 Hay Street in Downtown Fayetteville. The workshop is an informational session to learn about the Grant Application Process, Proposal Submission, Grant Guidelines, Workshop Writing
Samples, and Q&A. RSVP is required to attend.
For more information about Mini Grants or to RSVP for the Mini Grant Workshop, contact:
Sarah Busman, Arts Education Manager
910-323-1776 ext 1011
ABOUT THE ARTS COUNCIL OF FAYETTEVILLE | CUMBERLAND COUNTY
The Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization based in Fayetteville, NC that supports individual creativity, cultural preservation, economic development, and lifelong learning through the ARTS. As a primary steward of public and private funding for arts, cultural, and historical activities in the Cape Fear Region, all
affiliated programs of the Arts Council exemplify our 5 core values: Excellence, Accountability, Transparency, Collaborations, and Innovation.
Since 1973, the Arts Council has served as a link between artists, arts and cultural organizations, and the greater community by administering programs in partnership with a variety of local agencies to help advance community and economic growth, stimulate tourism, reinforce child education through the ARTS, and enhance the cultural identity of the arts and entertainment district.
Grants, programs, and services of the Arts Council are funded in part by contributions from community partners, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. ncarts.org