Portfolio of Annual Project Support and C.O.R.E. Grants Bolstered by Mini Grants, Creative Placemaking & Other Opportunities
Fayetteville, N.C. – With the most robust grants portfolio in the organization’s history, the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is on track to award almost $1.2 million in grants and allocations to artists, municipal entities, and nonprofit organizations in the new year.
When the Arts Council was formed 50 years ago, one of the organization’s primary goals was to infuse monies into the creative economy in Cumberland County as a facilitator for artists and arts/culture nonprofit organizations. By leveraging local support from Cumberland County and the City of Fayetteville, the Arts Council has grown the capacity of the local arts organizations to elevate Fayetteville as a tourist destination in the region.
As the primary steward of public and private funding for arts, cultural, and history activities in the Cape Fear Region, the Arts Council connects our communities, embraces diversity, promotes individual creativity, advances economic development, and fosters lifelong learning through the arts. In the new year, the Arts Council plans to achieve this Mission through Arts Education, Community, Outreach, and Grantmaking. With ten grant and allocation programs online in 2024, the Arts Council has expanded access to individual artists and arts/culture nonprofits in ways not previously available in the region.
“This is an exciting new year for the Arts Council,” says Kennon Jackson, Chief of Staff, “and the Arts Council and its Board, staff, and community partners are fully celebrating the 50 years of hard work that so many have put into growing the creative community in Cumberland County.”
Two hallmark grant opportunities available in early 2024 that will deepen and expand connections between artists, organizations, and communities include the Project Support Grant and new Creative Placemaking Grant initiatives.
With guidelines already posted and applications opening on January 15, Project Support Grants increase Art, Culture, and/or History-focused programming in Cumberland County. The 501(c) organizations who meet the eligibility requirements may request grant funds to support up to three distinct program activities for $15,000 each in the coming year. Projects may fall into one or more of six grant tracts, including the following: Series Support, Inclusive Outreach, Education, Military Arts, Cultural Tourism, and Collaborative Projects. Arts Council staff will offer workshops to new and returning applicants beginning in late January 2024. Guidelines, workshop information, and the Project Support Grant application portal are available on the Arts Council’s website.
New in 2024 is the Arts Council’s pilot Creative Placemaking Grant Program. The mission of the Creative Placemaking Grant is to provide support for collaborative partnerships that build capacity by engaging a community, district, or neighborhood through Public Art strategies that enhance economic development and advocate for social and environmental change. The pilot initiative will award up to five $10,000 grants in early 2024. Successful Creative Placemaking initiatives will challenge the spaces they inhabit in new and innovative ways. They will also activate underserved populations and geographic regions within Cumberland County while demonstrating the importance of public art as a catalyst for progress. Interested 501(c) eligible organizations and municipal entities are encouraged to discuss their proposed Creative Placemaking opportunity with Arts Council staff. Guidelines, additional information, and the application portal are available on the Arts Council’s website. Letters of Intent (LOI’s) for Creative Placemaking Grants are due by January 26.
The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is also currently accepting applications for its third quarter FY24 Mini Grants Program through February 1. Applicants may learn more about Mini Grant guidelines, frequently asked questions, and more on the Arts Council’s website.
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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 connects our communities, embraces diversity, promotes individual creativity, advances economic development, and fosters lifelong learning through the arts. As the primary steward of public and private funding for arts, cultural and history activities in the Cape Fear Region, the Arts Council and the agencies it supports are known for the core values of excellence, accountability, transparency, collaboration, and innovation. theartscouncil.com
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