Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County To Host Free Professional Development Series for Individual Artists

Artist taking notes at a 2025 Creative Summer School Session/Image Credit: Arts Council Staff

Fayetteville, NC - The Arts Council of Fayetteville | Cumberland County is proud to announce the return of Creative Summer School, a comprehensive series of free professional development workshops tailored specifically for individual artists. Starting in July, this strategic educational initiative aims to empower local creatives by providing them with practical business knowledge, sustainable financial strategies, and growth opportunities necessary to elevate their artistic careers and develop their workforce skillset.

Each workshop focuses on a specific area of artist development. The July 11th session will cover how artists can market their work, promote their upcoming projects, build visibility, and strengthen their professional networks. On August 1st, artists will explore grant writing basics, strong application language, project descriptions, budgets, and tips for submitting competitive proposals. The final session on August 15th will focus on managing grant funds, understanding basic tax considerations for artists, and building practical budgets for creative projects. 

"Creative Summer School is about supporting individual artists in becoming well-rounded professionals,” says Kashia Knight, Arts Education Manager at the Arts Council. “Artists are already doing the creative work, but sustaining that work also requires skills in marketing, networking, grant writing, budgeting, taxes, and project management. These sessions are designed to give artists practical tools they can use to strengthen both their creative practice and the business side of their careers."

The Creative Summer School directly supports other individual artist opportunities at the Arts Council like the Creative Impact Cohort. These initiatives are aimed to educate artists on the opportunities available and equip them with the tools needed to prepare competitive applications.

2025 Creative Summer School Session/Image Credit: Arts Council Staff

Creative Summer School Sessions

Session One: Artist Marketing, Promotion, & Networking

Date: July 11, 2026

Time: 11am - 1pm

Location: 214 Burgess Street (ArtsXL)

Session Two: Best Practices in Grant Writing for Individual Artists

Date: August 1, 2026

Time: 11am - 1pm

Location: 214 Burgess Street (ArtsXL)

Session Three: Grants, Taxes & Artist Management

Date: August 15, 2026

Time: 11am - 1pm

Location: 214 Burgess Street (ArtsXL)

All Creative Summer School sessions will take place at ArtsXL, located at 214 Burgess Street. Registration is free for all individual artists. To RSVP for any session, email Kashia Knight (KashiaK@TheArtsCouncil.com) 

For regular updates on the Arts Council, follow this organization on Facebook (@ArtsCouncilFay) or Instagram (@artscouncilfay).

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