NC Arts Council awards grants in counties

N.C. Arts Council Awards $339,810 in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon and Swain Counties

The North Carolina Arts Council will invest $339,810 in grants for arts programs and projects in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon and Swain counties during 2008- 2009.

Across North Carolina, $7,427,425 was distributed through 353 grants to 269 grantees. That total includes $500,000 in nonrecurring funding and $2,710,245 in recurring funding for the Grassroots Arts Program.

"In elementary schools, senior centers, museums, concert halls and community centers, more than 9 million people participated in projects funded by the Arts Council last year," said Mary B. Regan, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council. "We are delighted to share such diverse programs with citizens across the state in their own communities."

North Carolina has a long-standing tradition of excellence in the arts, and its citizens abound with creativity. Visionaries bring to life award-winning ballet, exhibitions at museums and contemporary arts centers, modern and ethnic dance, community and professional theater, symphony orchestras and chamber groups, traditional music and craft, literary magazines and small presses, local festivals and powwows.

Celebrating more than 2,500 arts organizations statewide and countless artists, the North Carolina Arts Council works to make North Carolina a better state through the arts by building vibrant communities, creating opportunities for citizens to be more creative and productive and ensuring that the state's culture remains strong and vital.

Organizational grants provide funding for local arts councils and arts organizations statewide through grants in the following categories: Arts and Audiences, Arts in Education, Creating Place: Community Public Art and Design, Folklife, General Support, Grassroots Arts Program, Organizational Development, Outreach Program, Regional Artist Projects and Statewide Service Organizations.

To be eligible for organizational funding directly from the North Carolina Arts Council, organizations must produce quality arts programs that provide community benefit.

Most grants require that matching funds be raised by the applicant organization. Last year, each $1 invested by the North Carolina Arts Council was matched by approximately $16 in funds raised by the organizations.

Through the Grassroots Arts Program, one type of organizational grant, local arts councils and designated county partners receive funding on a per capita basis that can be subgranted for local arts programming. Most local organizations apply and receive subgrant funding through their local arts council or Designated/Provisional County Partner. For more information on applying for a subgrant, potential applicants should contact their local arts council or Designated/Provisional County Partner.

The North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, www.ncculture.com, serves as an economic catalyst as it invests in local communities and offers technical assistance to artists and organizations. The majority of Arts Council funding comes from the North Carolina General Assembly. Partial funding for the Arts Council also comes from the National Endowment for the Arts. The following Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Macon and Swain county organizations received grant awards:

Brasstown Concert Association- Concerts by a Pan-Latin ensemble; Irish/Basque whistle player; and string quartet of Chinese background, with audience activities ($5,000)

Tri-County Community College Foundation

One-week residency ($7,500) John C. Campbell Folk School

Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program at Martins Creek School in Cherokee County ($8,000)

Administrative expenses, arts programming and subgrants in Cherokee County ($14,118)

General operating support ($95,000)

Clay County Historical and Arts Council

Various arts programs, administrative support and subgrants in Clay County ($9,353)

Stecoah Valley Arts Crafts and Educational Center

Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) classes ($8,000)

Administrative expenses, arts programming and subgrants in Graham County ($8,753)

General operating support ($20,000)

Arts Council of Macon County Various arts programs, administrative support and subgrants in Macon County ($16,108)

Cherokee High School

Cherokee basket maker to teach basket making ($9,600)

Smoky Mountain Music Association

Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program for third through eighth graders in Swain County ($8,000)

Swain County Center for the Arts

Administrative expenses, arts programming and subgrants in Swain, Jackson, Haywood, Buncombe, Clay, Graham, Cherokee and Macon counties and the Cherokee Indian Reservation ($10,378)

Cherokee Historical Association

General operating support ($55,000)

Museum of the Cherokee Indian

General operating support ($65,000)

A complete listing of grants by county is online at www.ncarts.org. To search past grant histories or find more information about grant recipients, search grants on the Web at www.ncarts.org/grants_search. cfm. To learn more about the North Carolina Arts Council and how it makes North Carolina a better state through the arts, visit www.ncarts. org or contact Rebecca Moore, Marketing Director, at (919) 807-6530 or by e-mail at Rebecca.Moore@ ncmail.net.

Reader Comments

No comments have been posted. Be the first!

Other Stories With Comments:
Article	Comments
CCHAC Annual Meeting	1
Work progresses on Nelson Heritage Park	1
Land transfer tax-- let the voters decide	1