The Regional Artist Project Grants are awarded to artists throughout eastern North Carolina in 29 counties, and is a grants program partially funded by the North Carolina Arts Council.

Eligible artists include North Carolina residents who have resided in eastern North Carolina for at least 2 years in the following counties: Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson counties. Artists can include musicians, dancers, filmmakers, actors, literary artists, as well as visual artists. The average grant award is between $500 and $1,000.

Deadline date for Regional Artist Project Grants is September 17, 2010.  Click here for guidelines and an application.

Free grant writing workshops are offered in the following locations (please call the arts council where you will be attending and let them know you are coming.)

Wayne County                                                                                    Thurs, July 22 at 6PM
2406 E. Ash St.
Goldsboro, NC  27534
919-736-3300

Bertie County Arts Council                                                            Tues, July 27 at 6PM
124 S. King St.
Windsor, NC  27983
252-794-9402

Arts of the Albemarle                                                                    Thurs, July 29 at 6PM
516 E. Main St.
Elizabeth City, NC  27909
252-338-6455

Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge                                         Thurs, August 7 at 6PM
404 S. Evans St.
Greenville, NC  27858
252-551-6947

Arts Council of Carteret County                                                Tues, August 10 at 6PM
812 Evans Street
Morehead City, NC 28557
Phone:252- 726-9156

Pocosin Arts                                                                                    Wed, August 11 at 7PM
201 Main St.
Columbia, NC  27925
252-796-2787

Northampton Cultural & Wellness Center                         Thurs, August 12 at 5:30PM
9536 Hwy 305
Jackson, NC 27845
252-534-1383

Regional Artist Project Grants Facts & Guidelines

Regional Artist Project grants are awarded to artists in all disciplines on a regional basis through a competitive application and review process. The grant awards are funded by the North Carolina Arts Council and by a regional consortium of local arts councils. Regional Artist Project grants support professional artists at any stage in their careers to pursue projects that further their artistic development. Grant awards to artists generally range from $500 to $1,000. Types of fundable projects include:

• Creation of a new work
• Purchase of equipment
• Professional development workshops
• Travel support for expenses associated with participating in a professional exhibition or conference
• Development or updating promotional materials – websites, brochures, DVDs, and CDs

Regional consortia match a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council at least dollar for dollar to create the pool of grant funds. The North Carolina Arts Council grants funds to the regional consortia by weighing the history and breadth of artist demand in the region, and the amount of the proposed artist match, among other factors. Grant amounts to the Eastern regional consortia are generally in the $4,000-$5,000 range, with the average grant to artists being $750 – $1000.

The Eastern North Carolina regional consortia consists of arts councils from Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson counties.  Each arts council may contribute a portion of its Grassroots funds to support the Regional Artist project program.*  Matching funds may also come from other public and private sources, including foundations and trusts, preferably from within the region.

Participating consortia promote the grant opportunity to the artists in their region, set specific regional guidelines in accordance with Arts Council guidelines, appoint a selection committee made up of arts professionals with expertise in disciplines under review, and facilitate the selection and award process. North Carolina Arts Council staff advises each regional consortium and attends selection panel meetings.

Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge serves as lead for the Eastern North Carolina Regional Consortium, and receives the Regional Artist Project grant applications, schedules regional training sessions for artists, and manages the grant selection process.  For more information, contact Holly Garriott, executive director, Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge, holly@pittcountyarts.org, (252) 551-6947 or Jeff Pettus, Senior Program Director for Artists & Organizations, North Carolina Arts Council, jeff.pettus@ncdcr.gov, (919) 807-6513.

*Subject to overall dollar limits for the region.