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Grants are available for local artists, thanks to the North Carolina Arts Council and the North Carolina legislature. 

Tryon Fine Arts Center and regional partners are calling upon artists served by their organizations to apply for the Artist Support Grant, which closes on September 5. 

Counties served by this regional consortium are Polk, Rutherford, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Transylvania, also called Region 17.

The Artist Support Grant was created in 2020 to support individual artists during the pandemic. Region 17 reviewed 80 applications in 2022 and awarded over $48,000 in grant funds to 24 individuals. The types of projects were each unique and included a wide variety of mediums. Grants were distributed to help purchase special equipment, materials and even travel expenses to do research for a book. 

Mark Gardner, a talented local woodturner and sculptor, requested funding to expand his skills and scope by attending a traditional handmade furniture class with craftsman Eric Cannizzaro. “The class exceeded my expectations,” says Gardner. “Not only did I leave the class with a finished chair, but I feel comfortable and confident moving forward using these techniques in my future work.”

This year the grants will cap at $3,000, and there is no artist match required per this year’s grant guidelines. Region 17 partners, which include ArtsAVL, Transylvania Community Arts Council, Haywood County Arts Council, Arts Council of Henderson County, and the Rutherford County Arts Council, hope they can really help artists bring a project to completion without burdening them with needing to match a higher amount.   

TFAC and Region 17 partners are excited to see the applications for the 2023 season. More information and applications can be found at www.tryonarts.org and at www.ncarts.org.

 

Submitted by Debra Torrence