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POLK COUNTY—A grant opportunity is available for local artists, thanks to funding from the North Carolina Arts Council and the state legislature. 

Tryon Fine Arts Center, which serves as the designated Polk County Arts Council (HCAC), along with regional collaborators such as ArtsAVL, the Haywood County Arts Council, Transylvania Community Arts Council, the Arts Council of Henderson County, and the Rutherford County Arts Council invites artists from the served communities to apply for the Artist Support Grant. 

The application period is open until September 3, 2024. This regional group, also known as Region 17, includes Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania counties.

Established in 2020 to assist individual artists during the pandemic, the Artist Support Grant has since become a vital resource for local creatives. In 2023, Region 17 reviewed 79 applications and distributed $44,000 in grants to 21 artists, supporting a diverse range of projects across various art forms. Examples of funded projects include purchasing new equipment, building websites, and even covering travel expenses for research purposes.

This year, Region 17 will again use a Google Form for the application process. “The Google Form proved to be very effective last year and simplifies the application process,” notes Tonya Harwood, executive director of Haywood County Arts Council. Grants will be capped at $3,000 for 2024, and there is no matching requirement for applicants under this year’s guidelines. The partners of Region 17 aim to support artists in completing their projects without imposing additional financial burdens.

Tryon Fine Arts Center and Region 17 partners are excited to see the applications for the 2024 season and hope there are artists from Polk County who take advantage of this opportunity. More information can be found on the North Carolina Arts Council website (ncarts.org), and artist’s information and the grant application can be found at https://haywoodarts.org/grants-funding. 

For more information, contact Haywood County Arts Council Executive Director Tonya Harwood at director@haywoodarts.org or Tryon Fine Arts Center Marketing Director Terry Brown at terry@tryonarts.org. 

 

Submitted by Terry Brown