Artist Support Grant

The Gaston Arts Council is excited to partner with the Arts & Science Council (ASC) to promote the Artist Support Grant, which provides essential funding for professional and artistic development. This grant helps emerging and established artists enhance their skills, grow their creative businesses, and bring their work to new audiences—reflecting our mission to empower and connect local artists.

This grant reflects our commitment to nurturing creativity and supporting both emerging and established artists in Gaston County. It offers a tangible opportunity for artists to grow professionally, build their capacity, and bring their work to new audiences, fostering a more vibrant and connected arts community.

Artist Support Grants for FY26 are closed. Visit this page for updates on FY27, which will be posted as they become available.

Grant Overview

Artist Support Grants fund professional development and artist development for emerging and established artists to enhance their skills and abilities to create work or to improve their business operations and capacity to bring their work to new audiences.

ASC is accepting applications from creatives living in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln and Rowan Counties. (If you live in another NC county, you can find your county partner here.)

Artists representing visual, craft, performing, traditional, and interdisciplinary art forms are encouraged to apply. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to spending a significant portion of their time on their artistic work. The Artist Support Grants will support projects occurring between January 1, 2026 and December 31, 2026 but all funds should be expended by June 30, 2026. Artists may request up to $3,000. Applications selected for funding will receive the full award for which they are eligible.

Eligibility

Individuals and Artist Collectives — Both individual artists and small, unincorporated groups of collaborating artists are eligible to apply.
Residency — Artists should have lived continuously in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln or Rowan County for at least one year. An applicant must be at least 18 years old and either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. Artists who live in more than one region should apply only where they spend most of the year. All members of a collaborating team must be North Carolina residents, live in the region in which they are applying, and meet the other eligibility requirements. Resumes documenting residence for all team members should be included with the application.
Conflict of Interest — Current board and staff members of the partner organizations and their family members are not eligible to apply for the award.
FY26 Artist Support Grant Recipients— Artists who received an award through this program in FY26 will not be considered for funding in FY27.
Student Status — The Artist Support Grant is intended for adult, nonstudent artists. Artists enrolled full-time in undergraduate or associate degree-granting programs may not apply for the grant. Artists in certificate programs are generally eligible.

Info Sessions & Office Hours

In an ongoing effort to assist applicants with the development of requests for funding, we encourage all applicants to attend a grant workshop or consult with ASC staff while crafting your initial application. We are glad to provide guidance and suggested revisions to the proposal to make the request as competitive as possible.

Please direct any questions about the Artist Support Grants to Iván Garnica at [email protected].

For more detailed information about the Artist Support Grant and to start the application process. Please visit the ASC website here.