North Carolina Arts Council Announces $11.5 Million in FY2024-25 Grant Awards

The North Carolina Arts Council announced today $11.5 million in grant awards for Fiscal Year 2024-25. Three hundred sixty-six grant awards will support nonprofit arts organizations, schools, after-school programs, municipalities, and artists in all 100 counties this year. The grants range from $5,000 to $338,000.

"The arts benefit North Carolinians of all ages," said Governor Roy Cooper. "These grants will enrich our communities as well as grow their economies throughout all one hundred counties."

Funding priorities this year include organizations and projects that:

• Emphasize community outreach and audience engagement

• Improve organizational capacity and capabilities

• Connect K-12 students with artists in a range of disciplines, notably the traditional arts of North Carolina

• Foster public-private partnerships that leverage state and federal funding with local support

• Provide outreach to military service men and women, veterans, and their families

"The record number of applications we received this grant cycle signals that artists are inspiring audiences and producing arts experiences that make our state a wonderful place to live, work, and visit," said Jeff Bell, the Arts Council's executive director. "I thank Governor Cooper and the General Assembly for championing our arts and culture sector. The arts deliver more than $2 billion in economic impact annually to our state and are a powerful tool to uplift entire communities."

"The arts are woven into the fabric of our state's identity, and as I travel across North Carolina, I see firsthand how much the creative sector contributes to the cultural and economic vibrancy of cities, towns, and regions. When the arts flourish, communities flourish," said Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson.

As part of its funding process, the agency convened panels of reviewers with knowledge of different arts disciplines as well as community-building expertise.

This year's grant awards significantly increase the N.C. Arts Council's investment in small and mid-sized arts organizations. Eighty-five new organizations are receiving flexible funding through an expanded category called Sustaining Support, more than doubling the agency's investment in work that promotes stability and sustainability in the arts sector.

For a complete list of FY2024-25 grant recipients, visit https://www.ncarts.org/fy2024-25.

About the North Carolina Arts Council
The North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, builds on our state's long-standing love of the arts, leading the way to a more vibrant future. The N.C. Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.23 billion in annual direct economic activity. We sustain diverse arts expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to art-making. The N.C. Arts Council has proven to be a champion for youth by cultivating tomorrow's creative citizens through arts education. NCArts.org

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina - its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.