The Union County Community Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, provide funding for qualified nonprofit organizations whose purpose is to promote and develop diverse cultural arts programming in Union County through the Grassroots Arts Program. Grants may be awarded for cultural arts projects, events and services on an annual basis. For grant details, guidelines, information and applications simply click the appropriate button(s) below. The 2024-2025 grant cycle is now closed. $42,000 was awarded to 11 Union County nonprofits for 2024-2025 programming.

The Union County Community Arts Council administers the NC General Assembly’s Grassroots Arts Program for Union County through the NC Arts Council. This grant program provides funds to non-profit, tax-exempt organizations whose purpose is to promote and develop diverse cultural arts programming in Union County.

A program of the NC Department of Cultural Resources Grassroots Arts Program, grants have been offered by the Union County Community Arts Council since 1987. Grant applications are available in the summer of each year.

A panel of board and community members review all applications and make a recommendation to the board of directors. In 2024-2025, the board awarded a total of $42,000 in grants to the Marshville Museum and Cultural Center, The Storefront Theatre Company, Union County Playmakers, Union County Youth Ballet, Union Symphony Society, The Waxhaw Community Theatre, Union County Library Foundation, Council on Aging in Union County, Downtown Waxhaw Association, Indian Trail Parks & Recreation, and WDZD-FM.

The Artist Support Grant (ASG) provides direct support to individual artists. ASG will fund such projects as professional and artistic development, creation of new work, improvements to business operations, or bring work to new audiences.

Eligible artists must be individual artists (or small, unincorporated group of collaborating artists), not enrolled in a degree or certificate program, at least 18 year old, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, and reside (for at least 1 year) in Anson, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Stanly, or Union counties. Grant awards will range from $500 to $3,000. Funded projects must occur between the dates of January 1 – December 31, 2025, with all grant funds fully spent by June 30, 2025. ASG is not a matching grant and 50% of the funds may be used for artist fees.

All ASG applications are evaluated by a panel consisting of discipline-based artists and arts professionals not associated with any Region 12 partner. The grant awards are based on the artist’s overall excellence and talent in their art form and how the proposed project will benefit the artist’s professional growth.

Artists at any stage of their careers, emerging or established, are eligible to apply for a grant in all disciplines, such as visual art and craft, traditional art forms, music, composition, film/video, literature or playwriting, choreography and dance. Types of fundable projects include the creation of new work, purchase of equipment and materials, and professional development workshops.

Application forms, grant guidelines, and many helpful FAQs for ASG are available on ACMC’s website at MooreArt.org. Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024.

A complete application packet includes:

• ASG Application
• Narrative
• Budget
• Artistic Resume
• Artist Statement (optional)
• Letters of Recommendation (optional)
• Work Samples