The Artist Support grant was established to provide direct financial assistance to individual artists during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This ongoing initiative is designed to help professional artists grow their practice, enhance their business operations, and expand their reach to new audiences.
Open to residents of Edgecombe, Greene, Nash, Pitt, Wayne, and Wilson counties, the grant supports a wide range of disciplines including visual arts, music, dance, film, theater, and literature. Artists at any stage in their careers are eligible, provided they have lived in one of the qualifying counties for at least one year. Grant awards typically range from $500 to $1,000.
Funding may be used for:
- Creation of new work
- Purchase of equipment
- Professional development opportunities
- Travel to exhibitions or conferences
- Development of marketing materials such as websites, brochures, and media
Projects must occur between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2026. Artists who received a grant in 2025 must wait one cycle before reapplying in the same discipline but may apply in a different category.
Application deadline for 2025: Saturday, October 4, 2025 by 11:59 PM.
This program is made possible through support from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Funding is promoted regionally through local arts councils, with the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge leading the Eastern NC consortium. Partner organizations include Wilson Arts, Arts Council of Wayne County, Nash County Arts Council, and Greene County Arts and Historical Society.
Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge serves as lead for the Eastern North Carolina regional consortium, and receives the Artist Support grant applications, schedules regional training sessions for artists, and manages the grant selection process. If you have questions, please contact Holly Garriott, Executive Director, Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge at holly@pittcountyarts.org or (252) 551-6947.
Please use the appropriate button below to access the online application for your specific arts genre:
