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:


ARTIST SUPPORT GRANTS FACTS & GUIDELINES
To learn more about regional workshops offered by the lead organization, the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge, visit their Artist Support Grant page.
2025 Artist Grantees
Jeremiah Barnes, Pitt County
Jaden Bynum, Wayne County
Marly Carmona Uzcategui, Pitt County
Jerome De Perlinghi, Wilson County
Tyshika Dickens, Wilson County
Lori Drake, Pitt County
Erika Eagle Gibson, Pitt County
Robin Haller, Pitt County
Rakia Jackson, Pitt County
Kim Joy, Wilson County
Nanyoung Kim, Pitt County
Borim Song, Pitt County
George Snyder III, Pitt County
Kirby Terrell, Pitt County
BA Thomas, Pitt County
Joshua Vaughan, Pitt County
2024 Artist Grantees
Jacinda Aytch, Pitt County
Rae Barnes, Wilson County
Sonya Coulson Rook, Pitt County
Arden Coutts, Wilson County
Tyshika Dickens, Wilson County
Britt Edwards, Wilson County
Susan Fecho, Edgecombe County
Anna Hinson, Wayne County
Kevin Howard, Wilson County
Lydia Hyslop, Edgecombe County
Sarah Ottinger, Pitt County
Maria Ramirez, Wilson County
Lisa Beth Robinson, Pitt County
Sirius Spears, Greene County
Liz Steiner, Pitt County
Cheryl Stephenson, Pitt County
R. Michael Stephenson, Pitt County
Ammini Thompson, Pitt County
2023 Artist Grantees
Marilynn Barner Anselmi, Nash County
Curtis Baines, Wilson County
Rachel Barnes, Wilson County
Julienne Beblo, Pitt County
Nathan Black, Pitt County
Megan Ellison, Pitt County
Robin Haller, Pitt County
Aaron Hines, Pitt County
Frank Johnson, Wilson County
Stuart Kent, Pitt County
LaRonnieca Maye, Pitt County
Sienna Morgan, Nash County
Jerome De Perlinghi, Wilson County
Nora Parker, Pitt County
John Rood, Wilson County
Borim Song, Pitt County
Robert Tillery, Pitt County
Tharyn Wiley, Wilson County
2022 Artist Grantees
Matthew Amante, Pitt County
Jessica Bradsher, Pitt County
David Lee Buchanan, Pitt County
Dale Lee Bryce, Wilson County
Terri Campbell-Peyton, Pitt County
Shannon Chamblee, Pitt County
Gabrielle Duggan, Pitt County
Janie Askew Goddard, Pitt County
Rakia Jackson, Pitt County
Andre Jones, Wayne County
Sherrod Zachary Knox, Pitt County
Jordan Krutsch, Wayne County
Imani McCray, Pitt County
Lisa Beth Robinson, Pitt County
Daniel Shirley, Pitt County
Cyrus Claude Spears, Pitt County
Liz Steiner, Pitt County
Cedric Turner-Kopa, Wayne County
Alice Vines, Pitt County
2021 Artist Grantees
Jacinda Aytch, Pitt County
Jessica Bradsher, Pitt County
Jerome De Perlinghi, Wilson County
Paula Jordan-Mayo, Pitt County
Jeff Bell, Wilson County
Ryan Harper, Pitt County
Rakia Jackson, Pitt County
Dale Bryce, Wilson County
Terri Campbell-Payton, Pitt County
Daniel Shirley, Pitt County
Quintin Mallette, Pitt County
Janelle Clevinger, Wilson County
Laronnieca Maye, Pitt County
2020 Artist Grantees
Breanna Kusnierczyk, Craven County
Mark Arnold, Pasquotank County
Donna Nyzio, Carteret County
Jerome De Perlinghi, Wilson County
Fay Davis Edwards, Dare County
Liz Steiner, Pitt County
Robin Haller, Pitt County
Kathryn Osgood, Dare County
Rebecca Ives, Pitt County
Gabrielle Brant Freeman, Pitt County
Lipbone Redding, Beaufort County
Daniel Shirley, Pitt County
Bryan Conger, Pitt County