Artist Support Grant (Forsyth, Davidson, and Davie Counties)

Artist Support Grant (Forsyth, Davidson, and Davie Counties) is sponsored by Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County. This regional grant program offers direct support to individual artists for professional and artistic development across various disciplines, including visual arts. It aims to help artists enhance their skills, create new work, or improve their capacity to reach audiences.

Artist Support Grant | Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County Applicants in Davie, Davidson, and Forsyth Counties Apply Here. Applications open on June 1, 2026 and close on September 4, 2026.

Artist Support Grants (formerly Regional Artist Project Grants) is a regional grant program that provides direct support to individual artists for professional and artistic development, either to enhance their skills and abilities to create work, or to improve their business operations and capacity to bring the work to audiences.

This program will provide grants of $500 to $2,000 to support committed, gifted individual artists and small, unincorporated groups of collaborating artists residing in Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Guilford, and Randolph counties and is intended to support a broad range of talented artists in the genres of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music composition, choreography, and interdisciplinary arts.

The program is operated in partnership with The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, Arts Davidson County, Davie County Arts Council, High Point Arts Council and The Randolph Arts Guild. Funding is provided by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County and The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro will host three virtual information sessions for the public. The sessions will take place on June 9, 2026 from 12:00 -1:00PM, July 14, 2026, from 5:30 – 6:30PM, August 11, 2026, from 12:00-1:00PM. During each session, interested applicants will meet with grant coordinators to learn more about the grant process.

August 11 | 5:30pm - 6:30pm Application Dates: June 1 - September 4, 2026 Application Deadline: September 4, 2026 by 11:59 pm Review of Application: September & November 2026 Award Notification: November 2026 Project Period: January 1 – December 31, 2027 Funding Spent Timeline: January 1 – June 30, 2027 Interim Report: June 30, 2027 Final Report: Two weeks after completion of project.

All projects must be completed by December 30, 2027 The Artist Support Grant is intended to support a broad range of talented artists in the genres of visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, music composition, choreography, and interdisciplinary arts. Eligible candidates may be either emerging or established artists. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to spending a significant portion of their time on their work as artists.

Individuals and Artist Collectives Individual artist and small unincorporated groups of collaborating artists are eligible to apply. ​ Artist must reside in the following counties Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, and Randolph County.

Artists who have lived in the region (Region 11: Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph) where they are applying continuously for at least one year prior to the consortium’s application deadline. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and either a U. S citizen or permanent resident.

Artists who have lived in more than one region should apply only where they spend the majority of the year. Example, 183 Days All members of a collaborating team must be North Carolina residents, live in the region where they are applying, and meet the other eligibility requirements. Résumés documenting residence from all team members should be included with the application.

Artists who are sole proprietors of organizations that have already received funding for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 are ineligible to apply. Current board and staff members of the participating partner organizations and their family members are not eligible to apply for the award. 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. Artists pursuing graduate degrees in subjects other than their art form may be eligible if they meet the other eligibility criteria.

Eligible Projects and Costs ​In project year 2026-2027, applicants may apply for up to 50 percent of the grant to support artist fees.

​ Completion/Presentation of a New Work — Cost of resources necessary to complete or present a significant new work (e.g., purchasing art supplies or equipment (digital may qualify) or space rental) Career Promotion — Projects aimed at advertising artists’ work and/or demonstrating their skill level (e.g., websites, portfolios, audio-visual documentation, and online presentation) Training — Costs to attend a class or workshop (in-person or virtual) aimed either at enhancing the artist’s skill level or professional development (e.g., a master class or workshop taught by acknowledged authorities in the applicant artist’s medium) Travel — Costs of transportation, lodging, and food for training, professional conferences, or research Services — Rental of equipment or facilities for presentation of a new work, recording studio space, etc. Supplies — Purchase of supplies and materials necessary for the completion or production of a new work deemed by the artist to be an essential work in their career.

Artist Fee — Costs of labor, equals the time that one spends of a project.

(Two ways to show a reasonable artist fee is by the hour and/or by the month) Ineligible Projects and Costs Scholarships for undergraduate- or graduate-level education Projects that support or oppose a particular candidate for public office Projects that are exclusive to members of a particular religious faith group Projects that do not have a direct effect on the applicant’s growth as an artist (e.g., the promotion of other artists’ work) All completed applications will be reviewed by a panel of arts professionals with experience in various disciplines, and evaluated on the following criteria: Artistic Merit (50%): Demonstrated talent in an art form and overall excellence of the artist’s work; clear commitment to a career as a practicing professional artist Project Merit and Project Feasibility (50%): Benefit to professional development and overall viability of proposed project.

All applications from Davie, Davidson and Forsyth counties will apply through Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County. All applications from Guilford and Randolph counties will apply through The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro.

FY26 Artist Support Grant Recipients Individual Award and Amount: David Wiinikka-Lydon, $1,800 Dean Roland Johnson, $1,850 Ayana Brady (Yanae Bella), $1,920 Applications For Davie, Davison, Forsyth Counties Will Open June 1, 2026. Community Grants and Services Manager This project is supported by the N. C.

Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.