Artist Support Grants (Region 17)

Artist Support Grants (Region 17) is sponsored by North Carolina Arts Council (Administered by ArtsAVL). The Artist Support Grant is a regional grant program that provides direct support to individual artists for professional and artistic development. This can include creating new work, improving business operations, or bringing work to new audiences.

Artist Support Grant | ArtsAVL Open | Deadline August 17, 2026 The North Carolina Arts Council Artist Support Grant is a regional grant program to support individual artists in all phases of their career. The program funds professional and artistic development for emerging or established artists to create work, improve their business operations, or bring their work to new audiences.

This 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. Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to spending a significant portion of their time on their work as artists. Grants range from $500 to $1,500.

The deadline to apply is August 17, 2026 at 11:59 pm. This year, the Region 17 grant is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. Region 17 is led by ArtsAVL and support artists in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania counties.

ELIGIBILITY & REQUIREMENTS Individuals and Artist Collectives — Both individual artists and small, unincorporated groups of collaborating artists are eligible to apply. Residency — Artists should have lived continuously in the region where they are applying for at least one year before the consortium’s application deadline (Region 17: Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania).

An applicant must be at least 18 years old and either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident alien. The consortium may require proof of residence and status. Artists who live in more than one region should apply only where they spend most of the year.

All members of a collaborating team must be North Carolina residents, live in the region in which they are applying, and meet the other eligibility requirements. Résumés documenting residence for all team members should be included with the application. Multiple Awards — Artists who are sole proprietors of organizations that have already received funding for FY 2026-2027 from the N.

C. Arts Council are ineligible to apply. Awardees must also wait at least two years after the award year before becoming eligible to reapply (ASG awardees from 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 are ineligible for this cycle.)

Conflict of Interest — Current board and staff members of the consortium partner organizations and their family members are not eligible to apply for the award. Student Status — The Artist Support Grant is intended for adult, non-student 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. Other questions and special circumstances should be discussed with N.

C. Arts Council staff. Project Deadline — Projects must be completed by December 31, 2027.

A final report will be due by January 31, 2028. July 21, 2026 | Application opens August 17, 2026 | Application deadline November 2026 | Awards Announced January 31, 2028 | Final report due 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 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) 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) Applications will be reviewed by a panel of arts professionals with experience in various disciplines.

Panelists will score each application based on the following evaluation criteria: Artistic Merit – Work samples provided show artistic excellence, and there is originality, inventiveness, and/or cultural significance in the project proposed, as well as a clear commitment to a career as a practicing professional artist. Project Feasibility – The project proposal is clear and well-organized, showing preparation and planning.

The proposal’s goals are realistic and achievable. The project budget shows forethought and consideration. Professional Development – The project is consistent with the applicant’s career stage and will be meaningful in expanding and/or promoting the applicant’s artistic career and professional growth.

Please be sure you are both thorough and clear in your responses. Incomplete or unclear responses will make it more difficult for panelists to evaluate your proposal and will negatively impact your score. APPLICATION & SUPPORT RESOURCES NOW OPEN ( Question PDF ).

Application deadline is August 17 at 11:59 pm. Overview ( Slides | Video ) Questions? Email Rebecca Lynch at rebecca@artsavl.

org. No phone calls please. 2025-2026 AWARD RECIPIENTS Aaron Stone is a visual artist working in film and photography whose practice centers on documentary storytelling, field recordings, and music documentation rooted in place and community.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to complete a documentary film following two Western North Carolina musicians in the year after Hurricane Helene as they process the storm’s impact through their art.

Abby Bryant, Performing Arts Abby Bryant is a singer-songwriter and frontwoman whose roots in Americana and festival performance grew from her time at Appalachian State University and have led to a nationally recognized recording career. She will use her Artist Support Grant to support the recording of her third album in Asheville and to employ local musicians in both studio sessions and touring.

Adam Grinovich, Visual Arts Adam Grinovich is a jewelry artist and educator with international training and exhibition experience, whose practice bridges contemporary craft, collaboration, and sustainability, informed by residencies at Penland School of Craft and the Center for Craft.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to complete an advanced stone setting course at the New Approach School for Jewelers to further develop his technical expertise. Alec Fehl is an Asheville-based wood artist whose practice spans custom furniture, sculptural wall pieces, and functional works that combine salvaged wood with vibrant epoxy resin, balancing precision with play.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to create a line of bespoke resin-inlaid game boards using exotic woods and dyes, expanding his work into functional fine craft for new audiences. Amanda N. Simons, Visual Arts Amanda N.

Simons is a visual artist, writer, and educator whose interdisciplinary practice explores queer identity, equity-focused education, and experience-based learning, alongside extensive teaching across higher education and community programs. They will use their Artist Support Grant to study woodturning with instructor Ashley Harwood in Charleston, South Carolina, expanding their technical skill set.

Amy Reader is an Asheville-based fiber artist and educator whose work uses wool, yarn, felt, and thread to translate small moments of joy in the natural world through a vivid sensory lens. She will use her Artist Support Grant to create a professional lookbook and website page to promote large-scale art commissions.

Andrea Kulish Wilhelm, Visual Arts Andrea Kulish Wilhelm is a first-generation Ukrainian American artist, graphic designer, and pysanky teacher based in Asheville’s River Arts District, where she shares the tradition of Ukrainian egg art learned from her mother. She will use her Artist Support Grant to attend the 2026 Ukrainian EggCessories Pysanky Retreat to advance her skills and deepen her practice.

Ani Volkan is a printmaker and educator based in Asheville whose work weaves storytelling, Armenian heritage, and archival materials through printmaking, teaching, and community-based practice. She will use her Artist Support Grant to complete work for And Her Dark Beauty Is Eternal, a solo exhibition project.

Annika Pettersson, Visual Arts Annika Pettersson is a jeweler whose practice fuses traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques, exploring repetition, modularity, and material knowledge across classical and experimental forms. She will use her Artist Support Grant to take photography and marketing classes to better present her jewelry online, promote her work, and expand professional opportunities.

Audrey Adams, Literary Arts Audrey Adams is a writer based in the Blue Ridge Mountains whose work spans surreal short fiction and comedic novels centered on human relationships. She will use her Artist Support Grant to develop a manuscript for a romance novel set in North Carolina.

Ben Mackel, Performing Arts Ben Mackel is an actor, composer, and singer-songwriter based in Asheville with extensive experience in regional theater, film, and original musical works staged across the Southeast. He will use his Artist Support Grant to support a staged reading performance of Hansel & Gretel: An Appalachian Musical Retelling, a children’s musical he adapted and composed.

Beth Elliott, Visual Arts Beth Elliott is a ceramic artist based in Leicester whose practice draws from backgrounds in biochemistry and design, favoring intuitive exploration, texture, and material study over precision. She will use her Artist Support Grant to create a public glaze compatibility library using native North Carolina clays and to develop structural glazes for her own ceramic work.

Carlos Marrero, Interdisciplinary Arts Carlos Marrero is a fashion illustrator and designer originally from Puerto Rico whose work spans editorial illustration and his eponymous silk scarf line, Marrero Collection, with designs worn by prominent figures in fashion and popular culture.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to rebuild a professional display booth at the new Marquee location, including a display wall, mannequins, and presentation materials to support recovery and strengthen customer engagement.

Carly Kotula (Moon Bride Music), Music Composition Moon Bride is the North Carolina–based alt-pop project of award-winning lyricist Carly Taich-Kotula, known for genre-defying songwriting and critically acclaimed releases that blend vivid melody with emotional depth. She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase a new camera lens to produce high-quality promotional videos for an upcoming single and future music projects.

Charlie Huguenard (Impractical Instruments), Interdisciplinary Arts Charlie Huguenard is the creator of Impractical Experiences, an interdisciplinary practice that blends physical and digital media to build immersive, multisensory environments that invite curiosity, play, and transformation.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to develop new interactive installation work that integrates sound, movement, and visual storytelling into experiential worlds audiences can physically engage with. Chris Jehly is a visual artist and printmaker whose practice explores landscape through watercolor and mixed-media approaches, with exhibitions and residencies in the U.S. and internationally.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to execute his watercolor practice at its largest scale to date by creating work on mural-sized paper. Claire Elizabeth Barratt / aka CillaVee, Interdisciplinary Arts Claire Elizabeth Barratt, who works under the moniker CillaVee, is a British interdisciplinary performing artist based in Asheville and the founder of the international arts organization Cilla Vee Life Arts.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to create a comprehensive project archive in preparation for the organization’s 25th anniversary celebration. David Novak, Performing Arts David Novak is an internationally recognized storyteller and teaching artist whose career includes performances and education work with institutions such as the National Storytelling Festival, Disney, Lincoln Center Institute, and global storytelling festivals.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to develop an original kamishibai story for inclusion in the storytelling program First Books. Dawn Roe is a visual artist working with photography and video whose practice blends historic and contemporary media to explore place, environment, and multispecies relationships through site-responsive work.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to support the installation of site-specific wall vinyl and video components for an upcoming exhibition and related publication. Dax Dupuy, Music Composition Dax Dupuy is a musician and performer whose songwriting combines heartfelt lyrics with collaborative arrangements that foreground community and connection.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to support the writing and development of a new musical based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem Evangeline. Edwin Salas Acosta, Interdisciplinary Arts Edwin Salas Acosta is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice bridges analog and digital worlds through toy design, block printing, sculpture, puppetry, and immersive media, drawing on international exhibition and performance experience.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to create a hand-cranked automaton with a QR-linked micro-performance honoring a real “mermaid” flood story connected to Asheville’s Swannanoa River. Emily Robison, Interdisciplinary Arts Emily Robison is an award-winning spinner, knitter, and weaver whose work explores textile traditions from around the world and reflects her membership in the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to develop a fine lace knitting pattern book that explores grief recovery through meditative craft. Eric Knoche is a ceramic artist based in Asheville whose practice was shaped by formative apprenticeships with Jeff Shapiro and Isezaki Jun in Bizen, Japan, and whose work has been recognized with a North Carolina State Artist Fellowship and inclusion in major museum collections.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to build a video setup to provide free ceramic education, grow his practice, and contribute to an accessible and informative online resource for the field. Erika Diamond, Visual Arts Erika Diamond is a textile-focused artist, curator, and educator based in Asheville whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in museum and corporate collections.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to create a new series of textile works combining mirrored vinyl and bulletproof Kevlar fabric. Erin Keane is an artist working with photography, encaustic beeswax, and bookbinding, exploring light, materiality, and innovative approaches to books as sculptural art forms.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to hire a professional company to build a new website supporting her post-Helene career shift and expanded public-facing studio practice. Heather Divoky, Visual Arts Heather Divoky is an artist, designer, and writer based in Asheville whose work spans drawing, wire, and mixed media and centers on detailed, color-rich storytelling shown nationally and internationally.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase a new laptop to support her design work and advance her career as a traditional visual artist. Hwa-Jin Kim, Performing Arts Dr. Hwa-Jin Kim is a concert pianist, educator, and founder of Sonare Music Academy whose career spans international performance, decades of teaching, and leadership in music education.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to support an April 2026 Asheville festival presenting Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas over five days, launching local bicentennial celebrations. Jay Sanders, Music Composition Jay Sanders is an Asheville-based guitarist, bassist, composer, and bandleader whose work blends jazz, rock, blues, Americana, and improvisational music, informed by decades of performance and recording.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to develop Society of the Spectacle, a project that uses jazz and Americana to explore how media distorts authentic experience and to offer acoustic performance as a pathway to connection. Julia L Goldthwaite, Interdisciplinary Arts Julia L.

Goldthwaite is an interdisciplinary artist whose creative practice spans woodwork, painting, theater, music, writing, and arts leadership, shaped by a lifetime of artistic exploration and community building in Asheville.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to create an inspirational deck of oracle cards using multiple mediums to explore processes of healing from loss and uncertainty as part of her personal recovery after Hurricane Helene.

Julian Dreyer (Asheville Audio Pro LLC), Music Composition Julian Dreyer is a music producer and audio engineer based in Asheville with over 20 years of experience recording and producing music in Western North Carolina, including serving as chief producer and engineer at Echo Mountain Recording.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to support updates and improvements to his website, strengthening his professional presence for regional and national clients. Kari Fernandez, Visual Arts Kari Fernandez is an Asheville-based artist whose work constructs narrative through painting, printmaking, graphic design, and photography, weaving personal memory with historical and cultural reference.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to participate in a printmaking residency to learn large-scale cyanotype printing. Kathryn Crawford, Visual Arts Kathryn Crawford is a North Carolina–based studio artist and muralist whose work spans large-scale public murals and studio paintings and has been exhibited nationally and internationally.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to support the creation of a commissioned mural in Riposto, Sicily. Kayla Zuskin, Music Composition Kayla Zuskin is a songwriter, guitarist, music educator, and audio engineer who performs under the moniker Lavender Blue in Asheville. She will use her Artist Support Grant to record, mix, master, release, and perform original acoustic-focused music as Lavender Blue.

Kelsey Schissel, Interdisciplinary Arts Kelsey Schissel is a ceramic artist based in Asheville whose surface-rich work merges function with storytelling, drawing on natural patterns, texture, and light. She will use her Artist Support Grant to create a new body of ceramic work integrating photography, printmaking, and clay, debuting at the 2026 Southern Highland Craft Guild Show.

Lark Frazier, Performing Arts Lark Frazier is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter based in Asheville and the bandleader of Holler & Crow, blending Appalachian folk traditions with Celtic, Americana, and story-driven fantasy influences. She will use her Artist Support Grant to record a professional EP and produce music videos to expand audiences for her traditional folk fusion music and grow her career as a working artist.

Laura Ohlmann, Literary Arts Laura Ohlmann is a poet and writer whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals and who balances her creative practice with professional work in communications and technical writing. She will use her Artist Support Grant to revise her poetry manuscript, improve her website for readers, and submit her book to publications.

Laura Wood is a full-time jewelry artist based in Asheville whose sculptural metalwork is informed by a background in dance and is held in major museum collections nationwide. She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase a Glowforge to streamline enamel jewelry production and create custom dies and display materials for an upcoming 2026 exhibition.

Lauren (Arulu) Gallagher, Interdisciplinary Arts Arulu is an interdisciplinary artist based in Black Mountain who creates ceramic and paper-mâché masks, paintings, and performances inspired by dream imagery, ritual traditions, and spiritual relationships with the natural world.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to explore new materials and surface-finishing techniques for ceramic work in preparation for upcoming exhibitions and teaching opportunities.

Leah Griesmann, Literary Arts Leah Griesmann is a writer with an MA in Creative Writing from Boston University whose work has appeared in national and international literary publications and who has received numerous grants and residencies, including a Steinbeck Fellowship in Fiction.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to develop a creative nonfiction project exploring the cultural, economic, historic, and social “capital” of Montgomery, Alabama. Linda Welsh is a plein air painter whose work is rooted in a lifelong connection to nature, shaped by varied careers in wilderness service, healthcare, and community wellness.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase an upgraded pochade box, allowing her to paint larger canvases and expand her outdoor painting practice.

Madalyn Wofford, Interdisciplinary Arts Madalyn Wofford is an interdisciplinary artist and community organizer based in Swannanoa, serving as the steward of Swannatopia, a collaborative experimental arts hub that centers immersive, participatory, and multigenerational creative practice.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to expand Experimental Art Club programming through increased supply capacity and the purchase of a high-quality digital camera to support documentation and video work. Meredith Metz, Visual Arts Meredith Metz is a North Carolina–based wood artist whose practice blends traditional framing and fine craftsmanship with sculptural furniture inspired by mid-century and Danish modern design.

They will use their Artist Support Grant to explore woodworking’s sculptural potential through textured, carved, and tactile surfaces that expand beyond traditional furniture forms.

Molly Sawyer, Visual Arts Molly Sawyer is a cross-disciplinary, materials-based artist based in Asheville whose work bridges painting, sculpture, and installation through the use of salvaged materials that explore the relationship between nature and the human condition.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to support the production of a large-scale fiber-based sculptural installation opening at the Reece Museum in Johnson City, Tennessee, in January 2026. Nava Lubelski, Visual Arts Nava Lubelski is known for experimental textile and mixed-media work that plays with ideas of repair, damage, and ornament. She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase materials and support fabrication of new pieces.

Nicolette Leigh Yates, Visual Arts Nicolette Leigh Yates is a visual artist based in Asheville whose mixed-media practice on paper grew from early imaginative connections to landscape and evolved through formal study in sculpture and geology at UNC Asheville.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to develop mixed-media work on panel-mounted paper, advancing her technical practice and highlighting her strengths in drawing and material process. Nina Kawar is a sculptor whose porcelain work explores carving, fragility, and healing, drawing inspiration from nature, psychology, biology, and spirituality.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to upfit a studio space to resume her ceramic practice after the loss of her studio during Hurricane Helene. Rebecca Hecht, Performing Arts Rebecca Hecht is a multidisciplinary artist who has been a creative force in the Asheville community for more than 28 years, with experience spanning painting, jewelry, silversmithing, and playwriting.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to develop Welcome to Altamont, a multi-disciplinary stage production that serves as a love letter to Asheville. Ritka (Rita Kovtun), Music Composition Rita Kovtun is a musician and photographer with Russian–Ukrainian roots who creates dreamy folk-pop music under the name Ritka while also working in visual and written storytelling.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to support the production of the first album for her folk-pop music project, Ritka. Sha’Air Hawkins, Performing Arts Sha’Air Hawkins is a North Carolina–born multidisciplinary artist whose creative practice spans music, theater, film, and visual storytelling, shaped by global influences and a soulful Southern voice.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to develop Singing in My Bedroom, a mixtape exploring vulnerability, creativity, and self-expression through genre-blending songs. Shannon Lucas, Visual Arts Shannon Lucas is an emerging jewelry artist creating bold, playful mixed-media work using metals, vitreous enamel, semi-precious stones, glass, and felted wool, with training from Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to attend Anne Havel’s enamel master class at the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts to further develop her technical skills. Summer Merritt, Visual Arts Summer Merritt is a jewelry artist based in Western North Carolina whose sculptural training informs her refined approach to wood jewelry and small-scale wearable forms, with work accepted into leading national craft shows.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase a 9-inch centrifugal finisher to expand wood–metal integration and improve production of new sculptural jewelry designs. Susan Hendley, Visual Arts Susan Hendley is a ceramic artist whose practice explores functional forms that merge beauty, utility, and inspiration from nature, alongside a commitment to teaching and community-based craft.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase a pottery wheel to build out her home studio, expand her ceramic capacity, and advance both her creative and teaching practice. Tanya Triber, Visual Arts Tanya Triber is a North Carolina–based landscape, nature, and travel photographer whose work captures fleeting moments of beauty in the outdoors and encourages deeper care for the natural world.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to create, print, and present a body of work showcasing the fragile beauty of winter for a 2026 exhibition at Pink Dog Creative Gallery. Tarah Singh is a Guyanese American visual artist raised in Western North Carolina whose expressive practice uses painting and sculpture to explore the feminine experience, youth, and global connection through color, texture, and form.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to launch a new line of #Human merchandise, build custom stretchers and frames, and support promotion for her upcoming exhibitions.

Theresa Clower, Visual Arts Theresa Clower is an artist and educator based in Western North Carolina whose sculptural work draws on nature, modern jazz, and lived experience to explore movement, intuition, and non-linear paths of meaning, alongside decades of nonprofit leadership and social-impact artmaking.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to develop Embodied Motion, a mixed-media sculptural series capturing human movement through contemporary materials and techniques. Thomas Campbell, Visual Arts Thomas Campbell is a fifth-generation steel worker and metal artist based in Asheville whose practice is rooted in industrial fabrication and refined through formal training at Penland School of Craft.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to enhance his professional media through website development and documentation of his work. Tyler Ramsey, Music Composition Tyler Ramsey is a singer-songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist whose work draws from folk, country-blues, and indie rock, with a career that includes a decade as a member of Band of Horses and a critically acclaimed solo catalog.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to release a duo acoustic album with Carl Broemel and to promote his fingerstyle guitar playing and songwriting through video, press, and advertising. Victor Dimotsis, Music Composition Victor Dimotsis is a Grammy Award–winning producer, composer, and visual artist who has lived and worked in Asheville for over a decade under the project name King Garbage.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to purchase supplies needed to create visual and video components that support the completion of his third album. Dayna Walton, Visual Arts Dayna Walton is an illustrator who came to Western North Carolina through an artist-in-residence program with Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has since focused her practice on studying and depicting the often-overlooked details of local ecology.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to replace gallery booth displays and inventory at The Marquee after losing them during Hurricane Helene. Gracie Yeargin, Visual Arts Gracie Yeargin is a bridal designer and owner of UpLove Bridal in Waynesville, where she creates custom gowns, restores vintage dresses, and emphasizes sustainability, inclusiveness, and collaboration in her practice.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase specialized equipment to improve bridal gown design, construction, and presentation. Leah Smith is a visual artist whose practice spans drawing, sculpture, and fiber arts, exploring the intersection of human creativity and the natural world, shaped by her move from Colorado to Appalachia.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase woodworking equipment to expand her capabilities in sculptural work. Lisa Bradley, Visual Arts Lisa Bradley is a fused glass artist whose kiln-formed work explores color, light, and form through layered Bullseye glass and three-dimensional processes rooted in both stained glass and sculptural practice.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to attend the Glass Bead and Jewelry Expo in Las Vegas for professional training and skill development. Rachel David, Visual Arts Rachel David is a metalworker, sculptor, and designer whose practice spans art, furniture, architecture, and community-based work exploring relationships between bodies, landscapes, and social and environmental justice.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to purchase a portable welding fume extractor to improve safety and efficiency in her studio practice. Anthony (Tony) Robles, Literary Arts Tony Robles is a writer based in Hendersonville and the 2020 Carl Sandburg Writer in Residence, with four published books of poetry and multiple Pushcart Prize nominations.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to develop a poetry collection exploring the impact of Hurricane Helene on Hendersonville and how the community came together in its aftermath. Edna (Dori) English, Visual Arts Dori English is a sculptor based in Fletcher, North Carolina, whose ceramic work is inspired by the natural world and the magic of folklore, blending organic textures with whimsical, imaginative details.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to equip a rebuilt studio, restore her work after losses, create space for another artist, and strengthen her local arts community. Hannah Gambino, Visual Arts Hannah Gambino is a ceramic artist, mentor, and clay studio manager based in Western North Carolina whose work transforms emotion and grief into playful, ambiguous “critter” forms that balance whimsy with tenderness.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to support participation in the Pocosin Winter Residency, deepening her craft exploration and studio practice. Heidi Brickhouse, Visual Arts Heidi Brickhouse is a bead-weaving artist from Western North Carolina whose work is inspired by the natural landscape and explores color, pattern, and wearable form through intricately woven seed beads.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to pursue hands-on training in silversmithing, focusing on foundational metalwork and bezel stone-setting techniques to expand her practice. Meghan Korol, Visual Arts Meghan Korol is a multidisciplinary artist and metalsmith based near Asheville whose path spans studio training, professional cycling, and a return to making through metal and fiber after recent life transitions.

She will use her Artist Support Grant to fabricate and engrave a sterling silver locket necklace as part of rebuilding and advancing her art business. Seth and Sara Brand, Music Composition Seth and Sara Brand are a Western North Carolina duo who have spent the past seven years performing original, roots-inspired songs across the country, blending cowboy-tinged lyrics, melodic vocals, and inventive percussion.

They will use their Artist Support Grant to record, promote, and distribute a new album for release in 2026 and to support equipment needs for their live performances. Tall Greg Carr, Visual Arts Greg Carr, the artist behind Tall Greg Art, creates paintings that celebrate nostalgic objects and the memories attached to them, with a studio practice based in Asheville’s River Arts District.

He will use his Artist Support Grant to restock canvas prints and painting and vending materials lost in