BCAC News Release

The Beaufort County Arts Council is seeking applications for the 2012–2013 Regional Artists Project Grants.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 14. A grant-writing workshop for the RAP grants will be conducted at the Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge at 5 p.m. Aug. 14. For more information about the grants, visit http://www.pittcountyarts.org/grants.

The Regional Artists Project program is managed through a partnership with the North Carolina Arts Council and 29 local arts councils throughout eastern North Carolina working as a consortium. Counties include Beaufort, Bertie, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Craven, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne and Wilson.

Residents in these counties are eligible to apply for grants that provide financial support to artists in all disciplines, such as visual art/craft, music composition, film/video, literature/playwriting and choreography/dance and at any stage of their career. Types of fundable projects include the creation of new work, purchase of equipment and materials and professional-development workshops. Complete funding guidelines and applications are available online at http://www.pittcountyarts.org/grants/regional-artist-project-grants.

Since 1985, the N.C. Arts Council has provided funds for the Regional Artists Project program to support professional artists. The regional consortium of eastern North Carolina arts councils matches the N.C. Arts Council to create a pool of funds for the artists. In 2009-2010, more than $200,000 was awarded to 142 artists statewide for projects that advanced individual artistic development. In the east, grant awards to artists generally range from $500 to $2,000 and follow a competitive application and review process.

Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge serves as lead arts council for the Eastern North Carolina Regional Consortium and manages the application and review process. Application forms and grant guidelines are available at http://www.pittcountyarts.org/grants/regional-artist-project-grants. Applications must be received no later than Friday, September 14, 2012 either online, or packets may be delivered to Beaufort County Arts Council by 4:00pm of the deadline date.

For more information, contact Holly Garriott, executive director, Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge, holly@pittcountyarts.org, (252) 551-6947 or Joey Toler, executive director, Beaufort County Arts Council, beaufortcountyarts@embarqmail.com, 252-946-2504.