Over $100,000 in Grants Awarded to Local Arts Organizations and Artists
WILMINGTON – More than $100,000 will be funneled into over two dozen arts organizations in a new round of grant funding announced Monday.
The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County released its 2025-2026 grant awardees for its Grassroots Arts Programme and the Artist Support Grants.
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ALSO: Local arts council awards $100K in grants
The Grassroots Arts Program provides grants to nonprofits to fund program expenses or operating costs (like employee salaries). The Artist Support Grant offers grants to individual artists of any discipline.
For fiscal year 2025-2026, the Arts Council received $128,000 in grant requests for their Grassroots Arts Program and awarded $75,000 to 29 organizations. The funding will go to community-based programs and projects, performances, festivals, and educational opportunities. Awardees can expect to receive contracts and grant packets soon.
For the Artist Support Grant, the council received 66 applications, totaling $60,468.31, but only had $25,000 in available funds. Twenty-seven artists were chosen by an applications committee.
“We are tremendously proud to support both our arts organizations and individual artists through thes vital funding programs,” Rhonda Bellamy, CEO of the council, said in a press release. “these grants strengthen our cultural ecosystem, fuel artistic innovation, and ensure that the arts remain accessible throughout our community.”
The council will host a celebration for the awardees this year with their annual Jingle & mingle reception at DREAMS Center for Arts Education, 901 Fanning St., on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m.
The following is the complete list of grantees for the Grassroots Arts Program:
* $500: Cape Fear Chorale for the Annual Fall Concert
* $750: Wilmington Virtuosi Brass for Two concerts (UNCW and St. Thomas Hall)
* $750: Island Arts Council for Clay Art for Therapy for Cancer Patients workshops
* $1,000: Bellamy Mansion Museum’s exhibitions by Helen Barnett & Milton Gore /Jim Horton
* $1,000: Port City Playwrights for Production of “Ten Minute Miscellany 2026”
* $1,250: Port City Music Festival for the 18th Annual Port City Music Festival 2026
* $1,250: Port City Rock jam for a
New Hanover County Arts Council Awards over $30,000 in Grants
The New Hanover County Arts Council has announced the recipients of its recent round of grants, totaling over $30,000 in support of local arts and cultural initiatives.the grants were awarded to both organizations and individual artists, bolstering a diverse range of creative endeavors in the Wilmington area.
Organizational Grants:
Several organizations received funding to support their programs and operations:
* Uptilt Film Fest: $5,000 was awarded to support the 10th Annual Uptilt Film Fest. https://uptiltfilmfest.com/
* NC Jazz Festival: $5,000 will fund youth workshops as part of the NC Jazz Festival. https://ncjazzfestival.org/
* Thalian Association: $5,000 was granted for venue rentals to support five Youth Theater productions. https://thalianhall.org/thalian-association/
* Thalian Hall: $5,000 will support the presentation of Ailey II,the next generation of dance from the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. https://thalianhall.org/
Artist Support Grants:
A meaningful portion of the funding was allocated to individual artists across various disciplines:
* Wafa Alsleem (Visual Artist): $750
* Brenden Emmerson (Visual Artist): $750
* Meagan Golden (Filmmaker): $750
* Kevin Green (Dancer): $750
* Katelyn Guthrie (Visual Artist): $750
* Cedric turner-Kopa (Writer): $750
* Jesslyn Wilson (Thespian): $750
* Carol Gardner (Visual Artist): $892.56
* Michael Sherrod (Visual Artist): $900
* Heather Purdin (Visual Artist): $996.75
* Hannah Abrams (Writer): $1,000
* Breanna Burge (visual Artist): $1,000
* Christine Capen (Visual Artist): $1,000
* Jared michael Cline (Musician): $1,000
* Kady Devaun (Visual Artist): $1,000
* James Farley (visual Artist): $1,000
* mandi Gillespie (Visual Artist): $1,000
* Lemuel Heida (visual Artist): $1,000
* Timothy Koehler & Alex Goodell (Musicians): $1,000
* Sean Meade (Musician): $1,000
* Stephen Merriam (Visual Artist): $1,000
* Megan Peterson (Filmmaker): $1,000
* Sherry Pfeifle (Visual Artist): $1,000
* Kaylie saidin (Writer): $1,000
* Andre Silva (Filmmaker): $1,000
* Shannon Silva (Filmmaker): $1,000
* Joshua Woodard (Musician): $1,000
these grants demonstrate the New Hanover County Arts Council’s commitment to fostering a vibrant arts community and supporting the creative talents within the region.
For more facts or to contact Emily Sawaked, please email emily@localdailymedia.com.
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