from Chatham Arts Council

Pittsboro, NC – Throughout Chatham County, organizations are using the arts to make good
things happen in this community. Organizations that make that arts possible are vital, and they
can have a difficult time finding funding, especially in this post-pandemic economy. That’s why
the Chatham Arts Council (CAC) is thrilled to once again partner with the North Carolina Arts
Council to bring the Grassroots Arts Grant to Chatham. 

“We’ve been partnering with the NC Arts Council for more than 20 years,” explained Cheryl
Chamblee, CAC Artistic Director. “In that time, we’ve awarded in excess of $200,000 to
nonprofits in Chatham, who then use that money to fund artists and carry art into every corner of
this county. We want to make sure that every single person living here has access to quality arts
experiences.” 

This season, more than $15,000 in funding is being made available to help nonprofit
organizations hire local artists in service of their missions–and to provide operational support to
arts orgs. That’s an increase of over $4,000 from last season. Seven Chatham county
organizations have been selected to receive the Grassroots Arts Grant: The Chatham County
Partnership for Children, Chatham Artists Guild, Chatham Trades, Community Organizing for
Racial Equality (CORE), JM Arts Foundation, Pittsboro Elementary, and StreetSigns. 

Grassroots Arts Grants range from $500 to $2,500, and they are typically used for program
expenses (i.e., artists’ fees, space rental) or operating expenses for arts organizations. This
year’s review panel focused on the artistic quality of the proposed project, community impact,
fair payment to artists, and outreach to diverse and/or underserved communities, among other
elements. Grant recipients will be using the funds for various upcoming projects– from a
Juneteenth celebration of Black artists and a bilingual children’s literacy festival, to arts projects
for disabled citizens, a studio tour, dance education for elementary school children, and more!
Grant dollars will impact arts offerings for residents in eastern and western Chatham County.

Grassroots Grants are made possible with the generous support of the NC Arts Council’s
Grassroots Arts Program, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with
funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support comes from individual
contributions to the Chatham Arts Council’s general operating fund. 
For more information about CAC grant opportunities, visit our website at
www.chathamartscouncil.org/grant-programs/.