UPCOMING GRANT APPLICATION CYCLES
North Carolina Grassroots Arts Program Grants (for organizations)
May 1 – June 13, 2025
North Carolina Artist Support Grants
For artists in New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender, Columbus, and Bladen Counties
August 1 – September 12, 2025
ARTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
The Arts Council of Wilmington Awards $172,000 in Grants from The Endowment
to New Hanover County Arts Organizations
Wilmington, NC – March 11, 2025 – The Arts Council of Wilmington & NHC, in partnership with The Endowment, is pleased to announce the distribution of $172,000 in grants to 30+ nonprofit arts organizations in New Hanover County. These grants, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, will provide crucial programming and operating support to strengthen the local arts community. A full list of the 2024-2025 grantees is attached.
This initiative marks a significant milestone, as the Arts Council has been selected as The Endowment’s first nonprofit sub-granting partner. This designation underscores the shared commitment to supporting artists, arts organizations, and audiences through strategic public-private partnerships that create jobs, drive economic growth, and elevate the region as a premier arts and cultural destination.
“We are honored to serve as The Endowment’s first sub-granting partner,” said Rhonda Bellamy, founding president and CEO of the Arts Council of Wilmington. “Arts and culture are more than just sources of inspiration and entertainment. They are powerful drivers of economic growth, social cohesion, and community well-being.”
About the Arts Council
The Arts Council of Wilmington & NHC celebrates its 13th year as the nucleus of Wilmington’s vibrant arts scene. The nonpartisan agency is the Designated County Partner to the NC Arts Council and is the art agency of record for the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County. In addition to grantmaking, the Arts Council provides professional development, public art initiatives, and strategic partnerships.
About The Endowment
The Endowment’s mission is to address the root challenges in community safety, community development, social and health equity, and education and to develop impactful solutions for every person in New Hanover County. The Endowment was established from the sale of the county-owned New Hanover Regional Medical Center to Novant Health in 2020. The initial fund was nearly $1.3 billion. Grants will be awarded each year in perpetuity. www.theendowment.org
2024-2025 Grantees
Brooklyn Arts Music Academy $10,000
Cape Fear Cultural Association of India $2,000
Cape Fear Jazz Appreciation Society $2,000
Cape Fear Swing Dance Society $2,000
Carolina Beach Mural Project $2,000
Chamber Music Wilmington $6,000
Cinema Sisters $2,000
Coastal Carolina Clay Guild $2,000
Cucalorus Film Foundation $10,000
DREAMS of Wilmington INC $10,000
Forward Motion Dance Company $2,000
Harrington Repertory $2,000
Island Arts Council $2,000
Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum $10,000
Mouth of Babes Theatre $10,000
Narrative Arts $10,000
Opera House Theatre Company $10,000
Opera Wilmington $8,000
Panache Theatre $8,000
Performance Club Theatre Company $8,000
Port City Playwrights Project $2,000
Thalian Association Community Theatre $10,000
Thalian Hall $10,000
The Dance Cooperative $2,000
Turning the Wheel Productions, Inc. $2,000
WHQR $6,000
Wildlife Artists of the Carolinas, Inc $2,000
Wilmington Performing Arts $6,000
Wilmington Symphonic Winds $2,000
Wilmington Symphony Orchestra $10,000
Wilmington Virtuosi Brass $2,000
Total $172,000
OTHER GRANT RESOURCES
Hello Arts! Applications Available Year-Round
The Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College and The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County are pleased to announce that applications for Hello Arts! (formerly Broadway for a Better World) will be accepted throughout the year. The awards will be granted twice a year, once in January and again in July. Previous applicants are welcome to apply again.
Hello Arts! is funded through the tremendous generosity of private donors, with the mission of making the theater experience and all of its associated benefits available to underserved populations, particularly young people under the age of eighteen. The grant program is administered by the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County, and grant recipients are selected by an independent committee.
Nonprofit organizations in New Hanover and Pender counties may apply to receive tickets to Wilson Center performances.
Arts Council Announces $100,000 in Grants:
The Arts Council of Wilmington/New Hanover County is set to distribute a total of $100,000 in grants to local artists and arts organizations during its annual Jingle & Mingle reception. This event will take place on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Dreams Center for Arts Education, located at 901 Fanning St.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LISTS OF FY 2024-2025 AWARD RECIPIENTS!
