Are you eligible for the Arts & Science Council’s $10,000 Creative Renewal Fellowship?
When professional artists look to nurture their creative soul or refresh their spirit, they typically do so at their own financial peril.
Dreams of travel, study, research, conferences, training, internships or workshops are simply out of reach for most Charlotte artists and remain unfulfilled due to the financial realities associated with these pursuits.
Charlotte’s Arts & Science Council (ASC) wants to break that paradigm and in a new program is introducing a $10,000 Creative Renewal Fellowship, to be awarded to four recipients in April. The program supports ASC’s belief that continued investment in local creatives benefits the region’s overall cultural climate.
The newly established program generated buzz among attendees at an information session the ASC held recently at the Mint Museum. Nearly 125 participants learned about the program and other funding opportunities for individual artists.
Ryan Deal, vice president of cultural and community investment for the ASC, explained the program in detail and responded to questions.
“This is all about creative renewal for artists who make Charlotte a better place through their work,” explained Deal. “ASC has existing funding opportunities and programs to help artists with specific projects, equipment, and with the business of being an artist. This program addresses a gap we’ve identified and an area where we want to help refresh the creative spirit for mid-career artists.”
Eligibility criteria requires applicants to have lived in Mecklenburg County for a minimum of three consecutive years, pursued a career in the creative sector for at least 10 years and generated most of their income over the past three years through work as a sole proprietor, creative entrepreneur or contract employee in the arts.
“Eligibility this first year is deliberately tight,” noted Deal. “We fully expect to expand the program over the next five years and look to broaden eligibility requirements and provide additional grants.”
Deal said he was hopeful ASC would provide as many as 10 awards within the next five years. “ASC is re-visioning our role and commitment in the community and have evolved beyond simply supporting nonprofit organizations and institutions.”
Applicants may be surprised to learn there is no budget portion of the application.
“It’s part award and part reward — for being awesome as an artist,” said Deal, who noted applications are evaluated based upon the strength of proposed fellowship activities and other criteria such as quality of work and linkage between proposed activities and impact on an artist’s work.
Allison Luce, a Mooresville-based ceramic sculptor, remarked the ASC is supportive in advocating for artists.
“I received a past grant for a kiln and came tonight to learn more about other support opportunities,” Luce said.
Painter and collagist Felicia van Bork was expressly interested in the Creative Renewal Fellowship.
“I’d hope to take a workshop and learn additional print-making techniques,” said van Bork. “Or pursue a residency. $10,000 is a good deal of money but would be gone in a flash, I can think of so many things I could do with the money.”
The application deadline is Friday, Feb. 24 at noon. Find more information and an application are accessed at the ASC’s site here.
Hats off to ASC for this important program. For the rest of us, let’s look for additional ways to financially support the artists among us. To paraphrase Meryl Streep’s speech at the Golden Globes, mixed martial arts is NOT the arts, the makers of our community need our continued support.
Photos: Michael Solender
This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Are you eligible for the Arts & Science Council’s $10,000 Creative Renewal Fellowship?."