‘We can’t leave them stranded.’ A $3 million arts fund gets aid from Mecklenburg

Despite some funding concerns, Mecklenburg County is moving ahead with a plan to help local artists and nonprofits affected by the novel coronavirus crisis.

The board of commissioners this week unanimously approved allocating $1 million from the federal CARES funding for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg CARES for Arts, Culture & Creativity Fund. The fund will help individual artists and arts, science and history nonprofits directly impacted by COVID-19.

The additional money is welcome news to the local arts community, coming on the heels of a spending plan approved by the legislature that included $9.4 million for grants for local arts groups and nonprofits in every N.C. county other than Mecklenburg and Wake. Supporters of the bill said those counties received access to certain federal relief funds that were unavailable to smaller counties

“Before we spend all of the CARES Act funding, there’s an opportunity for us to address the last sector of our community that we have not addressed,” said county board Chairman George Dunlap.

The fund will total $3 million. In addition to county funding, it includes $1 million from the city of Charlotte and $1 million from the Thrive Fund, a fund started by Hugh McColl in 2013 that provides money to the local cultural sector and is administered by the Foundation for the Carolinas.

The foundation, Charlotte is Creative, Hue House and the Arts & Science Council will oversee the $3 million program.

“Many of our creative folks were the first ones affected and many will be the last to return to work,” Matt Olin, co-founder of the nonprofit Charlotte is Creative, told commissioners. Charlotte is Creative helps develop resources, advocacy and promotion for artists in the community.

He said according to public policy group Brookings Institute, the Charlotte metro area has lost 21,000 jobs and more than $1 billion in sales from April to July in the creative and arts community.

“Add to this the fact that many creative individuals and entities have actually not qualified for existing COVID relief funds, and we’re really faced with an urgent need,” he said. “So now more than ever, our creative community needs funds to help them persevere through the crisis.”

The arts fund

The funding will be in the form of grants for individuals at $2,500, $5,000 or $7,500 depending on the degree of loss caused by the COVID-19 crisis, David “Dae-Lee” Arrington, Grammy-nominated producer and rapper, and co-founder of Hue House, told commissioners. The Hue House offers funding and resources to Charlotte’s diverse cultural community.

Nonprofit grants will be for $5,000, $15,000 or $25,000, according to the submitted proposal.

Specifics about how the money will be awarded and the application process have not been finalized, Arrington said. However, he said it will be similar to other local CARES grant programs. And, applicants will have to show proof of loss of income.

The funding will be available to individual artists and creative entrepreneurs, such as visual artists, dancers, musicians and graphic designers. Also eligible are nonprofits in the arts, science and history that are small to mid-sized with budgets less than $1 million, and large nonprofits with budgets over $1 million.

“I understand that artists are entrepreneurs and this represents businesses, this represents people’s livelihoods and this represents people,” said commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell. “And it has my support.”

Who’s it for?

At the commissioners meeting, county vice chairwoman Elaine Powell was uneasy about not having specifics about the criteria for awarding the grants. “I just want to make sure the people who need it the most get it,” Powell said.

Foundation for the Carolinas CEO Michael Marsicano assured the commissioners the collective organizations would work together.

“I promise you that we will design this to be really well done, because that’s what we do,” he said.

Arts & Science Council President Jeep Bryant said although the group supports artists directly through existing grant programs, this funding will offer “a diverse representation of panel and reviewers to make decisions to help support artists and also small nonprofit organizations.”

More information on eligibility, submission requirements and eligible expenses will be available soon. The online application is expected to open in mid-October, with awards determined by mid-November, Charlotte is Creative said on Facebook.

More private help

But some commissioners were apprehensive about the fund. Commissioner Vilma Leake said the private sector, like banks, should do more to help.

“They’re not putting out enough money in our community as they did years ago even when the banks were smaller,” she said. “So you give them that message for us.”

Powell said other businesses should do better, too.

“We have given huge record-breaking tax incentive grants to Lowe’s, Honeywell and Centene,” she said. “If they care about the quality of life in this community and helping to heal the suffering, we need them.”

Other funding sources

Commissioner Pat Cotham said some arts groups have received money from the federal Paycheck Protection Program loans. The Charlotte Ballet received $615,000, Blumenthal Performing Arts, $1.7 million, Arts & Science Council, $610,000, Charlotte Symphony, $1.2 million, Mint Museum, $753,000 and WFAE, $617,000, she said.

“I think the public deserves to know that,” she said.

She said it seems unfair the county is matching the city contribution to the arts fund because the city got $360 million in federal CARES money, while the county received $39 million.

Commissioner Trevor Fuller Fuller said using public dollars on arts and culture is money well spent.

“I regret that we haven’t done more federally and our state really should be contributing to this,” he said. “We can’t leave them stranded. We gotta help.

“If there’s any time we need the respite, the comfort, the support of our arts and cultural sector, now is the time,” Fuller said. “People are suffering and what art does, I believe, is soothe some of our pain.”

This story was originally published September 18, 2020 at 6:15 AM.