NC Arts Council awards Helene grants
Folkmoot USA is located in Waynesville. File photo
The North Carolina Arts Council has awarded $915,000 to nonprofit arts organizations in Western North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
The grants utilize funds from the North Carolina Arts Foundation’s North Carolina Arts Relief Fund, the National Endowment for the Arts and South Art’s Southern Arts Relief & Recovery Fund.
The relief funds will be provided to 69 arts organizations throughout the impacted 26-county region. For The Smoky Mountain News coverage area, the following organizations received funding: Folkmoot USA ($10,000), Highlands Community Theatre ($20,000) and The Bascom ($20,000),
“This much-needed grant funding for Western North Carolina arts organizations signals another important step in the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ commitment to recovery in areas affected by Hurricane Helene,” said Arts Council Director Jeff Bell. “The cultural and arts offerings in Western North Carolina are vital to the heritage and economic strength of our entire state.”
The grants support artistic and administrative functions of WNC arts organizations. Recipients may use them to fund salaries, artists’ fees, production, travel, promotion, programming expenses, supplies and equipment, office expenses and facility operations.
