The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County continues to play a pivotal role in supporting the local arts scene by empowering artists, organizing community events and exhibitions and acting as a backbone of the local culture and arts industry.
“Our big focus is cultural tourism, and that is really what’s always been at the crux of our two flagship grant programs, which are our CORE (Cultural Organization Resource Grants) Program and our Project Support Grant Program. Those are the two things that really affect the majority of people in
the county. Last year, through our grant programs, we reached 379,000 people,” shared Director of Grants and Allocations Michael Houck.

CORE Grants help fund organizations who have a long standing history in the county promoting both art and arts education as well as driving the local
arts economy and cultural tourism. Current CORE grantees include Cool Spring Downtown District, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Cape Fear Botanical Garden and Sweet Tea Shakespeare.

Project Support Grants are awarded to 501(c) agencies, colleges/universities and municipal entities. Past Project Support grantees include the Gilbert Theater, Cumberland Choral Arts, Groundswell Pictures, Cumberland County Public Libraries and City of Fayetteville Parks and Recreation.
In addition to funding for organizations, the Arts Council provides grants to individual artists.

“There’s this kind of duality that I see with the way that we affect the business of the arts around here. There’s the big organizational side, and then there’s the more individual artist side of it as well. There’s kind of a harmony that goes between the two of them, beyond just the grants,” shared Director of Public Relations Miles McKeller-Smith.
Individual artists can take advantage of a new initiative now being pioneered by the Arts Council. The Creative Impact Cohort is a new program aimed to help empower artists in the region.
“This is a successor to our Mini Grant Program. That was a program that we ran for about six years, and that was just a Project Support Program for projects specifically designed and led by individual artists,” explained Houck.

This new cohort-styled program offers artists up to $4,000 each to complete a project over six months.
Applications just closed and the inaugural CIC will be announced in mid November. The Creative Impact Cohort offers not just funding but mentorship and networking.
“The biggest difference between the Mini Grant and the Creative Impact Cohort is that over that six month project period, we will work with these artists to mentor them, to make sure that they have everything that they need…we will have monthly standing meetings with the cohort. Hopefully the cohort ends up being emerging artists all the way through established artists, and not only is there some knowledge coming from our staff, who are all working professional artists as well as administrators, but the cohort will allow for some internal networking, so a more established artist can be nurturing a younger artist,” shared Houck.

Other opportunities for individual artists include the Artists in Schools program and the Artist Support Grants. Artists in Schools brings arts integration to Cumberland County schools at a reduced or free cost, while still ensuring the teaching artists are paid. Artist Support Grants provide funding to artists for whatever they may need to help bolster their career. Whether they need money to cover the cost of materials or to help fund training to hone their skills, Artist Support Grants are intended to empower artists to take their craft a step further.
The scope of projects that are eligible for funding is broad, and the Arts Council is eager to amplify new voices and unique initiatives that push the boundaries of what we think of as art.
“We accept all disciplines. People tend to think that we work primarily with visual artists because of our own gallery, but we are particularly interested in seeing other underrepresented art forms get lifted up,” added Houck.

Beyond the cultural and communal value of the arts, the Arts Council’s efforts have a measurable economic impact. In 2022, the Arts Council participated in an Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6) survey to gather detailed information about the local arts and culture industry.

According to the survey, the arts and culture industry generated $72.2 million in economic activity in FY2022 and generated $9.5 million in tax revenue. Additionally, arts economic activity supports 1,111 jobs, and arts and culture brought in 900,000 attendees and visitors, generating $28M in revenue.
“It’s easy to say that [the arts are] important in the sense of quality of life, in terms of arts programming and things that we want to have in the neighborhood, in the community. But I think that when we look at the numbers of what it’s actually bringing in, and how it’s helping support local governments with the tax revenue that it’s generating, as well as the jobs, I think that’s where we really begin to see beyond the intrinsic value that we have towards it, where it’s really, it’s an economic generator,” shared McKeller-Smith.
On top of funding other organizations’ projects, the Arts Council curates events in house as well.
Currently, the Arts Council team is preparing for its largest event of the year, the International Folk Festival. Scheduled for Sept. 27, the festival celebrates the diversity found in our region. The day kicks off with the Parade of Nations at 10 a.m., followed by activities in Festival Park and closing with a performance by the Sandhills Jazz Society at 7 p.m.

In addition to the festival, the council is launching a new exhibit entitled Multi-Faceted: Mixed Media & Connected Identities, on Sept. 22. Curated by Daniel Ramirez-Lamos, Multi-Faceted explores themes of identity through mixed media. The exhibit features a diverse series of works selected to create a narrative throughline and is expected to draw significant community interest.
Through its grant programs, educational endeavors and community events, the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County remains a driving force for creativity, economic growth and cultural enrichment. The council’s commitment to supporting both organizations and individual artists ensures that the local arts community continues to grow and thrive.