Grants & Scholarships

Instructions for Saving and Accessing Applications in Progress

In order to save your progress on any of our applications, you must first be logged into a user account. When you go into an application and are not logged in, there will be a warning prompt at the beginning of the application advising you to create or log into an account before starting your applicaiton to save your progress. You may also log in at the link below.

To access your saved applications, you will click on the "My Dashboard" button on the black bar at the top of your screen. If you have an application in progress, there will be a button labeled "Incomplete Grant & Scholarship Applications".

Account Log-in

For logos and acknowledgement wording for grant awards, please click here

Featured Grants

Arts Culture Catawba Spring Grant Cycle

Projects Pool Grants - Due March 20, 2025
Innovative Artist Project Grants - Due March 20, 2025
Edna Bost Barringer Young Artist Competition - Due March 20, 2025

For Organizations

Projects Pool Grants

Grant Applications Open: January 2, 2025

Grant Applications Due: March 20, 2025

Panel Presentation Date: April 7, 2025

Nonprofit organizations are awarded grants for projects that encourage innovative arts projects and will enhance and strengthen the cultural community and broaden the services offered to Catawba County citizens.

Projects Pool Grants, which are administered by Arts Culture Catawba, are made available by the North Carolina Arts Council through the North Carolina Grassroots Arts Program. Additional dollars are added by Catawba County government and five municipalities, including Maiden, Catawba, Conover, Hickory, and Newton.

2025-2026 Guidelines

2025-2026 Sample Application

2024-2025 Final Report

Collaborative Arts Projects Grants

Applications open year-round. Must apply at least 60 days prior to event date.

The Collaborative Arts Project (CAP) grant was established by Arts Culture Catawba to encourage collaborations among cultural and/or community nonprofit organizations for arts, science and history projects reaching underserved audiences.

Guidelines and Application Form

Project Budget Template

Final Report Form

Community Cultural Grant

Applications open year-round. Must apply at least 90 days prior to event date.

The Community Cultural Grant promotes cultural activities, throughout Catawba County enabling municipalities and non-profit organizations to provide cultural programs at community and heritage festivals and events for their respective communities. Special priority is given to the municipalities that fund Arts Culture Catawba, organizations representing diverse populations, events that feature artists of diversity, organizations that target special population groups and events that will potentially reach large segments of Catawba County residents.

Thank you to Piedmont Natural Gas, through the Duke Energy Foundation, for their donation towards this grant.

Guidelines and Application Form

Budget Template

Final Report Form

Staff and Board Development Grants

Applications open year-round. Must apply at least 30 days prior to event date.

Staff and board members of Arts Culture Catawba member organizations, with the exception of public and private school teachers, qualify to receive this type of grant to attend workshops and conferences that will strengthen their professional skills and expand their capabilities.

Application

UAF Allocations for Funded Affiliates

For Individuals

Artist Support Grants

Applications Open: September 1, 2024

Applications Due: September 30, 2024 by Midnight

Artists from Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Iredell and McDowell Counties are now eligible for Artist Support Grants. The grant, operated by local arts councils, will fund professional and artistic development for emerging or established artists to create work, improve business operations, or bring work to new audiences.

2024-2025 Guidelines

How to apply:
Email the contact for your county to set up an appointment to begin your process.

Arts Culture Catawba: Chris Coffey, grants@artscatawba.org 828-324-4906
Burke Arts Council: Deborah Jones, director@burkearts.org 828-433-7282
Caldwell Arts Council: Ellen Ball, ellen@caldwellarts.com 828-754-2486
Hiddenite Center (Alexander County): Donna Latham, donnahiddenitearts@gmail.org 828-632-6966
Iredell Arts Council: John Koppelmeyer, jkoppelmeyer@gmail.com 704-880-2101
McDowell Arts Council Association: Susan Pyatt-Baker, susanmcdowellarts@gmail.com 828-652-8610
Rock School Arts Foundation (Valdese/Burke County): Sharon Bowman, rsaf1893@gmail.com 828-838-9806

Innovative Artist Project Grants

Grant Applications Open: January 2, 2025

Grant Applications Due: March 20, 2025

Panel Presentation Date: April 9, 2025

Innovative Artist Grants are made possible by monies raised during a silent art auction held each year as part of our annual fundraising event, the Jingle Bell Bash. The grant awards are for innovative and creative projects, with collaborative efforts encouraged. Seeking to cultivate area artists, the purpose of these grants is to create exposure and a focus on Catawba County’s support of its artists.

2025-2026 Guidelines

2024-2025 Final Report Form

2025-2026 Sample Application

For Students and Schools

Edna Bost Barringer Young Artist Competition

Applications Open: January 2, 2025

Applications Due: Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM

Created by the family of Edna Bost Barringer in her memory, this scholarship is awarded annually by Arts Culture Catawba to area youth under the age of 21. The competition is alternated each year between visual/literary artists and performing artists. This year will be visual/literary art. Judges from the North Carolina School of the Arts select the winner(s). The total amount awarded each year is $1,000. This amount may be given to an individual or broken into two awards of $500 each. This award goes to students planning to pursue a career in the arts.

2025-2026 Guidelines

2025-2026 Sample Application Form

Kathryn T. Greathouse Legacy Scholarship

Applications are closed for this program until the next fiscal year (July 1, 2025)

The Board of Arts Culture Catawba has established a scholarship in honor of Kathryn T. Greathouse, who served as the Executive Director of the United Arts Council for many years and had a passion for helping young people achieve their artistic endeavors. The mission of this need and merit-based scholarship is to provide cultural education opportunities to students of the primary and secondary education level. Students seeking collegiate financial help are not eligible for this scholarship.

Guidelines

Theatre Arts Grant

Applications open year-round. Must apply at least 60 days prior to event date.

The Theatre Arts Grant (TAG) is available to help defray costs for theatre productions at public high schools in Catawba County. Qualified applicants can apply for a maximum of $500.

These grants are available throughout the school year or until the funds are exhausted.

Guidelines and Application Form

Final Report Form

Recent Grant Award Winners

2023-24 Projects Pool Grant Recipients

Catawba County Schools - All County Elementary Honors Chorus

Catawba County Senior Nutrition Services

Catawba Science Center

Catawba Valley Community Chorus

City of Newton Public Art Commission

CVCC - Redhawk Publications

Downtown Newton Development Association

Footcandle Film Society

Hart Square Foundation, Inc.

Hickory Choral Society

Hickory Community Theatre

Hickory Museum of Art

Hickory Music Factory

Hickory Playground

Hmong Southeast Puavpheej

Lenoir-Rhyne University - Visiting Writers Series

Lenoir-Rhyne University - Summer Youth Music Camps

The Green Room Community Theatre

Western Piedmont Symphony

2023-24 Arts Improvement Grant Recipients

Art N Learn

Catawba Science Center

Centro Latino

City of Hickory Public Art Commission

Hickory Choral Society

Hickory Community Theatre

Hickory Museum of Art

Hickory Music Factory

Hmong Southeast Puavpheej

Mt. Pisgah AME Church

Newton-Conover Community Band

The Green Room Community Theatre

Western Piedmont Symphony

2023-24 Collaborative Arts Project Grant Recipients

Centro Latino, Hickory Community Theatre,
& Hickory Downtown Development Association

Hickory Public Library, Patrick Beaver Learning Resource Center,
& Western Piedmont Symphony

Hart Square Foundation & Hickory Music Factory

Western Piedmont Symphony & Catawba Science Center

2023-24 Community Cultural Fund Grant Recipients

Christ Lutheran Church

Greater Hickory International Council

Hickory Music Factory

Hickory Parks and Rec

Newton Conover Community Band

Southwest Community Watch

Town of Maiden

Women's Resource Center

2023-24 Artist Support Grant Recipients

Damien Overcash

Dana Pape

Felecia Chizuko Carlisle

Gavin Stewart

Joseph William Bigley III

Julie Cioffoletti

Lance Turner

Lark Bodnar

Maria Register

Paul Hunter Speagle

Samuel J. Fox

Sheridan See

Yolanda T. Prince

2023-24 Innovative Artist Grant Recipients

Andrew Moose

E'Lon JD

Hunter Speagle

Kirstie-Ann Eaton

Phinthone (Ping) Senesombath

Rick Cline

Tevin Carr

2023-24 Theatre Arts Grant Recipient

St. Stephens High School

2023-24 Edna Bost Barringer Young Artist Award Recipient

Emma Frye

2023-24 Kathryn T. Greathouse Legacy Scholarhip Recipient

Elena Noelle Walker