WILMINGTON — More than $100,000 will be funneled into over two dozen arts organizations in a new round of grant funding announced Monday.
The Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County released its 2025-2026 grant awardees for its Grassroots Arts Program and the Artist Support Grants.
READ MORE: The Endowment to increase funding for Arts and Culture Grant Program
ALSO: Local arts council awards $100K in grants
The Grassroots Arts Program provides grants to nonprofits to fund program expenses or operating costs (like employee salaries). The Artist Support Grant offers grants to individual artists of any discipline.
For fiscal year 2025-2026, the Arts Council received $128,000 in grant requests for their Grassroots Arts Program and awarded $75,000 to 29 organizations. The funding will go to community-based programs and projects, performances, festivals, and educational opportunities. Awardees can expect to receive contracts and grant packets soon.
For the Artist Support Grant, the council received 66 applications, totaling $60,468.31, but only had $25,000 in available funds. Twenty-seven artists were chosen by an applications committee.
“We are tremendously proud to support both our arts organizations and individual artists
through these vital funding programs,” Rhonda Bellamy, CEO of the council, said in a press release. “These grants strengthen our cultural ecosystem, fuel artistic innovation, and ensure that the arts remain accessible throughout our community.”
The council will host a celebration for the awardees this year with their annual Jingle & Mingle reception at DREAMS Center for Arts Education, 901 Fanning St., on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m.
The following is the complete list of grantees for the Grassroots Arts Program:
- $500: Cape Fear Chorale for the Annual Fall Concert
- $750: Wilmington Virtuosi Brass for Two concerts (UNCW and St. Thomas Hall)
- $750: Island Arts Council for Clay Art for Therapy for Cancer Patients workshops
- $1,000: Bellamy Mansion Museum’s exhibitions by Helen Barnett & Milton Gore /Jim Horton
- $1,000: Port City Playwrights for Production of “Ten Minute Miscellany 2026”
- $1,250: Port City Music Festival for the 18th Annual Port City Music Festival 2026
- $1,250: Port City Rock Jam for arts festival produced by local band RuKus
- $1,500: Cape Fear Cultural Assoc. of India for Passage to India
- $1,500: Pleasure Island Chamber for Carolina Beach Kite Festival’s Art of the Wind
- $1,500: Techmoja Dance/Theatre for Sweet Sixteen season
- $1,500: UNCW for Annual Writer’s Week produced by UNCW’s Creative Writing Dept.
- $1,500: Wilmington Jewish Film Fest for the 12th Festival and Summer Series
- $2,500: Cape Fear Swing Dance for Live music at six monthly dances
- $2,500: Friend of Public Radio WHQR for Cinematique of Wilmington Film Series at Jengo’s
- $2,500: Mouth of Babes Theatre for Scotopia 2026, A New Works Theatre Festival
- $2,500: Narrative Arts for Coastal Connections: Coastal Youth Media project
- $2,500: Opera Wilmington for Costumes and set for “Don Giovanni”
- $2,500: Performance Club Theatre Co for Summer Stock Youth Productions
- $2,500: Turning the Wheel Productions for body-based creative expression and play
- $2,500: Wilmington Symphonic Winds for the 2025-2026 season of three concerts
- $3,000: Alban Elved Dance Company’s Sarus Festival for Site-Specific & Experimental Art
- $3,000: Harrington Repertory Theatre for Production of “Orion’s Choice”
- $5,000: Black Arts Alliance, Inc. for 23rd North Carolina Black Film Festival
- $5,000 Boys and Girls Club of SENC for the Club Creations Art Immersion Program
- $5,000: Carolina Beach Mural Project for Mural on the Katie B. Hines Center
- $5,000: Cinema Sisters International for the 10th Annual Uptilt Film Fest
- $5,000: NC Jazz Festival for NC Jazz Festival Youth Workshops
- $5,000: Thalian Association for Venue rentals for five Youth Theatre productions
- $5,000: Thalian Hall for Presentation of Ailey II, the Next Generation of Dance
Artist Support Grants recipients:
- $750 to visual artist Wafa Alsleem
- $750 to visual artist Brenden Emmerson
- $750 to filmmaker Meagan Golden
- $750 to dancer Kevin Green
- $750 to visual artist Katelyn Guthrie
- $750 to writer Cedric Turner-Kopa
- $750 to thespian Jesslyn Wilson
- $892.56 to visual artist Carol Gardner
- $900 to visual artist Michael Sherrod
- $996.75 to visual artist Heather Purdin
- $1,000 to writer Hannah Abrams
- $1,000 to visual artist Breanna Burge
- $1,000 to visual artist Christine Capen
- $1,000 to musician Jared Michael Cline
- $1,000 to visual artist Kady Devaun
- $1,000 to visual artist James Farley
- $1,000 to visual artist Mandi Gillespie
- $1,000 to visual artist Lemuel Heida
- $1,000 to musicians Timothy Koehler & Alex Goodell
- $1,000 to musician Sean Meade
- $1,000 to visual artist Stephen Merriam
- $1,000 to filmmaker Megan Peterson
- $1,000 to visual artist Sherry Pfeifle
- $1,000 to writer Kaylie Saidin
- $1,000 to filmmaker Andre Silva
- $1,000 to filmmaker Shannon Silva
- $1,000 to musician Joshua Woodard
Have tips or suggestions for Emily Sawaked? Email emily@localdailymedia.com
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