Clayworks in Charlotte, NC, Receives $50,000 Grant for Claymobile

Clayworks, Charlotte, NC’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to the instruction and the creation of ceramic arts, was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Women’s Impact Fund to purchase and equip a claymobile. A conversion van will serve as the claymobile and will be outfitted with a potter’s wheel, clay and glazing materials in order to expose Mecklenburg County’s underserved populations to high-quality visual arts experiences in their schools and neighborhoods.

Clayworks now serves more than 7,500 individuals a year at its facility at 4506 Monroe Road in east Charlotte. The 8-year-old organization is dedicated to the promotion of ceramic arts, advancement of artists and students and enrichment of the communities it serves. With the use of the new claymobile, Clayworks will transport everything needed for a ceramics class including an instructor. Finished ceramic pieces will be transported to the Clayworks facility for firing and then returned to the students.

“It’s always been a wish of mine from the inception of Clayworks to reach people who have never been exposed to ceramic art and therefore don’t know the joy that comes from creating in clay,” said Clayworks Executive Director Adrienne Dellinger. “There are so many children and adults who don’t have transportation or who can’t afford to take classes. With the claymobile, we can bring the clay instruction to underserved populations.”

The claymobile will provide cost-effective ceramics instruction to educational and cultural programs by sparing host institutions the need to obtain equipment and expertise to produce ceramics. The claymobile’s teaching artists will collaborate with host staff to design projects that directly tie into classroom curriculum and/or organization-wide themes, ensuring an academically enriching experience for participants. The claymobile program will begin with the 2013-2014 school year and will provide 60 ceramic classes to the YWCA after-school program.

“Clayworks is grateful to the members of the Women’s Impact Fund who collectively choose the Clayworks claymobile project as the arts and culture grant recipient this year,” said Gary Knight, Clayworks Board President. “This is a highly competitive grant process and we’re honored that the Women’s Impact Fund saw great value in our project, which will enhance and inspire Mecklenburg County residents through the experience of ceramic art creation.”

Clayworks is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the ceramic arts through classes, workshops and community outreach. The organization provides studio space to 22 local artists, state of the art equipment, professional development opportunities and workshops. Clayworks offers adult ceramic classes as well as independent study programs and master classes led by nationally known ceramic artists. The organization is located at 4506 Monroe Road, Charlotte NC 28205.

For more information visit (www.clayworksinc.org) or call 704/344-0795.

The Women’s Impact Fund is a Charlotte-based nonprofit organization that maximizes women’s leadership in philanthropy by engaging and educating its membership, increasing charitable contributions and strengthening communities through the impact of collective giving. The more than 400 members are dedicated to changing lives and addressing critical needs in Mecklenburg County. The fund has awarded $3 million to 39 nonprofits since 2003.

For more information visit (www.womensimpactfund.org).

Rockingham County Arts Council in Wentworth, NC, is Accepting Applications for North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots Arts Program Subgrants – Deadline June 28, 2013

Since 1977, the North Carolina Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program has provided North Carolina citizens access to quality arts experiences. Using a per capita based formula, the program provides funding for the arts in all 100 counties of the state through partnerships with local arts councils.

Rockingham County Arts Council serves as the North Carolina Arts Council’s partner in awarding subgrants to local organizations for arts programs in Rockingham County.

Applications are available for non-profit organizations whose purpose is to promote and develop diverse cultural arts programming in Rockingham County. Funding priority is given to qualified arts organizations (theaters, galleries, choral societies, festivals), arts in education programs conducted by qualified artists, and other community organizations that provide arts programs in the county. Grassroots funds are not generally awarded to arts organizations that receive funding through the North Carolina Arts Council’s State Arts Resources. Projects must occur between July1, 2013 – May 30, 2014.

Application forms and grant guidelines are available on the Rockingham County Arts Council website at (www.artsinrockingham.org) or may be picked up at the Rockingham County Arts Council office Monday, Thursday &  Friday between 11am-2pm. Rockingham County Arts Council will also mail applications and guidelines upon request. Applications must be received no later than 5pm, June 28, 2013.

Grant applications are evaluated by a diverse panel of community members and voted on by Rockingham County Arts Council Board of Directors. Awards are announced in September each year.

Please note: Budget changes by the General Assembly may affect the grant allotment we receive for 2013-2014.  Please consider contacting our representatives and let them know you support funding Grassroots Grants.

RCAC is the focal point/umbrella organization for the arts and information about the arts in Rockingham County. Our mission is to nurture and enrich the cultural life in Rockingham County.

For questions or more information, contact Rockingham County Arts Council by calling 336/349-4039 or e-mail to (info@artsinrockingham.org).

Coastal Community Foundation Based in Charleston, SC, Calls for Applications for Expansion Arts Program – Deadline July 12, 2013

What is the Expansion Arts Fund? The Expansion Arts Fund is an endowment. The income it earns is used to make grants that promote emerging artists and arts organizations. With this Fund, the Community Foundation seeks to expand the traditional definition of “art” and encourage the perpetuation and development of artistic assets indigenous to the Lowcountry. Because endowments can provide grant funds only from a portion of their earnings, it takes two years to accumulate enough money to conduct the program, and so the Expansion Arts Program is conducted only every other year. In 2011, the Fund accepted grant applications from the “southern four” counties served by the Coastal Community Foundation – Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper.  This year the Fund is accepting grant applications only from the “northern four” counties served by the Foundation – Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, and Georgetown.

What are “Expansion Arts”?  “Expansion Arts” include the works of new and emerging arts groups and artists, especially those from minority, rural, or disadvantaged communities. Preference may be given to artists and arts organizations that develop and promote excellence in art forms or media unique to the Lowcountry – work that draws upon and aims to preserve the cultural heritage of our region. While we would like the arts to be a significant part of the lives of everyone in coastal SC, this Fund is not intended primarily to provide the arts as a social services or educational program; rather, it seeks to support individuals who want to make a career through their art, and groups or organizations that intend to be recognized as professional arts companies.

CATEGORIES OF FUNDING

Organizations. Small and emerging “expansion arts” organizations may apply for grants up to $5,000.

Individuals.  Individual “expansion artists” may apply for grants up to $2,500 (which we must report to the I.R.S.).

SCHEDULE

April 2013 – Guidelines and applications posted on the Foundation’s website and mailed to those who have called to ask for them since the last Expansion Arts funding cycle.

April-May – Foundation staff searches for qualified applicants and provides application instructions.

April -July – The Foundation welcomes questions from applicants regarding the guidelines, eligibility, or the application itself. Feel free to contact Edna Crews with questions via e-mail at (Edna@CoastalCommunityFoundation.org)  or by phone at 843/379-3400.

July 12 – Applications are due by July 12 at 5pm. Hand-delivered or e-mailed applications are accepted up to this time, but no fax applications, please. Mailed applications must be postmarked on July 11th or before. The Foundation staff will confirm the receipt of your proposal within 10 days of the application deadline.

July 15- 18 – Staff prepares materials for Committee’s Orientation.

July 22-26 – Committee’s Orientation meeting to discuss applications, view CDs, DVDs samples, and receive notebooks.

July 27 – Aug 11 – Committee reads and evaluates applications, on their own.

Aug 12-15 – Committee meets to discuss applications, view and score CDs, DVDs, samples, etc., and determine funding recommendations.

Aug 28 – Funding recommendations presented to Coastal Community Foundation’s authorizing body for approval.

Aug 29 – Applicants are notified of funding recommendations.

By Sept 13 – Grantees return signed “Grant Acceptance Forms” to Coastal Community Foundation. The Community Foundation sends 80% of the approved grant amount to each grantee.

2013-2014 – Grantees send progress reports to the Community Foundation. When complete, the Community Foundation sends the 20% grant balance to each grantee.  One important part of the end-of-grant reporting requirement is that grantees must send Coastal Community Foundation receipts or paid invoices for all expenses paid with grant funds.

Guidelines and applications can be downloaded at (www.CoastalCommunityFoundation.org).

2013 Windgate Fellows Announced by UNC Asheville’s Center for Craft, Creativity & Design in Hendersonville, NC

UNC Asheville’s Center for Craft, Creativity & Design in Hendersonville, NC, announces the winners of the 2013 Windgate Fellowships, awarded to 10 graduating college seniors with exemplary skill in craft. Each Windgate Fellow receives $15,000 – one of the largest awards offered nationally to art students.

“The Windgate Fellowship program gives us a glimpse of the best emerging talent in the field of craft,” says Stephanie Moore, executive director of the Center for Craft, Creativity & Design. “The funds generously provided by the Windgate Charitable Foundation are critical and impact these artists in profound ways.”

Four judges reviewed a national pool of 115 applicants on the basis of artistic merit and the potential of each applicant to make significant contributions to the field of craft. The 2013 panel included: Dustin Farnsworth, 2010 Windgate Fellow and Penland resident artist; Jayson Lawfer, creator and director of The Nevica Project; Julie Muñiz, associate curator of design and decorative arts at the Oakland Museum of California; and Mark Leach, executive director of the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston-Salem.

Winners of the 2013 Windgate Fellowships are:

Sasha Alexandra, Kansas City Art Institute, Ceramics
Emily Chase, University of Arkansas, Mixed Media/Paper
Andrea Clark, University of Kentucky, Ceramics
Gabriel Cruz-Ramirez, Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Furniture
Michael Esteban, California College of the Arts, Metal
Christopher Fong, Otis College of Art & Design, Mixed Media/Product Design
Anna Greer, University of Oregon, Jewelry
Alexandra Perez-Demma, San Diego State University, Jewelry
Madeleine Provost, Parsons the New School for Design, Textiles
Hilary Sanders, California College of the Arts, Jewelry

Since 2006, the Center for Craft, Creativity & Design has awarded the Windgate Fellowships to 80 graduating seniors working in craft representing more than 68 colleges and universities.

The Center’s mission is to advance the understanding of craft by encouraging and supporting research, scholarship and professional development.

For more information, visit (www.craftcreativitydesign.org) or call 828/890-2050.

Duke Energy Foundation donates $15,000 to Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, SC

The Duke Energy Foundation gave $15,000 to Chapman Cultural Center on April 10 to support arts and science education in Spartanburg County, SC.

Chapman Cultural Center is where eight cultural organizations “co-locate” to serve the people of Upstate South Carolina. Here, visitors come together to discover, experience and celebrate history, science and the visual and performing arts all in one place.

Chapman Cultural Center serves nearly 48,000 students and teachers in Spartanburg County yearly with award-winning and innovative arts and science education programming that cultivates and celebrates a child’s personal creativity and imaginative problem-solving skills. These multifaceted programs serve students in all seven school districts and private schools of Spartanburg County, giving all children an arts and science advantage.

“The arts give students a window to the world,” said Mike Wilson, District Manager for Duke Energy in Spartanburg. “The arts are also a driving force in economic development, which changes the landscape of a community. The skills learned at Chapman Cultural Center serve our children now and will serve our industry and community for generations to come.”

“Duke Energy has been a longtime supporter of the arts in Spartanburg,” said Jennifer Evins, President and CEO of the Chapman Cultural Center. “It is important to us that industry leaders like Duke Energy make a commitment to our work and the advancement of our mission. Through their generous support, we will be able to continue to provide creative expression and educational discovery to students through our Advantage: Arts and Science program.”

For further info call Epsie Coleman, Director Annual Giving, Chapman Cultural Center at 864/278-9690.

Mr. Bruce Barclay Cameron, Jr. Leaves Legacy of Philanthropy to the Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC, in Honor of His Late Wife

“The museum family of trustees, volunteers, members and staff are mourning the passing of a great man,” Anne Brennan, executive director of the Cameron Art Museum said. She continues, “It is through his love for his wife, Louise Wells Cameron, that he worked diligently toward the realization of the Cameron Art Museum in her honor. Anyone who passes through these doors can feel the strength of this tribute and its profound inspiration to the community. Since Wilmington’s establishment over 270 years ago, Bruce Cameron still stands as one of our city’s most generous cultural philanthropists.”

Mr. Bruce, as he was fondly called, left a generous legacy of philanthropic giving that has impacted both the region and the state. In 2002, with a gift of land and seed money, he helped launch the Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum, re-establishing St. John’s Museum of Art in a larger, state-of-the-art facility. The new museum provided more space for public programming as well as expanded exhibition space, secure vault for the permanent collection, a 9.2 acre nature park and an historic Civil War site.

Brennan concluded, “Mr. Bruce, through the Cameron Art Museum, changed the cultural expectation for eastern North Carolina. He will be missed.”

The Cameron Art Museum presents 6-8 changing exhibitions annually; ongoing family and children’s programs; a unique program of tours for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers; The Museum School classes for adult and youth education; interdisciplinary programs (lectures, music, films, literature, dance); Healthy Living Classes and ongoing workshops and classes in ceramics at the Clay Studio with resident master artist Hiroshi Sueyoshi. The Cameron Art Museum also features its café, CaféJohnnie.

For more information about the museum, please visit (www.cameronartmuseum.com).

NC Pottery Center in Seagrove, NC, Offers Popular Fundraiser – Potter’s Palette 2 – May 4, 2013

Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Jackson Pollack have nothing on the potters of North Carolina. Can you buy an Old Master canvas? I didn’t think so. But you can buy a fabulous painting, on a 12” x 12” canvas, produced by one of the mighty potters of North Carolina!

Work by Mark Hewitt

Not only can you get a great painting to enjoy in your home, but when you bid on one, you’ll also be supporting the North Carolina Pottery Center.

We’re very excited about our upcoming fundraiser, The Potter’s Palette 2, and invite you to mark your calendars and come to the Pottery Center for this exciting auction on Saturday, May 4, 2013, from  4–7pm.

Last year’s event was entertaining, and the canvases were superb. We plan to raise more money and have more fun this year! There will be live music, a buffet, and beer and wine. Many of the painting potters will attend as featured guests.

Eck McCanless working on his piece

Tickets for the event will be $15.00 per person or 2 for $25.00. Don’t miss the excitement!

Potters, in case you didn’t already know, are very creative people, and can paint beautifully, as well as make fabulous pots, so, who knows, you might end up with a painting that becomes an Old Master!

We’ll be posting images of all the canvases and further details online prior the event.

Work by Fred Johnston

Please RSVP by Apr. 30, 2013. Call the Pottery Center at 336/873-8430 (Tue.-Sat., 10am-4pm). All the details and images of works can be see at (www.ncpotterycenter.org).

Arts Council of York County in Rock Hill, SC, Calls for Applications for Small Arts Grants – Deadline June 1, 2013

The deadline to apply for small grants through the Arts Council of York County is June 1, 2013. Small Grants are available to individual artists, non-profit organizations and schools throughout York County. The Small Grants Program provides support for small or pilot arts activities, artist professional development, new and developing programs or organizations, and special projects of high artistic quality that cannot support themselves.

The Arts Council allocates between $4,000-$5,000 to small grant awards each quarter. Organizations and individual artists may request up to $1,000 per grant and may receive up to two grants in a calendar year. Applications for the July – Sept. 2013 grant period are due by June 1 at 5pm. Information and applications are available through the Arts Council by calling 803/328-2787, or on the web at (www.yorkcountyarts.org).

This small grants program is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation.

For more information on Arts Council events, contact the Arts Council of York County at 803/328-2787, by e-mail at (arts@yorkcountyarts.org), or visit (http://www.yorkcountyarts.org).

Arts Council of York County in Rock Hill, SC, Announces Small Grant Recipients – 4th Quarter 2012-2013

The Arts Council of York County in Rock Hill, SC, is pleased to announce the allocation of Small Grants awards for the fourth quarter of the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Small Grants are available to individual artists, non-profit organizations, teachers and schools throughout York County. These grants are designed to support specific arts activities that promote the individual artist’s professional development or career advancement and/or to support a wide variety of quality arts projects and programs that promote excellence in an arts discipline and make such excellence accessible for general community-wide audiences.

Organizations and individual artists residing in York County, South Carolina may request up to $1,000 per grant and may receive up to two grants each calendar year.

This quarter’s recipients include:

ChristmasVille | $1,000 – ChristmasVille is an annual holiday festival for the entire family that includes Christmas related food, art and entertainment in an old-time setting. Old Town Rock Hill, South Carolina comes alive as a charming, picturesque holiday village and art festival that features works by Rock Hill’s adopted son, Vernon Grant, America’s favorite children’s illustrator and artist of the famed Kellog’s® Rice Krispies Snap!® Crackle!® and Pop!®. This grant helps fund the replacement of decorations, the cleaning of mascot suits, the digitizing of magazine cover images that have not been displayed previously at the Vernon Grant Exhibition at the Center for the Arts, and the framing and matting of Vernon Grant images.

City of Rock Hill – African American Cultural Resources Committee | $1,000 – The African-American Cultural Resources Committee has a goal to define the historic outline of African-American cultural, residential, and commercial communities within the City of Rock Hill and promote those as historic resources through signage and publications. This grant will help to cover the cost of placing South Carolina Historical Markers at five locations: The Afro-American Insurance Building, New Mt. Olivet AME Zion Church, Mt. Prospect Baptist Church, Friendship College, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Culture & Heritage Museums | $1,000 – The Museum of York County in Rock Hill, South Carolina, creates a cultural opportunity for area residents, exhibiting natural and cultural history, and the arts. The Museum will be opening a new exhibit, “Way Back When: Ice Age Beasts of Carolina,” from June 15, 2013 – May 2014, which links the current Stans African animal collection to the animals that roamed this region during the Ice Age. This grant allows the Culture & Heritage Museums to hire artist, Matt Andrews, a recent Winthrop University graduate, to create three murals for the exhibit. Using new technologies to create and print the murals, this artwork will serve to enhance the new exhibit’s experience and educational value.

Mike Gentry – Concerts at the Courtroom | $807.87 – Mike Gentry is working hard to bring music to Old Town Rock Hill. He has booked and coordinated nearly 100 performances for The Courtroom at the Gettys, including local, regional and international acts ranging from acoustic folk rock to aggressive metal. The goal of the Courtroom at the Gettys project is to create and sustain an edgy and innovative music and performing arts scene that supports local performers as well as touring acts. This year, Gentry is working to bring 15 bands to play at the 2nd annual “Don’t Sweat it FEST!” in Old Town Rock Hill to be held over the weekend of June 21-22. The purpose of the festival is to celebrate summer and music. This grant helps to cover the cost of equipment repairs, artist fees and marketing for the fest.

Marcia Kort Buike – 5th Congressional District Art Competition | $500 – Marcia Buike is the gallery director and volunteer district coordinator for the 2013 5th Congressional District Art Competition. More than 650,000 high school students from across the country have participated in the competition since its inception in 1982. The winning piece from each district hangs for an eleven-month period in Cannon Tunnel, which leads from the Cannon Building where there are many offices for members of the House of Representatives to the US Capitol in Washington, DC. In June of each year, there is a special, celebratory reception in the Cannon Tunnel Gallery for the unveiling of the student artwork from across the nation. Invitations are sent to members of Congress and to each winning students. Last year, 45 students submitted to the 5th Congressional District Art Competition from 10 high schools in Buford, Cheraw, Fort Mill, Hartsville, Kershaw, Lancaster, Rock Hill and the Governor’s School for the Arts. The winner was Ms. Shelby Williams of Northwestern High School in Rock Hill. This grant will help cover the reception and framing expenses for the competition.

Total Allocations this Quarter: $4,307.87

To review the Small Grant guidelines, visit (www.yorkcountyarts.org). Information may be found under the Grants link within the The Arts heading. The next deadline is Monday, June 3, 2013 for programs occurring in July, August, & September 2013.

This small grants program is funded in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation.

For further info call the Arts Council at 803/328-2787 or visit (www.yorkcountyarts.org).

Artspace in Raleigh, NC’s Online Auction to Benefit Youth Scholarships Begins Friday, Apr. 5, 2013

Artspace in Raleigh, NC, reveals the completed artworks created during Artspace Mystery Create on Friday, Apr. 5 at 6pm! The exhibition of completed pieces will be on display at Artspace from Apr. 5 – 19. In conjunction with the exhibition, Artspace will host an online auction through eBay Giving Works.  All artwork will be available for purchase from Apr. 5 – 15, 2013.

Proceeds from Artspace Mystery Create auction will benefit the Artspace Summer Arts Program Scholarship Fund, enabling Artspace to sponsor up to 50 Wake County students to attend the Summer Arts Program beginning June 17, 2013.

Timeline of Events
April 5th, 6pm – 10pm – Artwork is Revealed, Online Auction Begins
April 5 – April 15 – Online Auction (presented through eBay Giving Works)
April 20th, 10am – 1pm – Pickup Party at Artspace – meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments!

Participating Artists and Businesses as of 3.13.13.
Tim Postell – Paris Alexander – Kyle Highsmith – Sarah West – Carol Joy Shannon – Lee Ball – Michelle Lyon – Garrett Scales – Kiki Farish – Ryan Cummings – Pete Sack – Sue Soper – Georgia Springer – Melinda Fine – Anna Podris & Keith Norval – Judy Crane – Warren Hicks – Nora Phillips – Shade Maret – Veronica Samuels – Michelle Harrell – Becky Joye – Derek Toomes – Catherine Thornton – Gerry Lynch – Mary Kircher – Lincoln Hancock & Mollie Earls – Sandra McEwen – Gustavo De Los Rios – Jeff Bell – Matt Butler – Nealy Andrews – Emily Howard – Amy Friend – Richard Garrison – Dave Greway – Catherine Howard – Nsenga Knight – Pam Shank – Jeannette Stevenson – Nancy VanNoppen – Scott Welsh – Tyler Jackson – Bret Kruse – Ben Harris – Clearscapes – Centerline Digital – Stewart – Clairemont Communications

Artspace is a nonprofit visual art center dedicated to providing arts education and community outreach programs, creating an environment of more than 100 professional artists and presenting nationally acclaimed exhibitions. Located in downtown Raleigh in the historic Sanders Ford building, Artspace has been providing the community with the opportunity to interact with working artists and to participate in hands-on arts education since 1986.

The Mystery Build challenge was created by two artists as a way to inspire creativity. Their objective is to encourage artistic exploration and experimentation, and to reward creative thinking. For more information about Mystery Build visit (www.mysterybuild.com).

For more information about Artspace, exhibitions, programs, or membership, please visit (www.artspacenc.org).