The North Carolina General Assembly designated $9.4 million federal CARES Act funds for arts councils and arts organizations to support expenses related to Arts based projects. The North Carolina Arts Council will distribute these funds on a per-capita basis to all North Carolina counties with a population of less than one million people. In many counties, local arts councils will receive the funds and then sub-grant a portion of the county allotment to eligible recipients. Arts and cultural organizations, individual artist, and art businesses are eligible to apply for a North Carolina CARES for Arts grant between March 1, 2026, and December 30, 2026. The following expenses can be considered: paid salaries and benefits (including contractors), on-going operating expenses, costs associated with canceling programs and creating virtual programs, and COVID-related safety and cleaning measures. Applicants must provide documentation as evidence for expenses. Documents such as receipts, bill/invoices, monthly financial statements, and payroll ledgers will be considered. Revenue losses are not considered for mitigation in this grant program. North Carolina CARES for Arts funding cannot reimburse expenses already paid for by other federal relief funds such as PPP loans, direct grants from the NEA, and stimulus grants issued by the North Carolina Arts Council. Application forms and grant guidelines are available on the Jones County Arts Council Website at jonescountyarts.com.
Applications must be received no later than November 9, 2026. For questions or more information, contact our current president listed in the Board of Directors or email jcacpres@yahoo.com.
About the Jones County Arts Council
The Jones County Arts Council strives to produce a variety of programs and make them available to all of the citizens of the county. We encourage membership as a way to contribute to this goal and to support the development and advancement of the Arts in Jones County.
About the North Carolina Arts Council
The North Carolina Arts Council builds on our state’s longstanding love of the arts, leading the way to a more vibrant future. The Arts Council is an economic catalyst, fueling a thriving nonprofit creative sector that generates $2.12 billion in annual direct economic activity. The Arts Council also sustains diverse arts expression and traditions while investing in innovative approaches to art-making. The North Carolina Arts Council has proven to be a champion for youth by cultivating tomorrow’s creative citizens through arts education.