Arts Council Announces Over $400,000 in COVID Relief Funding
for Local Arts Organizations
Winston-Salem, NC (December 22, 2020) – The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County has announced more than $400,000 in “NC CARES for Arts” awards to 21 arts and cultural organizations based in Forsyth County. The funding is part of the state’s spending plan for funds received under provisions of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress with bipartisan support and signed into law in late March. This more than $2 trillion economic relief package was enacted to reduce the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19 through direct economic assistance for American workers, families, and small businesses, and preserve jobs for American industries.
Some CARES funds were passed through to State governments, and in September, $9.4 million was designated by the North Carolina Legislature to provide direct aid to arts councils and arts organizations in an effort to mitigate business disruptions caused by COVID-19. The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County serves as Forsyth County’s designated partner arts council to assist the NC Arts Council, the state’s arts agency, in distributing the funds statewide. Arts and cultural organizations whose primary residence and service area is Forsyth County were eligible to apply.
“Organizations will receive between $10,000 and $30,000, depending on the amount of eligible expenses submitted in the application process. We received more than $9 million in COVID eligible expenditures,” said Chase Law, Arts Council President and CEO.
“We are grateful for the support provided by the North Carolina Legislature to help our local arts and cultural organizations. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the overall financial health of the arts. This funding will allow our partners to recoup some of the expenses they’ve incurred as a result of COVID-19 while they continue developing creative ways to sustain their organizations, provide jobs, bring the arts into our homes and give us joy and hope during this challenging time,” said Law.
Organizations receiving funding:
Arts Organization Award Amount
Reynolda House $30,000
Old Salem $30,000
WS Symphony $30,000
Bookmarks $25,000
WS Festival Ballet $25,000
Piedmont Opera $25,000
NC Black Repertory Company $25,000
Piedmont Craftsmen $25,000
SECCA $25,000
a/perture cinema $25,000
WS Theatre Alliance $25,000
Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County $24,271
RiverRun International Film Festival $15,000
NC Writers' Network $15,000
The Korner's Folly Foundation $15,000
The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem $15,000
Sawtooth School for Visual Arts $15,000
Winston-Salem Delta Fine Arts $10,000
Authoring Action $10,000
Triad Cultural Arts $10,000
Spring Theatre $10,000
Winston-Salem, known as a “City of Arts & Innovation,” and Forsyth County have a robust arts community that enriches the lives of area residents every day and accounts in large part for the recognition they continue to receive as a great place to live, learn, work and play. Forsyth County’s nonprofit arts industry supports more than 5,500 full time equivalent jobs; accounts for more than $129 million in resident household income and generates more than $14.8 million in local and state tax revenues.