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Arts Recovery Fund

The Durham Arts Council Arts Recovery Fund provides grants to working artists, arts organizations, arts venues and artist-owned arts businesses that have suffered financial loss due to the cancellation of events because of COVID-19.

Grant Eligibility

  • This fund does not award grants for projected losses. Losses must be documented and due to COVID-19.
  • Individual artist applicants must live in Durham County, be at least 18 at the time of application, and must have practiced their art form for at least three years.
  • Organizational applicants must be based in Durham County and have been in operation for at least three years.
  • Applications must be complete to be considered. Applicants will be emailed if their application is incomplete so that they have the opportunity to submit a complete application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who decides which artists receive awards?

Applications will be reviewed by DAC staff, DAC board and staff of other Durham arts service organizations.

What criteria are applications judged on?

Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received for eligibility, clarity and completeness. Awards will be prioritized by need and be granted based on the availability of funds. We will also seek to fund applications that represent the variety and diversity of our community.

Why does DAC ask about the participation of people from more than one racial/ethnic background?

Durham Arts Council recognizes that more than 50% of Durham’s population is African-American, Asian-American, Latinx or Native American. As a steward of public and private funds, DAC strives to provide a representative portion of grant support for arts programming that reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the County. While we do not expect that every application will propose to serve all cultures represented by Durham’s population, we will look for proposals that explain how the applicant has invited and encouraged representatives of different cultures to participate in the program(s) whether as artists, administrators, audience members or volunteers. We believe that, as appropriate to their missions, the on-going stability of community arts organizations is fortified by their ability to draw on more than one racial/ethnic culture for resources, energy and vision.

 

What can I apply for?

You may apply for a cash grant of up to $1500.

Where does the money for Catalyst Grants come from?

The DAC Arts Recovery Fund is supported by The PNC Foundation, The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, the Triangle Community Foundation, Duke University, Manbites DogTheater Fund and individual donors.

There are other local funds available if you do not live in Durham County:

Still have questions?