Caldwell County Artists Awarded Artist Support Grant

LENOIR, NC (November 10, 2020) — The Caldwell Arts Council is proud to announce that Caldwell County artists Richard Wright, Joseph Bigley and Keith Smith were recently awarded 2020-2021 Artist Support Grants. Wright, a full-time potter from Lenoir, will use the grant to expand his current retail base with a new line of ceramics using a firing technique that utilizes custom decals. Patterson sculptor Joseph Bigley plans to construct a new casting furnace for aluminum and bronze, while playwright Keith Smith of the Grace Chapel community, will use his grant to fund the production of a COVID-19 themed play at the HUB Station Auditorium.

This highly competitive grant program provides professional and artistic development for emerging and established artists who spend a significant portion of their time creating art in all genres. Funding is to be used to cover projects that take the artists to the next professional level to create work, improve business operations, and/or bring work to new audiences.

Sponsored by a six-county consortium of arts councils and organizations, the Artist Support Grants are made possible with funds from the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Additional funds are contributed by the Caldwell Arts Council, United Arts Council of Catawba County, Burke Arts Council and Rock School Foundation in Burke County, Hiddenite Center in Alexander County, and the McDowell Arts Council Association. Grant awards are based on recommendations submitted by art peer panelists from each of the six member counties.

For further information, contact the Caldwell Arts Council at 828-754-2486 or office@caldwellarts.com.