North Carolina Arts Council

The North Carolina Arts Council is the state's official arts agency, delivering resources, grants, and professional development to arts organizations and artists across North Carolina. It supports one of the largest networks of local arts agencies in the nation, providing grant funding and technical assistance to communities statewide. The Council also administers programs such as the North Carolina Heritage Awards, which honor artists for their contributions to the cultural life of their communities, along with initiatives supporting music, arts learning in schools, and the state's Poet Laureate program. Its work helps sustain a non-profit creative sector that generates over $2 billion annually and helps revitalize downtowns across the state.