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Charlotte artists react to decreased funding for Arts and Science Council


Marcus Kiser wonders if a public grant he applied for will be affected by Charlotte City Council’s recent decision to decrease funding to the Arts and Science Council (ASC).

Kiser could be awarded up to $400,000.

City council wants to “diversify funding” by allocating those dollars to “programs based in city-owned facilities” and individual artists according to its Feb. 27 meeting agenda.

Why it matters: In June 2022, City of Charlotte’s Arts and Culture Advisory Board awarded $2.01 million to the Arts and Science Council. The award included $950,000 for operational support and $1.06 million for the organization’s direct-to-artists and arts organizations funding. Last month, Charlotte City Council voted to cut operational support. Staffing, technology and equipment fall under the organization’s operations.

Kiser, a local multimedia designer, has received ASC grants in the past and was not surprised because, he said, art programs are usually the first programs to get defunded.

“So I noticed, that’s the first thing that they cut from, you know, public schools and things like that,” Kiser told QCity Metro. “I don’t think [art] is prioritized anymore, even though I think it’s a big part of the culture.”





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