City of Charlotte Announces Recipients for 2025 Creative Growth Grants

Published on November 12, 2025

A woman painting on the floor in a large, brightly lit studio. Text next to her reads 'Grant Awardees Announced' with the Creative Growth Grants and Arts & Culture logos below it.

Creativity is thriving in the Queen City. The City of Charlotte today announced 106 artists and arts organizations as recipients of the 2025 Creative Growth Grants, a program fueling the people, ideas and cultural experiences that make Charlotte one of the South’s most vibrant creative hubs. 

The $1.723 million in issued grants recognize and invest in the creative power shaping neighborhoods across the Queen City — from established nonprofits to emerging artist collectives.

“These grants are reflective of the city's ongoing and eager support of Charlotte's creative community,” Mayor Vi Lyles said. “We are committed to strengthening our arts and culture ecosystem and fueling the creativity that exists in every corner of the Queen City.”

Among this year’s recipients are ArtPop Street Gallery, which brings local art to public spaces across Mecklenburg County; Raices Latino Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to creating impactful and innovative experiences that celebrate and promote Latin art and culture; and 7th Street Concerts, which transforms uptown Charlotte’s public spaces into community gathering places through live music. [See the full list of grantees at the end of this release.] 

The Creative Growth Grants — administered by the City of Charlotte in partnership with Charlotte Is Creative — aim to strengthen the local creative economy, promote equity and expand access to arts and culture experiences that reflect the community’s voices.

"We are thrilled to be able to provide over 100 artists and arts organizations with the funds to bring incredible ideas to life," City Manager Marcus D. Jones said. "There was a deep pool of creative applicants, showcasing the vision and passion that make the Charlotte arts and culture ecosystem so strong."

Out of 272 eligible applications, 39% of applicants were awarded funding after a thorough review from the grant panel. Grants were distributed across three categories:

  • 37 Operational Grants to support the sustainability of grassroots arts and culture nonprofits
  • 49 Project Grants to bring innovative ideas and community events to life from individual artists, artist collectives and cultural nonprofits
  • 20 Professional Development Grants helping artists grow their careers and sharpen their skills

In total, this year’s funding supports 63 arts and culture nonprofits and 43 individual artists or artist groups, each contributing to Charlotte’s growing reputation as a creative hub.

The Creative Growth Grants support initiatives and programs that align with the Charlotte Arts and Culture Plan, adopted by City Council in 2023, which focuses on deepening community engagement and creating sustainable pathways for artists and organizations to thrive.

2025 CREATIVE GROWTH GRANT RECIPIENTS

Operational Support

  • 7th Street Concerts, $25,000
  • Applesauce Group, $25,000
  • ArtPop Street Gallery, $25,000
  • Arts For Life, $25,000
  • Barre Belle Ballet, $25,000
  • Big Faith Productions, $12,000
  • BreatheINK, $15,000
  • Caritas A Cappella Ensemble, $6,500
  • Caroline Calouche & Co., $25,000
  • Charlotte Choir School, $25,000
  • Charlotte Community Services Association, $25,000
  • Charlotte Concert Band, $7,900
  • Charlotte Film Society (dba Independent Picture House), $25,000
  • Charlotte Master Chorale, $25,000
  • CIRCLE DE LUZ, $25,000
  • Do Greater Charlotte, $25,000
  • El Alma de la Luna Foundation, $5,900
  • Embrace All Latino Voices, $25,000
  • Girls Rock Charlotte (DBA We Rock Charlotte), $25,000
  • Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte, $9,000
  • Inspire the Fire, $11,721
  • Jumping Dreams DD, $25,000
  • Link Foundation, $20,000
  • Lorien Arts, $23,500
  • Matthews Playhouse of Performing Arts Inc, $25,000
  • Movement Migration, $13,975
  • OBRA Collective, $25,000
  • Open Door Dance Foundation, $25,000
  • Piedmont Music Therapy, $19,954
  • QC Family Tree, $25,000
  • She Dreams In Color Foundation, $25,000
  • The Arts Empowerment Project, $25,000
  • The Creative Cornerstone, $25,000
  • The LoveBolt, $17,500
  • Theatre Gap Initiative, $25,000
  • Upcycle Arts, $25,000
  • VAPA Center, $25,000

Professional Development Support

  • Adele Greenfield, $2,499
  • Ady Rivas, $2,500
  • Brenda Gambill, $1,745.95
  • Brooke Shaffner, $2,500
  • Carolyn Faulkner, $2,500
  • Dominique Prescott, $2,500
  • friday jones, $2,500
  • Gabriel Mejia, $2,500
  • Irlanda Ruiz, $1,900
  • Jinna Kim, $2,500
  • Luciana Solano, $2,499
  • Malachi (Mac) Elliott, $2,500
  • Marcus Kiser, $2,445
  • Melody Shanahan, $2,500
  • Molly Irizarry, $2,500
  • Pamela Roberts, $2,500
  • RoyalCity LiF, $2,500
  • Shawnna Pledger, $2,500
  • Tiara Tiana, $2,500
  • Tom Low, $2,500

Project Support

  • Activation Studios, $20,000
  • Afeni Grace, $20,000
  • ARSENA, $20,000
  • ArtWalks CLT Inc, $20,000
  • Asian American Foundation for the Carolinas, $20,000
  • Backspinz, $7,000
  • BASIL BUSINESS GROUP, $20,000
  • Be Kind, Make Art, $11,063
  • Black Girls Film Camp, $20,000
  • Blaze Along Your Dreams Foundation, $20,000
  • Brooke McCarthy, $19,952
  • Caleb Sigmon, $20,000
  • Charlotte Chamber Choir, $20,000
  • Charlotte Soul Fest Inc, $20,000
  • Cine Casual, $20,000
  • CROWNKEEPERS, $16,850
  • Curvaceous Behavior, $6,785
  • Davidson College - Common Thread Theatre Collective, $20,000
  • Do Gooder Group, $8,500
  • Finding Inspiration Foundation, $19,725
  • Greater Enderly Park Neighborhood Association, $19,838
  • Habilidadx, $18,375
  • Hannah Hasan, $20,000
  • Historic North Charlotte Neighborhood Association (NoDa NBA), $17,006
  • India Association of Charlotte, $20,000
  • John M. Mejia, $15,500
  • Kelly Greene, $17,595
  • Kendra Jackson, $15,000
  • Latin American Council of Charlotte known as ENLACE, $17,900
  • Leandro Manzo - Art Studio and Creative Cultural Center, $20,000
  • Life Is Valuable Corp, $20,000
  • Maria Carolina Yanez, $17,000
  • Maurice J. Norman, $20,000
  • Mixed Metaphors Productions, $20,000
  • Nadia Meadows, $20,000
  • Nouveau Sud Circus Project, $20,000
  • POTIONS & PIXELS NONPROFIT, $20,000
  • Project Art Aid, $20,000
  • Raíces Latino Arts, $20,000
  • SHAE Movement African Arts, $20,000
  • Sorayda Diaz Leon, $20,000
  • Springclean, $18,888
  • Susan Jedrzejewski, $20,000
  • Tamara Ladonna Moving Spirits, Inc., $20,000
  • The Sound Down South Collaborative, $20,000
  • Umayal Annamalai, $14,000
  • UNC Charlotte (presenting and managing the music ensemble Charlotte Strings Collective), $20,000
  • WDAV Classical Public Radio, $14,145
  • Zaiba Sheikh, $12,050

Total = $1,723,711

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