Pitt County Arts Council reports grants, school programs and $90,000 trolley fundraising

A representative of the Pitt County Arts Council provided commissioners a wide-ranging update on arts programming, grants and outreach in the county on June 2, highlighting grassroots grants to organizations across multiple towns, arts-in-schools programming, a youth arts festival attendance figure and fundraising toward a Downtown Greenville trolley.

The speaker — identified in the meeting as Holly representing the Pitt County Arts Council — said the council is the county-designated local arts agency partner of the North Carolina Arts Council and that it distributed nearly $60,000 in grassroots subgrants to about 15 organizations across Farmville, Winterville, Ayden, Fountain and Greenville. Holly reported last fiscal year the council’s operating budget passed the $1 million mark and that outreach included bringing artists and programs into Pitt County schools and to hospitals and care facilities through Artist Good Medicine.

Holly said the youth arts festival drew more than 10,000 attendees and that sponsorship proceeds support a Pitt County Schools Arts Educators Fund. She also described two public art projects by youth — a mini mural at the West Zone Police Station and a mural planned for Carver Library — and said the council had raised about $90,000 toward purchasing and outfitting a new trolley for Greenville to support downtown arts walks and tourism.

The speaker thanked commissioners and staff for their support, noted partnerships with county and city staff on civic lighting projects (including recent illumination of the cupola and Brightspeed Tower), and invited commissioners to upcoming events, including a First Friday youth exhibit at Emerge Gallery and Art Center.

This was an informational presentation; the board did not take action on funding during the meeting.