In May 2020, with COVID-19 lockdowns throwing the entire world into a state of panic and uncertainty, downtown Asheville’s Center for Craft launched the Craft Futures Fund to provide economic support to craft-focused education projects across the United States. The nonprofit rebooted the initiative on Oct. 15 as an emergency relief grant program to help Western North Carolina artists struggling in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene. A pot of $876,000 from crowdsourced funds and contributions is being distributed to artists and crafters across 29 storm-affected counties, including to arts communities in smaller towns such as Spruce Pine, Burnsville, Marshall and Chimney Rock. The funding will be distributed in two phases: Emergency Relief and Recovery. The current Emergency Relief phase is being offered on a rolling basis with unrestricted $500 grants distributed weekly. Applications can be submitted online, by phone and in person. avl.mx/e8e
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