The deadline for arts organizations across North Carolina to request grant funds from the state Arts Council is Monday, March 2.

The North Carolina Arts Council provides a wide array of rich arts experiences for residents and visitors of the state through grants to nonprofit organizations.

The Arts Council invested close to $7.4 million in grants for arts programming in all 100 counties in the state during the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Normally, every $1 spent by the state is matched by $18 from private and non-state funds, giving residents an excellent return on their money.

These grants support exhibitions, concerts, theater and dance productions, festivals, literary reading series, artist residencies in schools, operating support for established arts organizations, community public art projects, and documentation of folk and traditional arts.

"The arts are imperative to life. They are an avenue of creative expression for our citizens. They redevelop our cities and encourage lifelong learning," said Mary B. Regan, executive director of the North Carolina Arts Council. "We are proud to work with so many organizations that recognize the value of the arts in all facets of our communities."

Organizations interested in applying for a grant should review the guidelines available on the Arts Council's Web site at www.ncarts.org and contact the staff member listed for their area of interest.

The deadline for submitting applications is Monday, March 2, 2009. For more information on the North Carolina Arts Council or application instructions for the organizational grants, visit www.ncarts.org or call (919) 807-6500. The N.C. Arts Council is an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources.