This past year many local arts organizations and artists in Wake County continue to overcome challenges, demonstrate resiliency, and deliver unique arts experiences, making our community a vibrant place to live. United Arts is dedicated to helping arts and culture organizations create diverse and inclusive arts events, programs, and services that are accessible and equitable to all Wake County residents.

Thanks to our partnerships with Wake County, Wake schools, Wake municipalities, the NC Arts Council, individual and corporate supporters, and so many more, we invested $350,000 in grants to support 38 arts organizations with missions to provide arts programming throughout Wake County and granted $100,094 to 69 individual artists for professional development. In addition, we offered equity, diversity, and inclusion training to teaching artists in schools and nonprofit leaders for the first time in Wake County.

Teaching artists and Wake schools began another school year with uncertainty. Despite that, they worked together to bring Artists in Schools programs to 99 schools, including, 164 performances, 87 workshop residencies (with six specifically created for students with disabilities), and 41 weeks of writer residencies.

Looking to the new year, we are excited about partnering with Wake County Schools on Pieces of Gold and Gifts of Gold in March, as well as coordinating Diversity in Arts Leadership (DIAL), our new internship program for summer 2022.

We will once again partner with WRAL and the Triangle arts councils to present Big Night In for the Arts on March 10, 2022, to help the arts community continue to rebuild. Stayed tuned for more details after the first of the year.

Lastly, if you are able, we encourage you to safely return to experiencing the arts and supporting local artists this holiday season. Without supporters like you, we could not continue to make art happen across Wake County. Thank you for being our champion!