Outer Banks Times

The Dare County Arts Council is expecting to distribute a share of the $9.4 million the General Assembly made available for North Carolina CARES for Arts grants.

The grants will be made through the North Carolina Arts Council, however, applications were taken by the Dare County Arts Council, a post on the Dare County Arts website said. The purpose of the grants is to offset the losses that any local arts and culture organizations have suffered as a result of the economic crisis created by COVID-19 restrictions or otherwise related to the pandemic.

The grants may also cover coronavirus-specific expenses that organizations have had to bear, according to the post. The period for eligible expenses spans from March 1 through the Dec. 30.

Expenses that will be considered for the grants include salaries and benefits, on-going operating expenses, costs associated with canceling programs and creating virtual programs, and COVID-related safety and cleaning measures, according to the post.