IN THIS ISSUE | March 2026
- Behind the scenes: NC Arts Council grants
- Keys open doors: crescendo! and early piano education in McDowell County
- A+ Fellows, teaching the teachers
- Staffing update
Behind the scenes: NC Arts Council grants
North Carolina’s arts and culture ecosystem is vibrant and strong, thanks in part to grants that support nonprofit arts organizations across the state. The North Carolina Arts Council is one of the oldest statewide arts councils in the country, boasting partners in all 100 counties. We’re here to support and elevate the arts and arts education across the state, to benefit the cultures and communities of North Carolina. Grants are one of the tools we use to support the arts, so we want to shed light on how they work and the staff who guide applications through the process.
Two crescendo! students share a duet at the keyboard in McDowell County. Photo courtesy of Nathan Shirley.
Keys open doors: crescendo! and early piano education in McDowell County Celebration marks 25 years
In McDowell County, in western North Carolina, a composer and pianist, Nathan Shirley, perceived an obvious gap in his region’s primary music education. Out of the county’s eight public elementary schools, only three had music teachers. It seemed clear to Shirley that as a result, students in his county were missing something essential: the proven benefits music education provides to children’s “cognitive development, emotional intelligence, social skills, and physical coordination.” In Shirley’s view, music education was anything but frivolous. It taught young people foundational physical, emotional, and intellectual skills.
2025 A+ Fellows Summer Professional Development, photo by Sarah Ridings, courtesy of NC Arts Council.
A+ Fellows, teaching the teachers
A+ Schools of North Carolina is a whole-school transformation model that treats the arts as essential to teaching and learning across every area of the curriculum. These unique schools create a culture in which students and teachers thrive through collaboration and a curriculum that weaves the arts into every child’s learning experience. Helping schools to succeed in their A+ practice is a team of talented people called A+ Fellows. They lead professional development and serve as advisors to A+ schools across the state.
Staffing update
Join us in welcoming Lori Cozzi as the North Carolina Arts Council’s new Senior Program Director for Arts Learning.
Lori brings decades of expertise and a lifelong commitment to arts education to this role. She began teaching in afterschool and summer programs in 1985 and earned her master’s degree in arts education from Florida State University in 1991. After moving to North Carolina in 1995, she taught art in Polk County and later taught fourth grade at Black Mountain Elementary, in Buncombe County.
Beyond the classroom, Lori has extensive leadership experience, having served as the executive director first of ArtSpace Charter School and then the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. Lori has a deep understanding of the A+ Schools program. Since 1999, she has been an A+ Fellow, facilitating professional development across North Carolina and in other states’ A+ networks. In addition, she has served as A+ Liaison for area schools and contributed to both the Fellows Advisory Team and the Principals Advisory Team.
Her honors include the Gerry D. Howell A+ Educator of the Year Award (2017), the North Carolina Art Education Association “Friend of the Arts Award” (2014), and three Teacher of the Year awards (1993, 1998, 2002). She is also a National Board Certified Teacher. Outside of work, Lori enjoys traveling with her family, all things Italian, and gardening. She is also a potter, using mostly hand-built techniques.
“The arts and arts integration have been a part of my personal and professional life for a long time,” Lori said. “I am excited about this role at the NC Arts Council and feel like my whole career has been a wonderful path that has led me to this point.”
We look forward to connecting with you.
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Artist opportunities are submitted by members of the community. Each opportunity is managed by the submitting organization and is not administered by the North Carolina Arts Council.
In the know
North Carolina Arts Council year at a glance
This brief report captures the NC Arts Council’s key accomplishments and milestones from FY24-25. Explore the year at a glance to see the highlights that shaped our year.
Apply for the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Scholarship Grant
Interested in learning more about expanding the breadth and scope of accessible cultural arts programming? We’re proud to announce the return of the Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) Scholarship Grant. This grant provides funding for eligible nonprofit organizations to attend the Kennedy Center’s 2026 LEAD Conference in Philadelphia, PA, from August 11-14. Learn more about the LEAD scholarship grant.
Heritage Awards nominations are open
Nominate a tradition-bearer for the 2027 North Carolina Heritage Awards. Since 1989, these awards have honored the state’s most outstanding traditional artists and culture-keepers, the highest recognition here in folk and traditional arts. They celebrate North Carolina’s rich cultural traditions and their enduring role in our past, present, and future. Submit your nomination by May 4, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.