The Arts Council of Rockland (ACOR) established the Artists’ Support Fund to support individual Rockland County artists in sustaining their creative practice and/or developing new works of art. This initiative reflects our commitment to fostering a thriving artistic community by supporting local talent.
Important 2025 Artists’ Support Fund Application Information:
Review the Artists’ Support Fund Information Sheet located below.
The 2025 Artists’ Support Fund grant application will be available again in early 2026.
The 2025 submission deadline has passed.
There is no application fee required.
Grant funding requests must be a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $500.
Notification and disbursal of 2025 funds occurred in April 2025.
This grant opportunity is designed to support individual artists in sustaining their creative practice and/or developing new works of art. Please note that programmatic costs are not eligible for funding through this grant.
If you have any questions, contact Dorothy Atzl, ACOR Executive Director, at dorothy@artscouncilofrockland.org.
2025 Artists’ Support Fund Recipients
The 2024 Artists’ Support Fund Committee selected 15 Rockland County artists to receive funding out of a very competitive field. Below are the recipients sharing how the Artists’ Support Fund will make a difference in their practice!
Andy Algire
Thanks to ACOR’s support, I’m now able to invest in a new traditional balafon (wood xylophone). This instrument will invigorate my creative process and expand my capacity to teach, perform, and share West African musical traditions with the community.
Mary Lou Butler
I am grateful to be the recipient of ACOR 's Artists' Support Fund. The grant will enable me to further my research that requires travel for my ekphrastic poetry collection in-progress on the artistic work of Thomas Wilfred, a master of light.
Kris Campbell
As a mentor in the Mentee Program and an active member of the Exhibition Committee, ACOR has pushed me to grow my skills and build meaningful connections—both essential to my work as an artist. As a grantee, ACOR is backing a project that’s turned out to be more ambitious and complex than I expected. It’s deeply encouraging to have the support of a county-based organization that believes in my ideas and helps bring them to reality. I’m especially excited to share that, thanks to this funding, a key element I’ve been wrestling with for over a year will finally be solved.
Shirley Crabbe
I am extremely grateful for your generous support. With the help of the ACOR Artists’ Support Fund Grant, I intend to bring on board a Music Arranger to collaborate with me on crafting an arrangement for one of my original pieces. I am thrilled to embark on this journey and aim to feature the completed work in my live shows and upcoming recordings. Thank you once more for your belief in me. I am eager to start this project.
John DiMartino
I am a large-format photographer using the historic wet collodion process to make tintypes and glass plate negatives. This grant will allow me to purchase supplies in order to make a series of 16”x 20” albumen prints. I am grateful to receive the 2025 ACOR Artists’ Support Fund Grant as I would not be able to take on this challenging project if it were not for ACOR’s support. And a big thank you to ACOR for all they do in keeping the arts alive and well in Rockland County!
Eric DiVito
I’m very grateful to be a recipient of ACOR’s Artists’ Support Fund Grant. This grant will allow me the opportunity to purchase instruments and equipment to be used for exploring and composing in new musical styles and instrumentations that I was previously unable to.
Brianna Forbes
ACOR has been such a gift to young, ambitious, and devoted creatives and I am so proud to be a part of this program. ACOR is helping me by allowing me to exhale on my upcoming music project, taking a lot of financial weight off of my shoulders.
Pam Grafstein
As a photographer, my goal is to inspire people to view their world from a different perspective - to look beyond their noses and be aware of the things around them. In order for me to do that, my work must be seen! I believe that physical prints are much more effective at cultivating connection and evoking emotion than images projected on a screen. Therefore, I choose to print, mount, and frame my own photographs for display. It is such an honor to have received an ACOR Artists’ Support Fund Grant. The funds will allow me to obtain supplies so I can maintain control over my creative process by continuing to print my own artwork.
Rusty Haynes
ACOR has strengthened the foundation of my artistic practice. The Artists’ Support Fund Grant will help me further my work and give me the capability to create the kind of art I truly desire. With the encouragement of the collective and fellow artists, I’ve regained confidence in my artistic originality. I’m especially grateful to the mentors who’ve shown me that while life can get tricky, the art stays alive. I look forward to continuing my journey with ACOR and offering the community a glimpse into how powerful this kind of support can be—both in the art created and in the growth of the artist.
Julie Klein
I am so incredibly grateful for the Arts Council of Rockland’s Artists’ Support Fund Grant. With this financial support, I will buy supplies I have been dreaming of using and further challenge my artwork. It is a blessing to be part of such a caring community that unites
and uplifts artists.
Erwin Ong
Thanks to ACOR’s support, I’m learning risograph printing. It will be a way to expand my own practice and explore storytelling through a medium that uses bold color, textures, and easily create multiples. What excites me most is being able to bring what I learn into the workshops I teach. It will make printmaking more accessible and help students, families, and emerging artists find new ways to share their stories and connect through creativity.
Stephanie Serpick
This grant allows me to purchase much-needed supplies. The greatest need is for supports-the panels I use for my paintings. In the past, I have purchased my panels though cheaper sources but have found the quality to be disappointing. As a professional artist, it is a given that I should use the highest-quality materials that I can. This grant will go a long way and I'm grateful to the Arts Council of Rockland for their support.
Igor Sharapanyuk
I am grateful to ACOR for awarding me an Artists’ Support Fund Grant which I will use towards the location fee for my upcoming dance film project, which is slated to be shot late this summer in Tappan, NY.
Chris Soria
Receiving this grant enables me to access the essential mediums, tools, and materials needed to bring my large-scale visions to life. With these resources, I’m able to fully commit to my craft, explore new techniques, and create work that reflects both my artistic growth and further creative ambitions.”
Sam Wedelich
With the support of ACOR’s Artists’ Support Fund grant, I am able to invest in the highest grade artist materials, allowing me to explore both color and paper, a critical and unfortunately expensive part of the development process. Through this experimentation with watercolor paper and pigments, I can discover the right pairings and tones for my children's book projects. The financial freedom to do this is a gift to me as an artist, but also a gift to everyone who will hold the art in its final book form."