Have you ever made it to season six of your favorite show and a character from season two suddenly shows up? It’s a shake-it-up moment, a reminder of how far someone’s come and how much their story has changed.
That’s what it’s like watching these five returning Artist Support Grantees take the stage again.
Each received the grant in a previous year and again in 2024–25. Since their first award, they’ve followed creative paths marked by professional growth and bold ideas. Many say that first grant gave them the tools, time, or confidence to take the next big step.
We’ve seen them before. But where are they now?
Ashley Virginia | Folk Musician
“Growth is inevitable under the right conditions,” says folk singer-songwriter Ashley Virginia. Since receiving their first Artist Support Grant to co-produce The Colors in My Dreams, she has committed full-time to their music career, building the conditions to thrive.
This year’s grant helped them attend Folk Alliance International in Montreal, an international folk industry conference. She describes the experience as a domino effect, with each relationship, grant, and performance opening new doors.
Find them at www.ashleyvirginiamusic.com and at their “What the Folk” Songwriter Sessions at the Back Table.
Steven Cozart | Visual Artist and Educator
Cozart’s students pushed him to apply for an Artist Support Grant, offering the same encouragement he always gave them. A dedicated educator and practicing artist, he spent 30 years in the classroom while continuing to grow his creative practice.
In 2021, the grant helped him invest in materials and recording equipment. Now, with support from this year’s grant, he is creating large-scale work using the game of Chess as a metaphor to explore the experiences of Black Men in America.
Recently retired from teaching, Cozart is embracing the next chapter of his artistic life. His work is currently on view at the Harvey B. Gantt Center in Charlotte through October 26, 2025, in Chop Shop: We Are Here.
Learn more at www.stevenmcozart.com.
Karl Ronnevik | Cellist
Ronnevik began learning the cello as a fourth grader thirty years ago. Now he’s ready to be a beginner again.
In 2021, Ronnevik received an Artist Support Grant for Bach to the Drawing Board, a collaboration pairing his performance of J.S. Bach’s solo cello suites with live drawing by Greensboro artist Peter Deligdisch. Inspired by a number of recent adult beginners in his teaching studio, he decided to take on a new instrument himself: the mandocello (a larger, lower relative of the mandolin).
“It’s humbling to start this journey,” he says, “but cultivating a beginner mindset greatly benefits my growth as a musician and educator.”
Ronnevik is active in the community and wider region, performing with the Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Charleston symphonies. He also plays in the popular Candlelight Concert series.
You can learn more and see his upcoming performances at www.karlronnevik.com.
Lawrence Fier | Sculpture Artist
After a successful career in aviation photography came to an end following 9/11, Lawrence Feir turned his focus to sculpture, starting with kinetic wind pieces built in his Greensboro basement. His debut at Art in the Arboretum earned him a Best in Show award and sold-out work, marking the beginning of a new artistic journey.
Since receiving his first Artist Support Grant, Feir has engineered a custom pneumatic and hydraulic press that has become essential to his process. His practice continues to evolve, with a renewed focus on kinetic sculpture that blends movement, form, and emotional impact. His large-scale public artworks can be found in both private collections and community spaces, inviting viewers to experience art that is both thoughtful and alive.
Learn more at www.lawrencefeir.com.
Brad Caviness | Sculpture Artist
What began 30 years ago as a wax mold has become a series of sculptures with plans to scale them into concrete ocean towers designed to support coral and marine life.
Caviness has always explored new terrain. In 2021-2022, he received funding to study under a clockmaker and pinball machinist, learning how to add timed, mechanical elements to his sculptural artwork, like moving pieces and working doors.
Over the years, he has continued to innovate. “I am completely happy and grateful to The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro for helping me in this project. It’s taken 30 years, but it’s worth the wait.”
Learn more at www.bcclayart.com.
