The University of North Carolina School of the Arts Fund for Catawba County Endowment was established at the NC Community Foundation to support students attending the UNC School of the Arts and to award grants to cultural arts organizations within Catawba County.

While this endowment has been providing grants since 2000, 2026 marked its third year providing funding for student summer internships at arts organizations.

“These internship opportunities greatly benefit students pursuing a degree in the arts, while also benefitting our community and cultural arts organizations,” said Sally Fanjoy, grant committee chair of the UNC School of the Arts Fund for Catawba County Endowment.

Since 2023, interns have been placed at Western Piedmont Symphony, Hickory Ballet & Performing Arts, Hart Square Foundation and Arts Culture Catawba.

A highlight of 2026 summer internships were brothers Stephen and Nathan Olusemire creating and organizing a database for all the books at the folk art library at the Hart Square Foundation.

“It has been amazing,” said Lorissa Vines, development director of the Hart Square Foundation, “Stephen and Nathan have gone above and beyond anything we had imagined for the library.”

The brothers created a database for over 400 books, developed a design for website review and access of these books, and organized and shelved the books in a new library space.

“We wanted to mix the arts with technology, applying an information system to optimize use of the library,” said Stephen Olusemire.

Both brothers were born in Nigeria, play multiple instruments including the bassoon and French horn, and hope to one day start a nonprofit organization that provides music lessons and an arts education to young people in their home country. Nathan Olusemire explained that they have met and been supported by a lot of great players and would like to give back to others.

Fanjoy thanked the arts organizations for their interest in the UNC School of the Arts for Catawba County Fund.

“These internship opportunities are important to our community and our quality of life,” she said. “Critical programs would not be possible without the generosity of many individuals and organizations that have supported the fund.”

To learn more about the internship program, contact Michelle Morgan at director@wrchickory.org.

To make a gift in support of this endowment, visit nccommunityfoundation.org/UNCSchoolofArts.