Who said there aren’t grants for artists? One of the challenges of being an artist is establishing and maintaining a stable income. However, there are several avenues artists can go down to find financial support, including cash prizes and grants. In this article, we’ve outlined several regional, national, and international grants of varying frequency, amounts, and eligibility requirements—if you’re looking for a place to search for grants, this is a good starting point. As far as we could tell they are offered annually. Just click on the blue titles to find out more about each grant!
Regional Grants
This grant, up to $7,500, supports artists in completing a specific project. Women, gender non-conforming people, and people of color are encouraged to apply. It is local to New York artists; accepted media includes sound and moving images, including emergent technology. There is no application fee.
The NYSCA/NYFA Artists with Disabilities Grant program gives $1,000 grants to artists living with a disability and who have had financial hardship due to COVID-19. The grant will be open to artists of any medium, including performance and literary artists. Applicants must live in New York State outside NYC's five boroughs of NYC and be 21+.
This program gives out $25,000 cash grants to artists of color who live, work, and engage in social change in communities across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
This is an unrestricted $7,000 cash grant prize for artists living in New York State and/or any Indian Nation located within it. The disciplines accepted rotate each year and, in the past, have included Architecture/Environmental Structure/Design, Choreography, Music, and dance.
LMCC's Manhattan Arts Grants are worth up to $10,000 and are given to artists that respond to the needs of the local Manhattan community. It is free to apply and is only open to Manhattan artists. All mediums are welcome.
Arts Midwest's Peter Capell Award supports Midwesterners who show entrepreneurial thinking. The award is $2,500 unrestricted cash and is open to Illinois artists.
These are unrestricted project-based grants of $1,500 for artists working in all mediums. It is open to artists living in Washington State who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and/or residing outside King County.
This provides $5,000 project grants to artists of color living and working in Louisiana. All mediums are welcome.
This fund assists painters and sculptors living in the US by paying some of their medical/dental/eye-care bills. The amount varies depending on medical needs. It is an ongoing grant that has, for example, purchased wheelchairs and paid for eye surgery for artists. The money goes directly to medical providers. Artists in the Western USA are eligible.
The Greene Fellowship aims to support creators through a year-long stipend, business skills training and support, and network development. It awards 3+ artists a year with a $28,000 unrestricted fellowship to support their practice. It is open to Colorado artists.
The fellowship supports visual artists in Palm Beach County, Florida. A $6,000 endowment is given to one artist annually; there are also exhibitions and mentoring opportunities for the artist. There are several other requirements the artist must fulfill if they receive the grant, such as donating one work to the HMS Fine Arts Study Art Collection. It is open to many different mediums. Artists must legally reside in Florida.
The annual Betty Bowen Award, administered by the Seattle Art Museum, honors one Northwest artist. In 2022, the reward was an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000 and a solo exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. In addition, two other awards for $2,500 can potentially be given out. This is a regional contest; artists from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are welcome to apply. The artwork must be time-based media.
This grant is for up to $2,500 to women and trans artists in greater Philadelphia to fund art for social change projects. The money needs to be used on a specific project; all mediums are accepted.
The Artadia Awards are open annually in major cities in the USA: LA, Chicago, New York, Louisville, San Francisco, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Houston. Each city has its own month for applications throughout the year. Three artists from each city receive unrestricted grants of $10,000. These open calls are open to artists working in the visual arts and who make artwork for presentation in a contemporary art context.
Nationwide Grants
This is an opportunity for formerly incarcerated artists to receive funding. Six artists have the opportunity to receive $20,000 in support of a project with the purpose of reforming the USA's criminal justice system. All mediums are accepted.
The Puffin Foundation accepts proposals for video/film, theater, and environmentally-focused projects. For the past 25 years, they've aimed to bring about change in the world by supporting artists who focus on social issues. The average grant is about $1,250, with the maximum grant being $2,500.
Each year, Creative Capital announces a new grant theme. For example, the 2023–2024 cycle is "Wild Futures: Art, Culture, Impact." Over two years, Creative Capital will give up to $5 million in grants to 100 artists' projects, each with the possibility of getting up to $50,000. Experimental artists across different media are welcome to apply.
Every year, Integrity: Arts and Culture Association (IACA) gives out $250 "mini" grants, which can support costs associated with supplies, residencies, and exhibits for both emerging and established artists. They accept works in many different media, including painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, and craft. There are several cycles throughout the year. Projects need to be completed within six months of receiving the grant.
The New York Foundation for the Arts, in partnership with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, gives grants of up to $5,000 to artists in need due to recent unexpected medical, dental, or mental health emergencies. This is open to American artists working in visual arts, film, video, electronic, digital arts, or choreography.
This grant is dedicated to supporting early-career Black trans women visual artists. Winning recipients will receive $10,000 and professional development resources. It is open to American artists, and there is no application fee.
Since 1993, FCA has given urgent funding to visual and performing artists who work in a contemporary and experimental nature. For example, this could be due to a sudden opportunity for which the artist doesn't have time for other funding sources. Each month, around 12–15 grants are given out, ranging from $500 to $3,000. The average grant is $1,700. This is open to artists residing in the USA or in US territories.
This fund helps those pursuing careers as artists or arts administrators whose income has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is for people who self-identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and are based in the USA. The amount is $200 and is intended for short-term and immediate assistance; applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
This $5,000 award is specifically for sculptors working in bas-relief, especially those inspired by the figure or nature. Artists must've been born between 1982–2003 and be citizens or residents of the USA. There is no application fee.
American Artists 21+ years plus are invited to apply here. 7-10 grants are available—they average $6,000 but can go up to $10,000. The focus of the grant is to support artists who are currently underrepresented in their field.
This annual award is for under-recognized American painters aged 45+ who demonstrate financial need. The award ranges from $5,00-$30,000 and also includes an exhibition at Provincetown Art Association and Museum. Mediums include oil, acrylic, gouache, ink, tempera, watercolor, egg tempera, casein, and enamel on paper, canvas, fabric, or wood, but exclude mixed media, drawing, and digital paintings.
This grant gives $20,000 to a woman, non-binary, and/or transgender US filmmaker who is 39 or older. It is a project-based grant, and the selected artist should be working on their first narrative feature as a director.
The NSS gives out $5,000 grants to sculptors showing excellence in the USA. There are several different grants, including those focused on realism, animals, and figurative work.
The Bennett Prize supports female figurative realist painters who have not achieved full professional recognition. The prize is $50,000 to a female artist for support in realizing a solo exhibition which will then travel the country. There is also a runner-up award of $10,000. American female artists are eligible.
Each year, American Art Awards gives out a total of $5,000 to six artists. All mediums and genres are welcome.
International Grants
Aperture hosts an annual international competition to discover new talent in photography; the winner will receive $3,000, get published in Aperture Magazine, and have an exhibition in New York. This competition is exclusively for photographers.
Artist Grants invites artists from anywhere in the world to apply for the $500 grant (2nd and 3rd runners-up receive $100). Many media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, mixed-media, installation, and new media are accepted. There are four cycles per year.
Two grants of $550 each are awarded to one artist and one photographer each quarter. Additionally, four honorable mentions (two for art and two for photography) are featured and recognized on the website.
Open to amateurs and professionals worldwide, the Evolution Grant awards $1,000 to one visual artist per grant cycle. All art media, except video/film, are accepted.
This competition is open to artists making wearable art jewelry who are early in their career and has created an independent body of work. The winner receives an unrestricted cash award of $7,500; four more finalists receive $1,000 each. Additionally, each recipient will be interviewed by Art Jewelry Form, and the transcript will be published online.
The award is meant to support artists and writers with kids. It is geared toward artists and writers past the early stages of their careers due to the high volume of applications received. The award is $5,000 to twenty applicants to use how they see fit; those under 18 and with at least one child are encouraged to apply. Half of the awards go to artists of color.
This grant is limited to "mature individual visual artists" regardless of past commercial success; maturity is defined as having worked for over 20 years in a mature art phase. The grant is geared toward painters, sculptors, and printmakers. Last year, 20 artists received $25,000.
This annual prize awards 20 photographers for visual excellence, conceptual thinking, technical skill, and storytelling. There is a mix of prizes. For example, 20+ photographers get to exhibit their work in Berlin and there will be a few cash prizes, some above $1,000. The first-place winner also gets a solo show.
The Awesome Foundation funds "awesome" ideas around the world. They support individuals, groups, and organizations making "awesome" projects which are defined by chapters in individual local communities. Grants of $1,000 are ongoing and given monthly. The project must be public-focused, meaning the money can't go to studio space or similar things.
This is a prestigious grant available to emerging figurative artists. The grant is meant for young artists working in the realist genre rather than abstract or non-objective. It is open to young artists pursuing their studies or in the early developmental stage in their careers; it can be used for costs associated with school, such as tuition. The first grants are in the amount of CAD $15,000 each, and subsequent grants are in the amount of CAD $18,000 each (maximum three grants).
Since 1988, the Virginia A. Groot Foundation has awarded ceramic and sculpture artists grants. People 21+ from anywhere in the world and at any stage in their career are encouraged to apply. Three grants, up to $50,000, $20,000, and $10,000, are awarded.
This annual award awards grants ranging from $2,000–$10,000 to early-career performance artists. There is no application fee for this grant. Artists around the world are encouraged to exhibit.
Two artists per grant cycle will be selected for an $850 unrestricted cash award. Artists in any stage of their careers are enjoyed to join; all media are welcome, with the exception of video and film. This is an international open-call opportunity for anyone who has shown commitment to their art.
This is the first year for this award which aims to support representational and figurative painters. Many genres of paintings are accepted, including hyperrealism, photorealism, classical and modern realism, and imaginative realism. It just needs to read as representational (not stylized or abstract). The prize is up to 5,000 Euros. It's a global online competition and is open to artists aged 18+.
$2,000 is awarded to three artists each year as part of this opportunity. It is open to artists worldwide working in any media. If artists are selected, their work will be shown in an online exhibition; the artist whose work ranks the highest in the online show is then given a cash prize. There is no theme, and it is free to apply to.
This annual prize focuses on science, technology, and the arts; in 2022, the focus was employing an artistic approach to data. Although hosted by the European Commission, the prize is open internationally, including those not from EU member states. Two awards of 20,000 Euros are given, one dedicated to Innovative Collaboration and one for Artistic Exploration.
Each quarter, Innovate Grant gives two awards of $550, one for an artist and one for a photographer. Winners will also be featured on their website. Many media are accepted, including Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, New Media, Painting, and Sculpture. It is open to people around the world.
The British Art Prize is an annual award that offers a lot of exposure and cash awards. In 2022, winning artists were given money from the 10,000 Euro prize fund, and their art will be part of a London exhibition. The prize is open to anyone around the world working in any media.
Exhibition gives more than $10,000 out to artists around the world. It is free to apply to, and all mediums are welcome.
The International Sculpture Center Innovator Award is open to individual sculptors and groups, especially those focusing on social change. The price is $1,000 in cash, recognition on sculpture.org and Sculpture magazine, and a one-year membership to the organization. Anyone from around the world working in sculpture is welcome to apply.
Fusion Art's Grant for Artistic Excellence is open to emerging artists of any medium. The award is a $500 unrestricted monetary grant; three awards are available every quarter. The grants are based purely on artistic merit and are available to anyone globally over the age of 18.
Each year, the Hopper Prize gives unrestricted cash grants of $3,500 (one award) and $1,000 (4 awards) to individual artists done through an international open call. There are two cycles each year, meaning 12 artists each year win. There is no limitation to style, genre, or subject matter, and all media is allowed.
Since 2019, the NOT REAL ART Grant has given a $2,000 award to six artists each. Winners also get to share their story on the platform's blog and podcast. Artists from the US or Canada who are 21+ are encouraged to apply.
Counter Histories Magnum Foundation supports artists who "reframe the past to engage with questions of the present or future." Twelve photographers will be awarded a grant of $10,000 to be used for a specific project to be completed in seven months. Inquire for further information regarding who can apply (geographic location not specified).
The Naomi Anolic Early Career Jewish Visual Arts Award offers $1,000 towards a specific project to an active early career Jewish visual artist aged 25–35. The Isaac Anolic Jewish Book Arts Award offers $1,500 towards the creation of a one-of-a-kind, or limited edition, work of art in the field of Jewish book arts. All active Jewish artists who have exhibited within the last five years can apply. Inquire for further information regarding who can apply (geographic location not specified).
Every year, 11 awards of up to $4,000 each are given to artists engaging technology in their work as part of this program. The work can be any media, as long as it involves technology in some way. Inquire for further information regarding who can apply (geographic location not specified).
The Halstead Grant gives out $7,500 to emerging silver jewelry artists each year. This is meant to help kick-start their career. Inquire for further information regarding who can apply (geographic location not specified).
The grant was established as part of Lee Krasner's legacy. Awards range from $5,000–$30,000 and depend on need and circumstance. This grant is directed at mid-career artists in need of financial support. Applicants must be actively showing their work in a gallery and/or museum spaces. The award is open to painters, sculptors, and artists who work on paper, including printmaking. Inquire for further information regarding who can apply (geographic location not specified).
This grant provides financial assistance to painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs result from an unforeseen incident. Each grant is given for a specific emergency, such as a fire or medical need. This is an ongoing grant; the maximum given is $15,000. The average grant is $5,000. Artists must show that they've been working in their mature phase for ten years. Inquire for further information regarding who can apply (geographic location not specified).
As we wrap up this extensive list of over 55 current artist grants and fellowships, it's clear that there are numerous opportunities for artists like you to thrive and grow. But securing funding is just one aspect of building a successful career in the art world. Another crucial element is having a strong online presence to showcase your work and connect with fellow artists, collectors, and potential patrons.
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About the Author:
Angela Swanson is not just an artist, but a seasoned expert in WIX Web Design and online marketing, specializing in helping fellow artists thrive in the digital space. With a deep understanding of the art world and a knack for creating captivating websites, Angela offers boutique and affordable services tailored to artists and art-related sites. Whether you're looking to create an engaging online portfolio or want to effectively market your art, Angela's online services are designed to meet your unique needs.
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