Free Money for Creatives! Let's Curate & Cultivate...
There are endless opportunities for artists who know where to look.
That's why Artwork Archive scoured the internet and compiled the best opportunities for 2020—so you only have to look in one place.
Somehow, these ingenious folk have found the best opportunities, artist grants, and calls-for-entry for artists. From that, they created a list of the top international open calls, residencies, fellowships, and awards that we believe will benefit artists during the upcoming year.
The complete list is broken down into four categories: grants, residencies, calls-for-entry, and opportunity sites.
Not gonna lie, it's OVERWHELMING AF! So today we're focusing on the free schmoneyyyy! I've posted all the grant opportunities that haven't expired as of May 2020.
Heads up, you may have to do some research of your own for the ones that have a TBD deadline!
GRANTS!!! FREE MONEY!!! TAKE ADVANTAGE!!! GOOD LUCK!!!
Founded in 2017, Artist Grant is a new venture that aims to support and fund artists. To that end, this charitable organization funds the efforts of artists to continue their important work and contributions to society, providing a modest competitive grant of $500 to one artist every quarter.
WHO: Visual artists 18 and older from anywhere in the world
FIELD: Painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, stills of video/film, sculpture (of any type of material), ceramics, mixed/multiple media, installation, and other new or alternative media.
AMOUNT: $500 each grant cycle
DEADLINE: There are four grant cycle deadlines per year – January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.
FINE PRINT: There is an application fee of $25 USD that helps defray the costs of administering this grant so that they may continue to support and fund artists' important work. You can learn more here.
Regional Arts & Culture Council Grants
RACC’s Project Grant Program provides financial support to individual artists and not-for-profit organizations in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties, for project-based arts programming. Grants are awarded up to $7,000 and are available in three categories: Artistic Focus, Arts Equity & Access, and Catalyst.
WHO: Artists in the Portland, Oregon area
AMOUNT: Up to $7,000
DEADLINE: February 19, 2020, as well as deadlines in June and October 2020
FINE PRINT: Residents of Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties are eligible to apply for these grants. All applicants are welcome to contact RACC Grants staff if you have questions about your application or need assistance with the application process. Learn more here.
Artadia is a national non-profit organization that supports visual artists with unrestricted, merit-based awards and fosters connections to a network of opportunities. In the past 18 years, Artadia has awarded over $5 million to more than 333 artists throughout its participating award cities of Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
WHO: U.S. visual artists who work in the program city (or its eligible counties) and who have resided there for at least two years.
AMOUNT: Ranges between $5000 to $20,000, plus ongoing assistance through the lifetime of your career.
DEADLINE: Applications dates for participating cities are as follows—Los Angeles: January 1 – February 1, New York: February 1 – March 1, Chicago: May 1 – June 1, San Francisco: July 1 – August 1, Atlanta: September 15 – October 15, Houston: October 15 – November 15.
FINE PRINT: Students are not eligible. Award money can be used however the artist sees fit. Continued support is achieved through close collaborations with its host cities to create exhibition opportunities for artists, arrange studio visits with local as well as national curators, source residency programs, and make introductions in the field. Learn more here.
The Hopper Prize is offering multiple artist grants totaling $5,000 awarded through an open call competition juried by leading curators. Grants are dispersed twice annually.
WHO: Artists worldwide, 18 and older
FIELD: Any field
AMOUNT: five artists will each receive $1,000
DEADLINE: May 19, 2020
FINE PRINT: They award 5 individual artist grants in the Spring and 5 in the Winter. There are no restrictions on genre, subject matter, or media. They accept entries in all media. Learn more here.
John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowships
The Foundation offers Fellowships to further the development of scholars and artists by assisting them to engage in research in any field of knowledge and creation in any of the arts, under the freest possible conditions.
WHO: Visual artists from the U.S. and Canada.
AMOUNT: The amounts of grants vary, and the Foundation does not guarantee it will fully fund any project.
DEADLINE: Applications for 2020 grants were due by September 16, 2019. Stay tuned for the 2021 grant cycle open later this year.
FINE PRINT: On the application, you must include a chronological list of shows, citing dates and places, and a list of collections in which your work is represented. Work exhibited on websites and blogs alone does not constitute a sufficient record of accomplishment for our competition. Learn more about applying here.
The Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grant
Adolph Gottlieb, one of the artists known for initiating the Abstract Expressionism movement, achieved artistic and financial success far beyond his early expectations. But, he had several colleagues who, despite their artistic achievements, were not able to support themselves financially. The Gottlieb Foundation wishes to encourage artists who have dedicated their lives to developing their art, regardless of their level of commercial success.
WHO: Artists who have been working for at least 20 years in a mature phase of your work, and can demonstrate a need for financial assistance.
FIELD: Painting, printmaking, or sculpting
AMOUNT: $25,000 each to 12 artists
DEADLINE: December 15, 2020
FINE PRINT: Maturity is based on a high level of intellectual, technical, and creative proficiency that has been maintained over time. It is based less on an applicant’s age than on the development of and commitment to an artist’s work that has progressed over time. Detailed FAQ here.
Puffin Foundation Artist Grants
The Puffin Foundation Ltd. has sought to open the doors of artistic expression by providing grants to artists and art organizations who are often excluded from mainstream opportunities due to their race, gender, or social philosophy.
WHO: New and emerging artists
FIELD: Fine arts and video/film
AMOUNT: TBD
DEADLINE: December 30, 2020
FINE PRINT: Your application must be “hard copy.” Requests for application packets must be received by December 15, 2020. Completed or returned applications must be postmarked by December 30th. Check out the FAQs here.
Ongoing Grant Deadlines:
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
Established as part of Lee Krasner’s legacy, the Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant was set up to support and strengthen the creative lives of artists. A competitive grant for artists with extensive exhibition records, this grant has a long list of impressive alumni. Since its start in 1985, the foundation has granted over 65 million dollars in award money to artists in over 77 countries.
WHO: Mid-career professional artists with demonstrable financial need. Artists must be actively exhibiting their current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces.
FIELD: Painters, sculptors, and artists who work on paper, including printmaking.
AMOUNT: Awards range from $5,000 to $30,000, depending on need and circumstance.
DEADLINE: Ongoing
FINE PRINT: Commercial artists, video artists, performance artists, filmmakers, crafts-makers, and computer artists are not eligible. Students not eligible. Requirements for consideration are the application form, a cover letter, a current resume including an exhibition record, and ten digital images of current work with a corresponding identification list. Detailed FAQ here.
The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant
The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant program is intended to provide interim financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen, catastrophic incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Each grant is given as one-time assistance for a specific emergency, examples of which are fire, flood, or emergency medical need.
WHO: Artist who can demonstrate a minimum involvement of ten years in a mature phase of his or her work
FIELD: Painting, sculpture or printmaking
AMOUNT: The maximum amount of this grant is $15,000; an award of $5,000 is typical
DEADLINE: Ongoing
FINE PRINT: The program does not consider requests for dental work, chronic situations, capital improvements, or projects of any kind; nor can it consider situations resulting from general indebtedness or lack of employment. Learn more here.
A micro-granting organization, funding “awesome” ideas, The Awesome Foundation set up local chapters around the world to provide rolling grants of $1000 to “awesome projects.” Each chapter defines what is “awesome” for their local community, but most include arts initiative and public or social practice art projects.
WHO: Anyone is eligible for a grant — individuals, groups, and organizations alike.
FIELD: Any Field. Each chapter has their own requirements, most consider arts projects.
AMOUNT: $1000
DEADLINE: Ongoing—monthly grants offered.
FINE PRINT: Grants not given for studio space or strictly salary or supplies. Needs to make the community more “awesome.” Think public works. More info here.
Joan Mitchell Foundation: Emergency Grant
The Joan Mitchell Foundation provides emergency support to U.S.-based visual artists who have suffered significant losses after natural or man-made disasters that have affected their community on a broad scale. The Foundation has historically granted funding to assist in the repair of homes and studios following flooding and material destruction, to replace art materials such as brushes, paints, inks, other materials such as hand or power tools and computers, and to assist in rent for a temporary studio space in which to work while cleaning up after a disaster.
WHO: U.S. artists who have been impacted due to natural or man-made disasters
FIELD: Painting, sculpture, or drawing
AMOUNT: Up to $6,000 in emergency support
DEADLINE: Ongoing
FINE PRINT: Unfortunately, the Joan Mitchell Foundation cannot grant funds towards the retail value of any lost or damaged artwork. Applicants will receive a response within 1-2 months. Check out their FAQs here.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant
Created in 1993 to further FCA's mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote the work of a contemporary, experimental nature, Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists who: Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding or incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates.
WHO: U.S. artists
FIELD: Visual and performing arts
AMOUNT: Grants range in amount from $500 to $2,500, and the average grant is now $1,600
DEADLINE: Ongoing
FINE PRINT: Each month FCA receives an average of 95 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-15 grants. Artists should review all eligibility guidelines and FAQs before applying. Learn more here.
Innovate Grants for Artists + Photographers
Innovate Grant awards two grants each quarter to one visual artist and one photographer. Grant cycles are open 4 times a year (spring, summer, fall, and winter) giving you more opportunities to access the support you need. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on their website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists.
WHO: Visual artists and photographers worldwide
AMOUNT: $550 each quarter
DEADLINE: Ongoing (Winter deadline is February 11, 2020)
FINE PRINT: They've simplified the grant process so that artists and photographers can focus on making their innovative work. The work should speak for itself and their application reflects that. Learn more here.
The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
The Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant is one of the most prestigious grants available to emerging figurative artists, as well as one of the most substantial. It is one of the longest-standing foundations, with an illustrious history of recipients spanning more than half a century. It is also unique in its scope, in that it is available to students and artists around the world.
WHO: Emerging and young artists
AMOUNT: $15,000 CAD each
DEADLINE: Ongoing
FINE PRINT: Subsequent grants are in the amount of CAD $18,000 each. Grants are made directly to the beneficiaries, not through other organizations. The Foundation reserves the right to award grants in other amounts and to disburse funds in whole or in part, as it deems advisable. Grantees may not receive more than three grants in their lifetime. Learn more here.
Believing the arts are essential to the health and vitality of our communities and our nation, Integrity: Arts & Culture Association (IACA) awards min-grants of $250-$500 to artists and artist collaborators. Creative artistic endeavors of most disciplines are supported.
WHO: U.S. artists
AMOUNT: $250 - $500
DEADLINE: There is an application deadline every 6-8 weeks
FINE PRINT: Funds are intended to support community service projects, project-related expenses, performances, exhibits, art supplies, rehearsal space, recording studio time, residencies, and anything that assists artists in the process of creating art. Learn more here.
Deadlines to be announced:
Aaron Siskind Foundation - Individual Photographer's Fellowship
The Aaron Siskind Foundation is a 501(c)(3) set up by preeminent photographer Aaron Siskin’s estate, which he had asked to become a resource for contemporary photographers. The award was established to support and encourage contemporary artists working in the photographic field.
WHO: Photographers over 21 years of age
FIELD: Work must be based on the idea of still-based photography, but can include digital imagery, installations, documentary projects, and photo-generated print media.
AMOUNT: Up to $15,000
DEADLINE: TBA for 2020 grant cycle
FINE PRINT: All forms of photographically based work regardless of subject matter, genre, or process are eligible. The submission should consist of a mature, coherent body of work. Students not Eligible. Doctoral candidates considered on a case-by-case basis. Check out the FAQ here.
The Young Masters Art Prize is a not-for-profit initiative of The Cynthia Corbett Gallery. Young Masters Art Prize will be awarded to the artist who shows an exceptional understanding of their creative medium alongside an awareness of the art of the past.
WHO: Artists worldwide
AMOUNT: Up to £1,500 in prizes
DEADLINE: TBA for 2020 grant cycle
FINE PRINT: Young Masters also tours continuously throughout the year, offering a wider audience the opportunity to engage with the debates between contemporary art and art history. Learn more here.
The Artists’ Collecting Society (ACS) is offering one student or recent graduate £6,000 to contribute to the cost of an artist’s studio in a UK city of your choice. The Studio Prize was established by ACS in 2017 to help artists with the costs of rising studio rents. It recognises the need for studio space and financial stability for emerging artists at the pivotal stage of beginning their careers.
WHO: UK art students and recent graduates
AMOUNT: £6,000 for a UK artist studio
DEADLINE: TBA for 2020 grant cycle
FINE PRINT: The Prize is open to all final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students studying Fine Art and other creative courses. Artists who have graduated from such a course within the past four years are also invited to apply. Learn more here.
Administered by the Seattle Art Museum, the annual Betty Bowen Award honors a Northwest artist for their original, exceptional, and compelling work. The winner is awarded an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000, and a selection of his or her works is shown at the Seattle Art Museum in the spring. In addition, up to two Special Recognition Awards in the amount of $2,500 are often granted at the discretion of the Betty Bowen Committee.
WHO: U.S. artists in Oregon, Washington, or Idaho
AMOUNT: $15,000 or $2,500
DEADLINE: TBA for the 2020 grant cycle
FINE PRINT: Selection is based on, but not limited to, the following criteria: the compelling nature of the artist’s ideas and contribution to the field, the quality and creativity of the work submitted for review, the artist’s commitment to developing their work, the impact the award will have on the artist and his/her career. Learn more here.
Two prizes are offered to honor innovative projects at the intersection of science, technology and the arts: one for artistic exploration, and thus projects with the potential to influence or change the way technology is deployed, developed or perceived, and one for innovative collaboration between industry/technology and art/culture in ways that open up new paths for innovation.
WHO: Artists worldwide
FIELD: Arts and technology
AMOUNT: €20,000
DEADLINE: TBA for 2020 grant cycle (Last year’s deadline was in March)
FINE PRINT: Winners of the STARTS Prize must make a commitment to accept their awards in person at the award ceremony and to present their works at the STARTS Prize Forum, an artists’ symposium in Linz, Austria. Learn more here.
The Ruth and Harold Chenven Foundation Grant
The Ruth and Harold Chenven Foundation gives annual awards of $1500 to individual artists living and working in the United States, and who are engaged in or planning a new craft or visual art project.
WHO: U.S. artists
AMOUNT: $1500 each to six artists
DEADLINE: TBA for 2020 grant cycle (Last year’s deadline was in July)
FINE PRINT: The Foundation does not accept film, video, performance art or music submissions (except as those media are integrated into a larger craft or visual art project). Applications must include Artist Statement, CV, Project Description, Images, and Image List. Learn more here.
For more than 120 years, the National Sculpture Society has created, exhibited, collected and supported the evolving tradition in American sculpture. NSS continues to support sculpture today as an active, vital, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. They offer a number of grants annually, including The Stanley Bleifeld Memorial Grant, The Alex J. Ettl Grant, and The Marilyn Newmark Memorial Grant during this upcoming October deadline.
WHO: U.S. sculptors
AMOUNT: $5,000 each
DEADLINE: TBA for 2020 grant cycle (Last year’s deadlines were in October)
FINE PRINT: No application fee. To learn more about each individual grant, click here.
Santo Foundation Individual Artist Awards
The Santo Foundation was established in 2009 to recognize and assist the careers of individual artists and to champion the value of the visual artist in our world. Three artists will be selected to each receive $5,000.00. Five additional awards of $1,000.00 each will also be awarded.
WHO: Artists worldwide
AMOUNT: $5,000 each to 3 artists. Five additional awards of $1,000.00 each will also be awarded.
DEADLINE: TBA for 2020 grant cycle (Last year’s deadline was in November)
FINE PRINT: Emerging, mid-career, and mature artists are eligible and encouraged to apply. All mediums of visual art are eligible including images, audio, video, and performance. Learn more here.