Grants, fellowships and residencies are ways self-employed artists can sustain themselves and their work. Between 2012 and 2016, around 34 percent of artists were self-employed, compared to nine percent of all other workers.
We now know that number is even higher, with 77 percent of artists going the self-employed route by 2021. With the majority of artists responsible for sourcing their own income and marketing, outside resources like grants and residencies serve as a boost.
One of the challenges when browsing these opportunities is the entry fees that prohibit many artists from entering their work.
Twist Out Cancer values all the artists we work with—past and present—and want to support them in any way we can. To save our artist community time and money, we did the research and sourced 18 grants, fellowships and residencies that do not require an entry fee.
DEADLINED OPPORTUNITIES
2023/2024 NAC Artist Fellowship Program Grants & Fellowships
Submission Deadline: September 1, 2023
Event Dates: October 2, 2023 – June 28, 2024
Eligibility: Regional
Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
Location: New York City
Fellows of the NAC Artist Fellowship program receive full membership to the National Arts Club in New York City to help further their careers.
Texclipse Music Festival Art Installation Program
Submission Deadline: September 1, 2023
Event Dates: April 6, 2024 – April 8, 2024
Award info: $2,000
Eligibility: International
Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
Location: Junction, Texas
Installation artists have an opportunity to showcase their art at Texclipse Music Festival. During the installation, artists receive free festival entry, one meal a day (plus food vouchers), working credentials for a building team of up to five and at least $1,000 to put toward the installation.
Tittle McFadden Public Safety Center Public Art
Organization: City Of Lewisville
Submission Deadline: September 30, 2023
Award info: $320,000 (inclusive) budget
Eligibility: International
The City of Lewisville, Texas, is looking for a one-of-a-kind, monument-sized artwork to place in front of the Tittle McFadden Public Safety Center.
Embracing Our Differences
Submission Deadline: October 5, 2023
Event Dates: January 21, 2024
Award info: Up to $6,000 in rewards
Eligibility: International
Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting
Location: Florida
This outdoor juried art exhibit features 50 billboard-sized images from artists around the world. Each piece represents the theme: Embracing Our Differences. Adult winners each receive $2,000; students receive $2,000 with $1,000 to be directed to the student and $1,000 to their school’s art program.
#CreateCOP28: Open Call for Climate Focused Art
Submission Deadline: October 16, 2023
Award info: Eight finalists will be awarded cash prizes of $10K, $5K or $2K.
Eligibility: International, ages 14-30
Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
Anyone aged 14-30 is welcome to submit work that generates conversations around climate action and raises awareness of the issues that must be considered at COP28, the United Nations’ annual climate summit.
Craft Archive Fellowship
Submission Deadline: December 6, 2023
Event Dates: February 1, 2024 – September 1, 2024
Award info: Award Amount: $5,000
Eligibility: Artist scholars
Grant Period: 9 months
Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
Online Only: Yes
The 2024 Craft Archive Fellowship fosters archival research on underrepresented and non-dominant craft histories in the United States.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Residency
Submission Deadline: December 30, 2023
Award info: A month at The Studio, room and board, transportation, a generous supply budget
Eligibility: International
Categories: Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline
Location: Corning, New York
Applicants who identify as BIPOC are encouraged to apply for the Corning Museum of Glass’ residency. Artists receive a month of studio time to learn new techniques and expand on their current bodies of work.
Oak Spring Garden Foundation Artist Residencies
Eligibility: International
Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
Location: Upperville, Virginia
In 2024, the Oak Spring Garden Foundation will host five separate five-week interdisciplinary residencies. Each session is designed to support eight artists who are pursuing work inspired by plants, gardens and landscapes.
ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES
The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant
Award info: Up to $15,000
Eligibility: Must demonstrate a minimum involvement of 10 years in the arts
Categories: Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking
Painters, printmakers and sculptors who have faced an unforeseen, catastrophic incident and lack the resources to meet that situation can apply for a one-time grant of up to $15,000.
Artists’ Emergency Fund
Eligibility: Cultural sector workers
Location: Greater Austin
Cultural sector workers based in Greater Austin facing verifiable and immediate housing, food or healthcare insecurity may apply for up to $1000 in unrestricted funds.
The Awesome Foundation
Award info: $1,000
Eligibility: International
Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
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 initiatives and public or social practice art projects.
Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Inc.
Award info: $2,000-$5,000
Eligibility: Women writers and visual artists
The foundation gives grants to individual women writers and visual artists whose work exhibits feminist values.
CERF+ The Artist Safety Net
Eligibility: Artists facing career-threatening situations
CERF is a national, nonprofit organization making loans and small grants to professional craftspeople experiencing career-threatening illness, accident, fire, theft or natural disaster.
Creative Engagement
Eligibility: Must reside in Manhattan
Location: Manhattan
Each year, the program supports over 150 arts projects in Manhattan, including concerts, performances, public art, exhibitions, screenings, festivals, workshops, readings and more.
The Foundwork Artist Prize
Award info: $10,000
Eligibility: Emerging and mid-career artists
Honorees receive unrestricted $10,000 grants and studio visits with the jurors and are also invited for interviews as part of the Dialogues program to help promote their work. Shortlisted artists will have opportunities for interviews as well.
The Hero Initiative
Eligibility: Comic book artist or writer, evidence of financial need
This initiative helps comic creators in need. Applicants must be working in the comic arts to receive financial support.
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
Award info: Awards range from $5,000 to $30,000
Eligibility: International
Categories: Photography, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture
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.
St. Anthony Shawnee Hospital Gallery Exhibit
Eligibility: National
Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma
Categories: Photography, Drawing, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting
Calming and comforting art is being curated for the St. Anthony Shawnee Hospital Gallery Exhibit, where each artist is welcome to sell their work.