Search Through Grants for Visual Artists in the U.S.

Program Focus: American Heritage

Adolph and Ginger Meyer were significant collectors of Americana, especially the fine, handcrafted furniture and decorative items developed by early Americans. The Meyers appreciated these items because, to them, Americana expressed a sense of artistic freedom and was constructed or created with integrity and individuality.

Over the years, the Americana Foundation has supported organizations and institutions that preserve, protect, and promote expressions of America’s heritage as a bridge to understanding place and identity and as a means of celebrating the craftsmanship and creativity of early American artisans.

Our Current Focus

Our current priority in the American Heritage program area is to support projects and programs across the US that seek to broaden the inclusivity of early American art and the early American historical narrative to “tell the full story of” the American experience. We look to support organizations and projects that elevate those whose perspectives have been traditionally underrepresented, especially people of color, Indigenous people, and women. Furniture acquisitions and building restorations will not be a priority.

Example Projects

• Interpretation or reinterpretation of art, decorative arts, or other objects of early American material culture (“Americana”) and their placement on public display for the appreciation and understanding of present and future generations.
• Internships, fellowships, apprenticeships, and other career development opportunities for people interested in the curation, conservation, preservation, or restoration of Americana.

• Exhibits, visual media, interactive experiences, and other educational programs that contribute to better understanding or “tell the full story” of the American experience.

Foundation Purpose

Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne seeks to contribute to the development of a vital culture of excellence in classical music and to help attract new audiences to the field. To achieve these objectives, the Foundation sponsors international academies and master classes conducted by established instructors.

In addition, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne supports outstanding event series or festivals with visionary programming and innovative modes of outreach and communication to foster the public’s engagement with classical music. In general, the Foundation focuses on the promotion of new and contemporary music, although projects on music from other eras are by no means excluded.

Focus Areas

Visual Arts

Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne’s concept of «Visual Art» encompasses not only the classical genres of art such as painting, sculpture, graphic art, drawing and photography, but also new forms of expression and media such as performance, experimental film and video. The Foundation provides funds for regular and special exhibitions as well as their accompanying catalogues at publicly accessible, well established museums and art collections provided that the exhibitions funded are international in their orientation, relevant from an art historical perspective, and carefully curated. Furthermore, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne supports innovative und interactive projects that explore new approaches to fostering art education so as to attract new audiences. In principle, the Foundation also provides funds for the involvement of modern media in the expansion or presentation of significant pieces of art in the context of major museum projects.

Music

Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne predominantly supports contemporary classical music projects. However, projects on music from other eras are not excluded as a rule. In its effort to contribute to the development of professional music culture, the Foundation supports international academies and master classes conducted by established instructors. Furthermore, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne supports various series of music events or festivals that explore new ways of fostering the public’s engagement with classical music in an attempt to attract new audiences. In principle, professional orchestras and ensembles or music centers may also submit a project request for the equipment of rehearsal rooms, the acquisition of instruments or other infra-structural needs.

Cultural Education

In the area of Cultural Education, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne supports projects that bear a significant relation to Visual Art or Music. The target group includes children and teenagers, particularly from underprivileged backgrounds, who are introduced to art and music in the context of curricular or extracurricular activities. In this way, Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne offers support to teenagers in their personal development and, at the same time, trains the next generation of artists as well as a future audience. A project request can only be submitted provided that the programs are developed, conducted, and realized by a professional artist or a recognized public institution. Furthermore, the projects should have a long-term horizon and be accessible to as wide a group of participants as possible. Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne funds both expansion and continuation of ongoing projects as well as the launch of exemplary pilot projects.

Background

Teiger Foundation supports contemporary visual art with a primary focus on curators.

In dialogue with artists and other art workers, curators are thinkers and leaders who play multiple and changing roles in their organizations and communities. Teiger Foundation’s goal is to support these activities and their continued reinvention.

Acknowledging uncertainty, fear, and loss in a time of enormous change, Teiger Foundation is committed to experimentation and creativity in exhibitions and programs; widely varied, innovative curatorial research and partnerships; and new perspectives on community-building and positive structural change within the field of visual art.

Teiger Foundation affirms the importance of visual art and experimental practice to culture and society at large, and therefore positions its work in support of racial justice and against white supremacy, in support of free expression, and towards an equitable transition from fossil fuels amidst the climate crisis.

Hosting Grant

Grants of up to $75,000 support US-based curators or artistic directors presenting a contemporary visual art exhibition or project that originated elsewhere within the distinct context of their own institution and community. Teiger Foundation aims not only to support new ideas but also to cultivate resource-sharing and collective learning within the field of contemporary visual art. We recognize that hosting exhibitions or projects on tour allows institutions to expand their programming in economical and sustainable ways while also building on existing knowledge in ways that resonate with diverse local contexts.

This grant category is intended to provide funding for host curators to present pre-existing exhibitions or projects. Originating curators seeking support for exhibitions or projects that they intend to tour, or for other forms of inter-institutional collaboration, should apply for a single project grant.

(Note: In 2023, the category called "hosting" was known as “touring.”) 

Please consult our FAQ for information on how applications are evaluated.

Background

Teiger Foundation supports contemporary visual art with a primary focus on curators.

It honors the vision of founder David Teiger, who, in his lifetime, championed professionals who pursued their own paths in making exhibitions, leading organizations, conducting research, and pursuing other aspects of curatorial practice. 

In dialogue with artists and other art workers, curators are thinkers and leaders who play multiple and changing roles in their organizations and communities. Teiger Foundation’s goal is to support these activities and their continued reinvention. 

Acknowledging uncertainty, fear, and loss in a time of enormous change, Teiger Foundation is committed to experimentation and creativity in exhibitions and programs; widely varied, innovative curatorial research and partnerships; and new perspectives on community-building and positive structural change within the field of visual art. 

Teiger Foundation affirms the importance of visual art and experimental practice to culture and society at large, and therefore positions its work in support of racial justice and against white supremacy, in support of free expression, and towards an equitable transition from fossil fuels amidst the climate crisis.

Climate Action Focus

Teiger Foundation is committed to contributing to a just transition to a world without fossil fuels. We are currently developing a pilot Climate Action program whose goal is to offer tailored support for visual art curators and organizations to embed climate-consciousness into both their daily operations and programmatic missions.

Over the next two years, we will work in partnership with our grantees, current and future, to shape and adapt this program. We have already begun working in various ways with our current grantees, the non-profit members of PACT, and through their efforts understand more every day about how people in contemporary visual art can contribute to urgent climate action.

Taking into account how scale and scope influence the climate impact of different organizations, we believe that sustainable ways of mounting projects, hosting visitors, and supporting staff and artists can be modeled, built in community, integrated into mission, and clearly and creatively communicated.

We invite applicants to our current call for proposals to indicate their interest in participating in the Climate Action pilot.

Background

Teiger Foundation supports contemporary visual art with a primary focus on curators.

In dialogue with artists and other art workers, curators are thinkers and leaders who play multiple and changing roles in their organizations and communities. Teiger Foundation’s goal is to support these activities and their continued reinvention.

Acknowledging uncertainty, fear, and loss in a time of enormous change, Teiger Foundation is committed to experimentation and creativity in exhibitions and programs; widely varied, innovative curatorial research and partnerships; and new perspectives on community-building and positive structural change within the field of visual art.

Teiger Foundation affirms the importance of visual art and experimental practice to culture and society at large, and therefore positions its work in support of racial justice and against white supremacy, in support of free expression, and towards an equitable transition from fossil fuels amidst the climate crisis.

Curatorial Research Grant

These opportunities were developed through conversations with curators working in the field, and aim to address gaps in the art funding sector. Organizations of any size can receive up to $50,000 for projects.

We support curatorial research including costs related to travel, convenings, and collaborative investigations around critical issues leading up to an exhibition or other project. As part of this grant, we also offer institutional support for curators to take leave to conduct this research.

We do not require that research projects lead to an exhibition. A research grant award does not guarantee additional support for resulting exhibitions, though such projects will be eligible for future consideration.

We only support visual arts projects. We do not support exhibitions in the fields of film, design/decorative arts, or architecture unless they have a significant, defining visual art framework.

Funding can support the development, realization, interpretation, and documentation of exhibitions, related public programs and publications, as well as microsites and other online components of an on-site project.

Background

Teiger Foundation supports contemporary visual art with a primary focus on curators.

In dialogue with artists and other art workers, curators are thinkers and leaders who play multiple and changing roles in their organizations and communities. Teiger Foundation’s goal is to support these activities and their continued reinvention.

Acknowledging uncertainty, fear, and loss in a time of enormous change, Teiger Foundation is committed to experimentation and creativity in exhibitions and programs; widely varied, innovative curatorial research and partnerships; and new perspectives on community-building and positive structural change within the field of visual art.

Teiger Foundation affirms the importance of visual art and experimental practice to culture and society at large, and therefore positions its work in support of racial justice and against white supremacy, in support of free expression, and towards an equitable transition from fossil fuels amidst the climate crisis.

Programming Grant

We provide support for three years of programming at a smaller organization with an annual budget below $3.5 million.

We only support visual arts projects. We do not support exhibitions in the fields of film, design/decorative arts, or architecture unless they have a significant, defining visual art framework.

Funding can support the development, realization, interpretation, and documentation of exhibitions, related public programs and publications, as well as microsites and other online components of an on-site project.

Our three-year grants up to $150,000 can include support for print or digital publications related to the proposed exhibition(s) or project(s). Publications should reflect informed decisions about whether and how to make a book, a website, or deploy another digital medium such as a podcast, live or edited video interview, etc. Traditionally, publications have extended the life of an exhibition and brought it a wider audience. Our aim is to empower curators to retain control over how their work exists online, and drive innovation around methods for doing so.

Teiger Foundation is committed to supporting innovation in curatorial practice and structural change in the field of contemporary art. Curators and artworker-led organizations engaged in change making initiatives that further the discourse or conditions around art, exhibitions, and museums can apply for our  three-year grants. Eligible activities include research, experimentation, organizing, or coalition-building efforts.

Background

Teiger Foundation supports contemporary visual art with a primary focus on curators.

In dialogue with artists and other art workers, curators are thinkers and leaders who play multiple and changing roles in their organizations and communities. Teiger Foundation’s goal is to support these activities and their continued reinvention.

Acknowledging uncertainty, fear, and loss in a time of enormous change, Teiger Foundation is committed to experimentation and creativity in exhibitions and programs; widely varied, innovative curatorial research and partnerships; and new perspectives on community-building and positive structural change within the field of visual art.

Teiger Foundation affirms the importance of visual art and experimental practice to culture and society at large, and therefore positions its work in support of racial justice and against white supremacy, in support of free expression, and towards an equitable transition from fossil fuels amidst the climate crisis.

Single Project Grant

We provide support for a single project at a non-profit exhibition space with an annual budget above $3 million.

We only support visual arts projects. We do not support exhibitions in the fields of film, design/decorative arts, or architecture unless they have a significant, defining visual art framework.

Funding can support the development, realization, interpretation, and documentation of exhibitions, related public programs and publications, as well as microsites and other online components of an on-site project.

Our single project grants up to $150,000 can include support for print or digital publications related to the proposed exhibition(s) or project(s). Publications should reflect informed decisions about whether and how to make a book, a website, or deploy another digital medium such as a podcast, live or edited video interview, etc. Traditionally, publications have extended the life of an exhibition and brought it a wider audience. Our aim is to empower curators to retain control over how their work exists online, and drive innovation around methods for doing so.

Teiger Foundation is committed to supporting innovation in curatorial practice and structural change in the field of contemporary art. Curators and artworker-led organizations engaged in change making initiatives that further the discourse or conditions around art, exhibitions, and museums can apply for our single project grants. Eligible activities include research, experimentation, organizing, or coalition-building efforts.

Background

Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative responds to the growing number of cities around the world embracing art as an effective and relatively low-cost strategy to activate their streets.

While cities incorporate art into public spaces in a variety of ways, the focus of this initiative is what we’re calling asphalt art: visual interventions on roadways (intersections and crosswalks), pedestrian spaces (plazas and sidewalks), and vertical infrastructure (utility boxes, traffic barriers, and underpasses).

Goals

The Asphalt Art Initiative grant program is designed to fund visual art on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure in cities with the following primary goals:

• Improving street and pedestrian safety
• Revitalizing and activating underutilized public space
• Promoting collaboration and civic engagement in local communities

Eligible Projects

Reflecting the larger grant size in this latest round, proposed projects should be ambitious arts driven street designs with the goal of catalytic improvements to a key location in the city. Improving road safety, especially for pedestrians and cyclists, must be a component of all proposals. Applicants may demonstrate the intended impact through a variety of approaches:

• Critical Intersections:
  • Enhancing safety, mobility, and access in crossings with concentrated pedestrian, bicycle, and/or vehicular traffic
• Major Corridors:
  • Transforming one or more important streets to enhance the walking or cycling network, including significant reallocation of space for non-motorized transportation
• Signature Destinations:
  • Improving access to culturally, historically, or otherwise significant locations at the neighborhood or civic scale
• Large New Public Spaces:
  • Creating or activating plazas or other pedestrian space with amenities such as seating, greenery or space for cultural programming
• Catalysts for Future Projects:
  • Launching or expanding ongoing programs or policies (g., Vision Zero safety program, plaza program, etc.) in the city or the region

Selection Criteria

Competitive proposals must clearly demonstrate:

• Impact
  • The chosen site is significant to the city (e.g., central location, concentrated pedestrian and vehicular traffic, cultural or regional significant).
  • The proposed project addresses a relevant and meaningful challenge faced by the identified site, the surrounding neighborhood, or the city (e.g., traffic safety, underutilized or insufficient public space, etc.), with a particular emphasis on road safety for pedestrians and/or cyclists.
  • The proposed project clearly benefits the local community and engages residents stakeholders in its planning, development, execution, and post-installation activation.
  • The proposed intervention would produce sufficient, appropriate metrics to determine success.
• Viability
  • The characteristics of the proposed site (e.g. physical layout, traffic or pedestrian volume, neighborhood context) are such that the proposed intervention has a high likelihood of success.
  • The project team and partners have the necessary authority and expertise to oversee a project of this nature.
  • The project has demonstrated support from city and community stakeholders, through existing partnerships or a thoughtful outreach/engagement plan.
  • The proposed budget and timeline are realistic and demonstrate notable in-kind city support.
• Quality & Visual Interest
  • The process for artist selection and design development is well-defined and appropriate for the proposed project, and will be overseen by someone with appropriate expertise.
  • If the artist has already been selected, the chosen artist has demonstrated creative skill and the potential to develop a visually compelling design.
  • The surface being painted is in good repair or there is a reasonable plan to repave or otherwise treat it to be receptive to the chosen materials.
  • The proposed maintenance plan is realistic and lays out clear responsibilities for keeping the mural maintained for at least two years.

Funding

The program will award 10 cities grants of up to $100,000 each, as well as on-call technical assistance from the tactical urbanism firm Street Plans and impact evaluation support from Sam Schwartz Consulting.

About The Memorial Trust

In 1975, two years after his death, The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust was established in New York. The four original trustees were a member of the Snow family, a lawyer, a publishing associate and a corporate trustee, the Irving Trust Company, now BNY Mellow N.A.. The current Trustees continue this legacy being well aware of the donor and his beliefs, values and ideals. The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of program areas. They meet once a year, usually in June.

The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust

The Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within specific geographic regions of the United States across a range of program areas (prioritized below and visually depicted here) while responding to the ever-changing needs of various segments of the population, especially to the needs of youth and people who are disadvantaged economically, emotionally, or physically.

Dating back to the inception of the Trust in 1973, the primary and overarching grant making priority has been and continues to be programs that focus on education.

• Education: Targets funds to organizations that provide educational opportunities or academic assistance to individuals who demonstrate an intellectual aptitude and a financial need. Examples include scholarships, fellowships, academic tutoring or counseling, literacy, and journalism.

Secondarily, the Trust considers proposals within the areas of Arts and Culture, Community Initiatives, and Youth Programs. The Board’s objective is to extend the primary educational focus by providing funding support within these additional program areas.

• Community Initiatives: Provides funding for programs or services that directly improve the quality of life within the geographic focus areas that we serve. Examples include support for libraries, food pantries and shelters, and neighborhood revitalization. Generally, the Trust does not seek proposals for health care initiatives or animal welfare programs.
• Arts and Culture: Offers grants that promote arts education and appreciation, particularly for young adults, via the development of educational curriculum and professional instruction including visiting artists and performance support for targeted populations.
• Youth Initiatives: Offers grants that provide character education or enrichment opportunities via mentoring or after-school programming

As a third priority, the Trust does consider proposals in the areas of Disabilities and Universal Access, Environmental, and Historic Preservation. As these are not core focus areas, funding is often limited. Priority will be given to proposals with an educational focus.

• Disabilities and Universal Access: Offers grants to organizations in complying with ADA requirements within their facilities (e.g. elevator, handrails, automatic doors, and ramps) or offering services targeted for individuals with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities.
• Environmental: Provides funds for organizations that strive to protect strategic parcels of land and bodies of water as well as programs that educate the general public on key environmental issues such as conservation and water management.
• Historic Preservation: Provides funding for organizations that preserve historical artifacts (e.g. sites, structures, objects) and accounts (e.g. events), and educate the greater community on their significance. Examples include museums, historical societies and educational programming.

ROSS MERRILL AWARD

The Ross Merrill Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections honors institutions in North America that have shown an exemplary and sustained commitment to conservation and collections care through interpretation, research, scholarship, education, and/or public outreach.

Criteria

• Nominators should provide evidence of the nominee’s sustained and exemplary commitment to the preservation and care of its collections through description of its conservation and preservation activities, special programs and involvement of conservation professionals in decision-making processes. Providing evidence of how the organization has broadened its community’s understanding of the goals of conservation and the importance of preserving cultural property through its conservation activities can strengthen a nomination.

• Nominators can be any individual within or outside the organization, although when the nomination comes from outside it is useful if the nomination package includes a letter from the institution's director. Letters of support are welcome, and are most appropriate when they come from outside the organization and from individuals knowledgeable about conservation.

Guidelines

• Nominations should show evidence of involvement of senior conservation professionals who are recognized by their peers, such as Fellows or Professional Associates of the American Institute for Conservation. Nominators should demonstrate this by including a brief (one page or less) summary of the professional credentials of key conservation professionals and describe the role they have played at the institution.
• Nominations should show evidence of a systematic approach to long-term planning for collections care. Nominators can demonstrate this by descriptions of maintenance plans, condition surveys, future treatment priorities, staffing plans, disaster preparedness guidelines, or storage redesign and upgrades.
• Nominations should show evidence of community impact and involvement. Nominators can demonstrate this by fundraising efforts, volunteer programs, or educational activities with community groups and schools.
• Nominations should show evidence of outreach in the form of websites, radio and television coverage, or local newspaper articles.
• Nominations should show evidence of attempts to recruit support from multiple financial and or personnel resources.
• Nominations should show evidence of exemplary work and achievements. This award seeks to recognize organizations and programs that can be held up as models for others to emulate.

Many successful applicants submitted for several award cycles. Re-submissions, particularly with updated information, are always welcome.

Award

This award does not come with any monetary compensation.

Our History

Andy has spent a lifetime developing and building sustainable communities. He has expertise in regulatory guidelines, leveraging money, and visionary leadership. His integrity and work ethic have produced communities that continue to thrive on their own beyond his personal or business involvement, both economically and aesthetically. His patience and appreciation for nature come from years of working with recreational athletic teams and hunting in remote areas.

Jan has spent a lifetime in community service with a focus on responsible, fiducially sound leadership practices. Her consensus-building leadership style has developed through involvement in educational cultural arts initiatives, public park and environmental endeavors, and church leadership. Her creative vision coupled with her ability to appreciate and empower volunteers has helped reshape the groups and organizations she has been a part of.

Together, Andy and Jan have raised three children in the Wake County Public School System, always conscious of building community through consistent involvement in Parent-Teacher Associations, church, youth sports leagues, the local business community, and civic organizations. They are North Carolina natives with a global perspective drawn from extensive travel, both nationally and internationally.

Jandy is based on the biblical foundation where two come together to make one. The name is a visual representation of how they have partnered their life for their children and how they would like to partner with groups in the future. They believe in hard work, personal responsibility, integrity to the project and process, avoiding missed opportunities, and doing their absolute best with the resources they’ve been given.

They’ve now created a family Foundation, blending their talents together, to build a Foundation that inspires emulation based on the best of Jandy – Andy’s vision to leave lasting community assets and Jan’s creativity in bringing volunteers together. They intend to provide resources for like-minded Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) public charities that will share in their mission and help further creative visionary volunteer groups with their capital projects.

Mission and Focus

Jan and Andy Ammons established The Jandy Ammons Foundation in November 2012. The foundation’s mission is to improve local communities through innovative, project-driven endeavors that will enhance wildlife habitats, park settings, educational surroundings, artistic installations, or Christian church mission projects.

Grant Focus

The foundation focuses on specific “shovel ready” standalone projects, including the following:

• Wildlife/conservation/hunting projects
• Educational projects
• Artistic installations
• Christian church mission endeavors
• Park settings/community areas
• Other organizations and projects uniquely within the scope of the Foundation’s mission

Convening Grants

Recognizing current and historical inequities in the presentations and understandings of American art history, we encourage projects across our grant programs that respond to these  imbalances and exclusions. To expand histories of American art, we seek projects that are committed to inclusive and equitable research and creative practice; generate new scholarship and interpretive frameworks; employ critical methodologies and innovative models; and/or engage diverse partners and audiences. In addition, we lend support for projects that build on existing initiatives at institutions engaged in transforming or complicating how the story of American art is told.

Priorities

The foundation supports visual arts projects that question and broaden understandings of American art and transform how stories of American art are told. We encourage projects that:

• generate knowledge and interpretive frameworks that reflect the range and complexity of American art and its histories through the diversity of artists represented, voices included, and stories told
• center artists, scholars, and communities who have been systemically excluded from narratives, practices, and presentations of American art
• commit to inclusive and equitable practices across project development and implementation in order to lead to structural change

What We Fund

Convening grants are typically between $10,000 and $25,000, unless an award outside this range is warranted by unusual circumstances. Up to $5,000 of an awarded grant may be used for resulting proceedings or publications, whether online or printed; funds for this purpose need to be spent within one year of the event. Up to 20% of a Terra Foundation grant may offset direct administration costs; and up to 15% of a grant may be applied to indirect costs.The Terra Foundation prefers not to be the sole outside contributor to an event.For convenings and education programs connected to permanent collection reinstallations or temporary exhibitions, please apply through the Collections Grants and Exhibitions Grants, respectively. Please contact us if the timing of your convening does not meet the requirements of these programs.

Frankenthaler Climate Initiative

Since its inception in 2021, the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative has distinguished itself as the foremost private national initiative in the United States dedicated to combating climate change specifically within the visual arts sector.

To date, the FCI has awarded over $10 million in grants to visual arts institutions—part of a five-year, $15-million commitment to tangible climate change action.

Building on the core values of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, the initiative aligns a commitment to environmental stewardship with a belief in the vital importance of the visual arts and arts education.

Through strategic funding, partnerships, and public programming, the FCI aims to catalyze a sector-wide shift toward carbon-neutral operations, promoting a future where the visual arts thrive—while contributing to a more sustainable and ecologically conscious world.

Catalyst Grant

Catalyst Grants support first actions, small spaces, or stand-alone projects with a quick turnaround. 

Mission

Founded in 1956, the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts fosters the development and exchange of diverse and challenging ideas about architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society. The Graham realizes this vision through making project-based grants to individuals and organizations and producing exhibitions, events, and publications.

Grantmaking Focus

Architecture and related spatial practices engage a wide range of cultural, social, political, technological, environmental, and aesthetic issues. We are interested in projects that investigate the contemporary condition, expand historical perspectives, or explore the future of architecture and the designed environment.

We support innovative, thought-provoking investigations in architecture; architectural history, theory, and criticism; design; engineering; landscape architecture; urban planning; urban studies; visual arts; and related fields of inquiry. Our interest also extends to work being done in the fine arts, humanities, and sciences that expands the boundaries of thinking about architecture and space. In an effort to bridge communities and different fields of knowledge, we support a wide range of practitioners (such as architects, scholars, critics, writers, artists, curators, and educators) and organizations (such as non-profit galleries, colleges and universities, publishers, and museums).

Open discourse is essential to advance study and understanding, therefore our grantmaking focuses on the public dissemination of ideas. With our support, the work of individuals and organizations reaches new audiences, from specialized to general, and creates opportunities for critical dialogue between various publics.

Priorities and Criteria

For organizations, funding priorities are to:

• Assist with the production and presentation of significant programs about architecture and the designed environment in order to promote dialogue, raise awareness, and develop new and wider audiences
• Support efforts to take risks in programming and create opportunities for experimentation
• Recognize the vital role organizations play in providing individuals with a public forum in which to present their work
• Help organizations to realize projects that would otherwise not be possible without Graham Foundation support

Overall, the Graham Foundation is most interested in opportunities that align with the above priorities, further the mission of the Foundation, and enable critical support at key points in the development of a project or career.

Criteria for Evaluation

Projects with the greatest potential for funding directly connect to the Graham Foundation's mission to explore ideas in architecture and fulfill the following criteria:

Originality: the project demonstrates an innovative, challenging idea; critical, independent thinking; advanced scholarship; a new or experimental approach

Potential for impact: the project makes a meaningful contribution to discourse and the fields of architecture and design; expands knowledge; is a catalyst for future inquiry; raises awareness of an understudied issue; promotes diversity in subject matter, participants, and audience

Feasibility: the project has clear and realistic goals, timeframe, work plan, and budget

Capacity: applicant possesses strong qualifications and/or knowledge; demonstrates ability to carry out the project successfully; has access to necessary resources outside of the grant request

Grant Types

The Graham Foundation offers Production and Presentation Grants to organizations. 

These grants assist organizations with the production-related expenses that are necessary to take a project from conceptualization to realization and public presentation. These projects include, but are not limited to, publications, exhibitions, installations, films, new media projects, conferences/lectures, and other public programs. 

Projects must have clearly defined goals, work plans, budgets, and production and dissemination plans. 

Grant amount:

Production and Presentation Grants to organizations do not exceed $30,000 and are likely to be much less. Given the demand for funding, the Graham Foundation is not always able to fund grantees at the full request amount. 

Grant period:

Production and Presentation Grants must be completed within two years of the project start date. Applicants should allow sufficient time to plan, implement, close out their project, and, if funded, acknowledge Graham Foundation support in all published media.

Applications for Publication Support: Unless the applicant is a publisher, an organization applying for a publication grant must have a committed publisher for the work, confirmed by a signed publication agreement.

The Foundation actively supports the advancement of the visual arts through an extensive artist-centered grantmaking program. Our aim is to encourage and facilitate the production of original work that expands and enhances the contemporary art field. Our grants serve the needs of artists by funding the arts organizations and cultural institutions that support them. The grants we provide cover the full spectrum of artistic activity, from grassroots happenings at alternative spaces to contemporary exhibitions at major museums, and every phase of the creative process, from conception and production, to presentation and documentation.

To help grantees best respond to the changing needs of artists in a continuously evolving contemporary art field, we have designed our grantmaking program to support a wide range of opportunities. Project grants are awarded for substantial curatorial endeavors such as solo or group exhibitions, which often involve commissioning new bodies of work and the production of scholarly catalogues. Program grants are generally made over a period of two years to support a combination of exhibitions, public programs, residencies, convenings, publishing projects, networking and other opportunities for creative growth and exploration.

While the Foundation encourages new and groundbreaking approaches, our mission is focused on art that is anchored in the visual, with the understanding that such work can vary widely in format, medium, style, subject, concept, tone, and intention. Above all, we actively support projects that challenge the status quo and push the field in new directions through risk-taking and experimentation—the twin engines that drove Warhol himself.

The Foundation is committed to fostering a more equitable and inclusive contemporary art field—one that reflects the broader population of the United States—and we encourage proposals that highlight artists and communities that are underrepresented in the cultural sector and beyond. We welcome a variety of organizations to apply, but grant recipients must have 501(c)(3) status. The Foundation does not award grants for projects that specifically relate to Warhol’s life or work

Types of Grants

The Foundation offers three types of grants—Curatorial Research Fellowships, Exhibition support, and multiyear program grants. We also serve the needs of artists through an invitational Regional Re-granting program and two ongoing Special Initiatives: Creative Capital and the Arts Writers Grant.

Grants are made on a project basis to curatorial programs at museums, artists’ organizations, and other cultural institutions to originate innovative and scholarly presentations of contemporary visual arts. Projects may include exhibitions, catalogues, and other organizational activities directly related to these areas. The program also supports the creation of new work through regranting initiatives and artist-in-residence programs. The foundation values the contributions of all artists, reflecting the true diversity of the contemporary art field, and encourages proposals that highlight women, artists of color, and under-represented practitioners.

Scholarly research undertaken in the field of contemporary art is funded through Curatorial Research Fellowships. Curators at any stage of their careers are eligible to apply and must have the formal support of an insitution and its director. It is assumed that research will lead to a significant exhibition, though this is not a requirement. Generally these fellowships are for projects with long lead times and may involve significant travel. Grants to curators do not preclude separate proposals from sponsoring institutions in any given grant round.

Grants are also made to support efforts to strengthen areas that directly affect the context in which artists work. In 2006 the Foundation formally designated one of its grants The Wynn Kramarsky Freedom of Artistic Expression Award to recognize the work of organizations with a deep-seated commitment to preserving and defending the First Amendment rights of artists. Named in honor of the Foundation’s former Board Chair, the grant rewards outstanding advocacy, legal, and curatorial efforts on behalf of those whose rights to free expression have been challenged.

The foundation believes that freedom of expression is a core principle of an open and enlightened democracy. It welcomes proposals from artist-centered organizations that share this belief, reject bigotry of any sort, and promote inclusive dialogue regarding social, political, cultural, and economic issues affecting not only artists but all people.

Mission

In accordance with Andy Warhol’s will, the mission of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts is the advancement of the visual arts. The Foundation manages an innovative and flexible grants program while also preserving Warhol’s legacy through creative and responsible licensing policies and extensive scholarly research for ongoing catalogue raisonné projects. To date, the Foundation has given nearly $300 million in cash grants to more than 1,000 arts organizations in 49 states and abroad and has donated 52,786 works of art to 322 institutions worldwide.

Curatorial Research Fellowships

Proposals are accepted from 501c3 arts organizations on behalf of curators at any stage of their careers, with or without institutional affiliation, working towards projects that will manifest at least two years after a grant is made.

A letter of support from the director of the sponsoring organization must accompany the proposal.

Grants are up to $50,000 and are intended to cover expenses incurred during the research and development stage of an exhibition, public-facing project, or other visual arts-based initiative that contributes in an original way to contemporary visual arts discourse.

Proposals should present the topic for which research is being undertaken in narrative form. It can be helpful to discuss the origin of the applicant’s interest in the topic, the work undertaken to date; it is expected that projects will evolve over the course of the research and outcomes need not be predicted. It is important to situate the research project in relation to historical and contemporary art precedents and practices.

Strong proposals explore topics that are understudied and artists whose practices (or aspects of whose practices) are experimental, hard to categorize, and otherwise less well known to the general public.

Mission

The Terra Foundation for American Art is dedicated to fostering exploration, understanding, and enjoyment of the visual arts of the United States for national and international audiences. Recognizing the importance of experiencing original works of art, the foundation provides opportunities for interaction and study, beginning with the presentation and growth of its own art collection in Chicago. To further cross-cultural dialogue on American art, the foundation supports and collaborates on innovative exhibitions, research, and educational programs. Implicit in such activities is the belief that art has the potential both to distinguish cultures and to unite them.

TFAA: Exhibition Grants

Recognizing current and historical inequities in presentations and understandings of American art history, the Terra Foundation encourages temporary loan exhibitions that address these imbalances and exclusions at institutions worldwide.

Terra Foundation Exhibitions grants provide support for organizations to plan and present temporary exhibitions drawn primarily from works not in their permanent collections.

To be considered, visual art projects should focus on arts of the United States, including Native American arts. The projects we support can be focused on historical or contemporary art. Contemporary art projects should offer a reflective and critical engagement with histories, arts, and/or art histories associated with American contexts.

Priorities and Goals

The foundation supports visual arts projects that question and broaden understandings of American art and engage in transforming how the story of American art is told.

We encourage projects that:

• generate knowledge and interpretive frameworks that reflect the range and complexity of American art and its histories through the diversity of artists represented, voices included, and stories told
• center artists, scholars, communities, and audiences who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color as well as narratives that have historically been excluded from American art
• commit to inclusive and equitable practices across project development and implementation in order to lead to structural change

We also encourage multilingual written materials if possible and where relevant to the project and/or its audiences.

What We Support

The Robert Lehman Foundation operates exclusively in the field of the visual arts. Grants are made to leaders in the field of the visual arts as well as innovative newcomers – museums, arts organizations, educational institutions and other cultural organizations – with the goal of enhancing the role of the visual arts within American and world culture. The Foundation supports museum exhibitions, art education programs, scholarly publications and art history lectureships that complement the strengths of the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and advance the goal of identifying the Foundation with serious scholarly and creative endeavors. The art education programs we support share the goal of providing art education to underserved communities that have insufficient access to any type of arts learning. The Foundation believes that access to the arts improves the lives of individuals and communities.

Exhibitions

In the past, the Foundation primarily supported visual arts exhibitions that in some way complemented the strengths of the Robert Lehman Collection in Early Renaissance through Impressionist Art. In recent years, the scope of support for exhibitions has been expanded to include projects whose intellectual content and scholarly contributions advance both classical and contemporary art.

Art Education

We support programs that share the goal of providing art education to underserved communities, especially those having insufficient access to arts learning. Support for these endeavors stems from the Foundation’s strong belief that access to the arts creates opportunities that improve the lives of underserved people and communities.

Art Lectureships

The Edwin L. Weisl, Jr. Lectureships in Art History, provides Colleges with the opportunity to enrich their art history curricula by inviting noted art historians and/or artists to lecture on a topic related to at least one course offered in that particular semester. The Program’s ultimate goal is to extend the exposure of students, faculty and the surrounding community to the ideas of noted professionals in the field of the visual arts to whom they would otherwise not be afforded access.

Capital Projects

On occasion the Foundation provides funding for capital projects to museums and other cultural organizations. The Foundation supports impactful capital programs that meaningfully further the mission of an organization, expand cultural programming and increase access to new and diverse audiences.

About Us

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture - AFAC was founded in 2007 through the initiative of Arab cultural activists as an independent foundation to support individual artists, writers, researchers, intellectuals, as well as organizations from the Arab region working in the field of arts and culture. Since its launch, AFAC’s programs have steadily expanded to cover cinema, photography, visual and performing arts, creative and critical writings, music, documentary film, in addition to funding research, trainings and cultural events. Based in Beirut, AFAC works with artists and organizations all over the Arab region and the rest of the world.

Creative and Critical Writings

AFAC’s Creative and Critical Writings grant provides support to critical arts and culture writing, children’s and youth literature (including both adaptation and original work), graphic novels, short stories and poetry, in addition to analog and digital publishing platforms. The final product must be in Arabic.

The Creative and Critical Writings grant program provides annual grants of up to USD 20,000 for individuals and teams, and up to USD 35,000 for collectives and institutions.

What Does The Grant Cover

AFAC grants are intended for project production, including research and development phases. They may cover project-related expenses, including but not limited to materials, space or equipment rentals, and fees for artistic and technical labor and collaboration.

An artist or institutional fee of not more than 30% of the total grant amount is also an allowable expense. If you are hesitant about how this works, you can always contact us with questions before submitting your final budget.

Given the high demand for production support, AFAC cannot guarantee that all selected grantees will receive their requested amounts in full. We encourage applicants to diversify their sources of funding whenever possible.

AFAC does not offer mobility grants, but travel expenses that are part of a project’s implementation and/or research may be covered by the grant.

AFAC will not provide support retroactively to projects that have already been completed.

For projects that have already started, we cover only expenses occurring after the agreement's signature date.

AFAC launches two open calls every year for its different grant programs. The first is open to applications for Creative and Critical Writings, Documentary Film, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts grants. The second call is open to applications for Cinema, Music, Documentary Photography and Training & Regional Events grants. Each applicant (individual or institution) can only submit one application during each open call.

See FAQs for additional guidelines.

About Us

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture - AFAC was founded in 2007 through the initiative of Arab cultural activists as an independent foundation to support individual artists, writers, researchers, intellectuals, as well as organizations from the Arab region working in the field of arts and culture. Since its launch, AFAC’s programs have steadily expanded to cover cinema, photography, visual and performing arts, creative and critical writings, music, documentary film, in addition to funding research, trainings and cultural events. Based in Beirut, AFAC works with artists and organizations all over the Arab region and the rest of the world.

Visual Arts

AFAC’s Visual Arts grant supports the production and exhibition of painting, sculpture, photography, installations, video and sound art, art publications, and multimedia works.

The Visual Arts grant program provides annual grants of up to USD 20,000 for individuals and teams, and up to USD 35,000 for collectives and institutions.

When the grant from AFAC exceeds ten thousand dollars yet only covers a portion of the project’s overall budget, the grantee is obliged to raise 70% of the remaining budget in order to be awarded the grant. In the event that the grantee is unable to procure 70% of the remaining project budget within 90 days of receiving the grant, the latter will be canceled.

What Does The Grant Cover

AFAC grants are intended for project production, including research and development phases. They may cover project-related expenses, including but not limited to materials, space or equipment rentals, and fees for artistic and technical labor and collaboration.

An artist or institutional fee of not more than 30% of the total grant amount is also an allowable expense. If you are hesitant about how this works, you can always contact us with questions before submitting your final budget.

Given the high demand for production support, AFAC cannot guarantee that all selected grantees will receive their requested amounts in full. We encourage applicants to diversify their sources of funding whenever possible.

AFAC does not offer mobility grants, but travel expenses that are part of a project’s implementation and/or research may be covered by the grant.

For projects that have already started, we cover only expenses occurring after the agreement's signature date.

AFAC launches two open calls every year for its different grant programs. The first is open to applications for Creative and Critical Writings, Documentary Film, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts grants. The second call is open to applications for Cinema, Music, Documentary Photography and Training & Regional Events grants. Each applicant (individual or institution) can only submit one application during each open call.

About Us

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture - AFAC was founded in 2007 through the initiative of Arab cultural activists as an independent foundation to support individual artists, writers, researchers, intellectuals, as well as organizations from the Arab region working in the field of arts and culture. Since its launch, AFAC’s programs have steadily expanded to cover cinema, photography, visual and performing arts, creative and critical writings, music, documentary film, in addition to funding research, trainings and cultural events. Based in Beirut, AFAC works with artists and organizations all over the Arab region and the rest of the world.

Performing Arts

The Performing Arts grant is open to classical, folk, and experimental theatre for all age groups including children and youth; dance performances, including but not restricted to contemporary dance; public intervention performances, street art, live art, interactive and site-specific format, documentary theatre, and festivals. It also supports playwriting, acting, directing, dancing, and choreography workshops.

The program provides annual grants ranging from a few thousand U.S. dollars up to a maximum of 25,000 U.S. dollars for individuals and teams and 35,000 U.S dollars for institutions and collectives.

Cultural Grant

To foster goodwill and a strong bond of friendship between the people of the United States and the people of the Republic of Indonesia, the Foundation awards grants for projects and activities in the performing, visual and literary arts. We look to support individuals and groups of distinction who further cultural ties between the United States and Indonesia and whose programs will benefit and appeal to a wide range of audiences. Our emphasis is on activities in the United States.

Funding

Grants are in the range of $1,000-$5,000

About Us

The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture - AFAC was founded in 2007 through the initiative of Arab cultural activists as an independent foundation to support individual artists, writers, researchers, intellectuals, as well as organizations from the Arab region working in the field of arts and culture. Since its launch, AFAC’s programs have steadily expanded to cover cinema, photography, visual and performing arts, creative and critical writings, music, documentary film, in addition to funding research, trainings and cultural events. Based in Beirut, AFAC works with artists and organizations all over the Arab region and the rest of the world.

Music Grant

AFAC’s Music grant supports music production, performances, collaborations, album recordings, music-related podcasts, and festivals.

The Music grant program provides annual grants of up to USD 25,000 for individuals and teams, and up to USD 35,000 for collectives and institutions. If the amount you are granted is more than USD 10,000 but does not cover your full project budget, you will be asked to show proof that you have secured at least 50% of the remaining budget and can continue with the project. 

Radical Imagination

Grant awards of $50,000 for one year are provided to individual artists, artist cooperatives, or small nonprofits who are deeply engaged with their communities to inspire and develop radical, alternative visions for the future and who are emphasizing solution building for Indigenous/Racial Justice.

This includes Artists, Creatives, Culture-bearers, Storytellers of any genre who are at any stage of their work life, but must have momentum, be visionary, and on a journey within a movement; have demonstrated experience in producing or co-designing community art projects; experience in managing funds, including any tax obligations; and a willingness to participate in broader community dialogue or participatory research.

Reimagining a better world through radical artistic visions.

The Radical Imagination Artists Grant offers power-building resources to visual and performance-based artists, writers, filmmakers, storytellers, and other creatives who are deeply engaged with their communities to develop alternative visions that inspire the Indigenous movement towards a new future and just world for all people and Mother Earth.

Radical Imagination Artists Grant Intent

The grant provides direct support to 10 individual Indigenous artists, artist collectives, or small non-profits for the development and amplification of their work. We believe in the ability of Indigenous creatives to radically imagine and develop alternative visions that inspire the Indigenous movement towards a new future and just world for all people and Mother Earth.

Radical Imagination Artists Grant supports efforts to:

Defend

Propose solutions to dismantle structural racism while defending the air, land, waters, and Indigenous rights.

Develop

Imagine and practice justice within their communities while working to build a just world for all people and Mother Earth.

Decolonize

Reclaim Indigenous lifeways while amplifying community voices to dismantle inequitable systems.

Documentary Fund

The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund supports the work of nonfiction filmmakers from around the globe. In a changing media landscape, the fund has been a stable, progressive force in supporting work that has expressed the world in creative, complex, beautiful, and provocative ways, and has created real cultural and social impact around some of the most pressing issues of our time. We are proud to sit at the center of this burgeoning creative field with the Documentary Fund, which offers (non-recoupable) support for nonfiction projects that continue to elevate and advance cultural dialogue and break new ground in creativity and innovation. In its ongoing search for artists and projects to support, the Documentary Fund is seeking filmmakers with a distinct voice and vision, and a meaningful connection to the work they create. We are especially keen to raise the voices of underserved or underrepresented communities from around the world in the service of building a more fair, free, and open society.

Grant Categories

• Development (up to $40,000):
  • There is no reel required with an application, but access to location and characters must be confirmed. The proposal should clearly articulate a potential direction for the project and ask questions that would indicate a layered and nuanced approach. Mood reels, stills, or some visual references for or depiction of the project in development are recommended. Prior work samples are strongly recommended for development applications.

• Production/Post-production (up to $100,000):
  • Production grants provide funds to projects that are able to deliver to us at least 10 minutes of edited material. At least 20 minutes are required for post-production grants. The reel should convey the narrative and aesthetic approach for the final film.

Collections Grants

Recognizing current and historical inequities in presentations and understandings of American art history, the Terra Foundation encourages permanent collection projects that address these disparities and exclusions at institutions worldwide. 

Terra Foundation Collections Grants provide support for organizations to reinterpret and re-present their collections through reinstallations or temporary exhibitions drawn from their permanent collections. 

The Terra Foundation encourages proposals from organizations (e.g., museums, art centers, and community-based cultural organizations) of varying sizes and annual budgets and representing the full spectrum of geographic regions, within and outside the United States. 

Priorities and Goals 

The foundation supports visual arts projects that question and broaden understandings of American art and engage in transforming how the story of American art is told. We encourage projects that:

• generate knowledge and interpretive frameworks that reflect the range and complexity of American art and its histories through the diversity of artists represented, voices included, and stories told
• center artists, scholars, communities, and audiences who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color as well as narratives that have historically been excluded from American art
• commit to inclusive and equitable practices across project development and implementation in order to lead to structural change

We also encourage multilingual written materials when possible and relevant to the project and/or its audiences.

The Ford Foundation seeks to reduce inequality in all of its forms, and artist-driven documentary and emerging media projects are crucial to this effort. As part of the Creativity and Free Expression program, JustFilms funds social justice storytelling and the 21st-century arts infrastructure that supports it. The projects and people we support inspire imaginations, disrupt stereotypes, and help transform the conditions that perpetuate injustice and inequality.

What we do

We believe that artist-driven moving image storytelling is vital to the pursuit of justice and equity in the 21st century. To flourish, storytellers and their networks need aligned creative, financial, and professional support, as well as distribution systems that enable them to reach a wide range of audiences. Historically, the field of independently produced film and emerging media has been under-resourced—and affordable, reliable access to the work for audiences remains a challenge.

To address this, JustFilms supports ideas, individuals, institutions, and networks that work to reduce inequality through film, video, and emerging media platforms, with a special focus on documentary practices. We strive to increase resources in the field, develop artists as leaders, and connect storytellers with the tools and talent they need to do their best work, amplify their message, and extend the impact of their projects.

JustFilms projects are inspired by courageous individuals and undaunted communities seeking justice. These powerful stories expand opportunities for civic engagement and affirm the central role of cultural strategies in social transformation. Our strategy is informed by the foundation’s long history of supporting independent documentary film, public media institutions, artists, and freedom of expression—all of which have had a profound effect on the public consciousness.

JustFilms inquiry

JustFilms supports independent film and emerging media projects that explore urgent social justice issues and seek to challenge inequality in all its forms. We also support the organizations and networks that help further these projects. Funds are distributed in two areas, social justice storytelling and 21st-century infrastructure, which together aim to transform pervasive narratives that produce and maintain inequality, and attract more resources for artist-driven creative visual storytelling around the world.