Best Grants for Visual Artists in Minnesota

The Edna Haberle Visual Arts Scholarship, administered by the East Texas Communities Foundation, supports graduating seniors from Cherokee County and surrounding East Texas counties who plan to pursue a major in visual arts. This scholarship emphasizes the importance of education in achieving dreams and considers financial need, requiring FAFSA submission. Applicants must demonstrate artistic potential and commitment to their field of study to be eligible for this one-year support opportunity.

The Frances Cowan Gibson Fine Arts Scholarship, offered by the East Texas Communities Foundation, supports graduating seniors and current college students pursuing visual arts. This scholarship emphasizes the importance of education in achieving artistic ambitions. Applicants must be from Smith County and are not required to demonstrate financial need. It rewards students dedicated to their artistic studies, allowing them to continue their education in visual arts at any college in the United States.

The Robert Graves Art Scholarship honors a dedicated educator and artist, Robert Graves, who passionately supported young artists. Open to students from Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties pursuing higher education in visual arts, this scholarship encourages creativity and artistic growth. Applicants must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and submit original artwork. This initiative not only fosters individual talent but also contributes to the cultural enrichment of the community.

The Black Visual Arts Archives initiative, funded by the Getty Foundation, aims to enhance access to collections related to Black artists. This ongoing grant program supports projects that survey, process, and digitize archival materials while promoting public engagement through exhibitions and community events. By fostering awareness of Black contributions to the visual arts, the initiative strengthens the preservation of cultural heritage and encourages collaboration among libraries, universities, and community organizations.

The Getty Foundation's Connecting Art Histories initiative enhances global art historical scholarship by fostering intellectual exchange among scholars, particularly in underrepresented regions. This ongoing grant program supports seminars and workshops that connect over 1,000 early to mid-career researchers from diverse areas, including Africa and Latin America, to promote collaborative research and career development. The initiative not only builds professional networks but also aims to strengthen the discipline of art history by addressing geographic and political barriers.

The Joan Mitchell Fellowship supports 15 US-based artists in painting and sculpture with $60,000 over five years. It offers crucial financial resources, skills development, and community building. The fellowship also includes workshops, consultations, and opportunities for residencies, particularly for those in their fourth year or beyond. The program emphasizes diversity, encouraging nominations from underrepresented artists to foster a rich cultural discourse in the arts.

The Artists and Culture Bearers in the Schools grant by the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council aims to enhance the arts curriculum in K-12 non-religious schools by providing students opportunities to collaborate directly with artists and culture bearers during school hours. This initiative not only supports artistic growth but also fosters a deeper appreciation for cultural expression within the community. Grant amounts range from $2,000 to $4,000, and applications are accepted until funding is exhausted.

The Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC) provides project support grants for individual artists and culture bearers in its 11-county region. These grants, ranging from $2,000 to $6,000, aim to foster creativity and public engagement through various artistic disciplines. Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, and reside in the SEMAC region. The program encourages innovative projects that involve the community, ensuring accessibility and meaningful interaction with the public.

The J.R. Simplot Company Foundation Grant supports U.S. non-profit organizations focused on art, education, youth, community, and global food and agriculture. Established in 1929, the foundation is committed to enhancing community welfare through creative cultural endeavors, educational initiatives, health services, and youth programs. Applications are reviewed quarterly, ensuring a timely response to organizations dedicated to making a positive impact in their communities.

The Visual Arts Fund (VAF), established by Midway Contemporary Art with support from The Andy Warhol Foundation, offers $60,000 in grants for artist-organized projects in the Twin Cities metro area. This initiative encourages diverse visual arts projects with public engagement components, including exhibitions, performances, and digital initiatives. The program emphasizes innovative projects that might not otherwise occur, fostering a vibrant artistic community while adhering to specific eligibility criteria.

Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports the artist’s legacy through a variety of initiatives, including exhibitions, loans of artworks, research and publications, conservation, grants, educational programs for the public and the scholarly community, and the publishing of a catalogue raisonné. It is dedicated to promoting greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts.

Established and endowed by the artist during her lifetime (1928-2011), the Foundation became active in 2013, on the closing of Frankenthaler’s estate. As the principal beneficiary of Frankenthaler’s estate, the Foundation maintains an extensive collection of her work in a variety of mediums, as well as her collection of works by other artists and original papers and materials pertaining to her life and work.

Cultural Resilience Grant

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports public engagement with the visual arts through philanthropic, educational, curatorial, and research initiatives. It has expanded its grantmaking to sustain museums and visual arts institutions, supporting exhibitions, scholarship, and education across the field. The Foundation’s grantmaking priorities are currently organized across three areas:

• Climate Action and Sustainability
• Visual Arts & Education
• Cultural Resilience
  • Unrestricted support to sustain institutional capacity and core programming across the visual arts field. 
  • The Foundation provides unrestricted support to organizations whose core work is centered in the visual arts. These grants are intended to sustain exhibitions, programs, and institutional activities; support staffing, operations, and organizational capacity; and to maintain continuity during periods of reduced public funding and broader pressures affecting the arts and culture sector.
    • Cultural Resilience support is not project-based and does not require a defined initiative. 

Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports the artist’s legacy through a variety of initiatives, including exhibitions, loans of artworks, research and publications, conservation, grants, educational programs for the public and the scholarly community, and the publishing of a catalogue raisonné. It is dedicated to promoting greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts.

Established and endowed by the artist during her lifetime (1928-2011), the Foundation became active in 2013, on the closing of Frankenthaler’s estate. As the principal beneficiary of Frankenthaler’s estate, the Foundation maintains an extensive collection of her work in a variety of mediums, as well as her collection of works by other artists and original papers and materials pertaining to her life and work.

Visual Arts & Education Grant

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports public engagement with the visual arts through philanthropic, educational, curatorial, and research initiatives. It has expanded its grantmaking to sustain museums and visual arts institutions, supporting exhibitions, scholarship, and education across the field. The Foundation’s grantmaking priorities are currently organized across three areas:

• Climate Action and Sustainability
• Cultural Resilience
• Visual Arts & Education
  • Project-based support for exhibitions, publications, public programs, and academic initiatives that advance the presentation, study, and interpretation of the visual arts.
  • The Foundation supports discrete, institutionally grounded projects that advance the presentation, study, and understanding of the visual arts. Competitive proposals typically include:
    • Exhibitions, publications, and public programs focused on modern and contemporary art
    • Projects that expand access to collections, archives, and curatorial research
    • Academic and institutional initiatives in art history, studio practice, visual studies, museum and curatorial studies, conservation, and related areas of scholarship and teaching—particularly those involving university museums, galleries, and special collections
    • Conferences, programs, or initiatives led by professional organizations whose missions address the visual arts
    • Exhibitions and scholarly or public programs related to the 2028 centennial of Helen Frankenthaler
    • Projects must be clearly defined in scope, duration, and outcomes, and supported by appropriate institutional capacity. Requests for Visual Arts & Education funds should not be framed as general operating support. 

About

Chicken & Egg Films shapes a more equitable and just world with the catalytic power of documentary films by providing funding, mentorship and industry access to a global community of women and gender-expansive filmmakers. Founded in 2005 by Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, and Judith Helfand, and helmed today by CEO Jenni Wolfson, our goal is to disrupt and dismantle barriers to filmmaking caused by gender bias.

Research & Development Grant

Now in its fourth year, the Research & Development Grant supports filmmakers from around the world who have directed at least one feature-length documentary and are in the research & development stage of their next feature-length film.

With continued grant-making support by Netflix, the Research & Development Grant supports directors to ideate and plan for their next feature-length film. Many filmmakers invest their personal resources into their films and face funding challenges when entering into the research & development stages of new projects. It is hard to secure funding for a new project without significant sample material, yet producing material without external funding can be almost impossible. To address this challenge, the Research & Development Grant provides financial support to directors during a filmmaking stage that is too often unpaid and unsupported. 

A total of $450,000 USD will be awarded in the following grant amounts:

• $10,000 USD grants for Research
• $20,000 USD grants for Development

The final number of Research Grants vs. Development Grants disbursed will be determined during the selection process, based on the characteristics and strength of the applicant pool for each category.

The purpose of the Research & Development Grant is to support projects at the early stages of their lifecycle. If you have already raised a significant amount of capital (over 35% of your film’s total budget) and have shot and/or edited a substantial amount of footage, you may not be competitive for this grant, unless you can demonstrate very specific needs for the project (such as previously overlooked research activity). 

We have separated the Research Grant from the Development Grant to allow early-stage projects to receive support without the need to submit all the deliverables required for projects in the development phase. 

We recognize that each documentary is unique and that processes for research and development, fundraising, and production can vary widely. The information provided here is not intended as strict eligibility criteria, but rather as general guidelines to help applicants understand the stage at which we aim to provide support for projects. 

The 2026 Chicken & Egg Films Research & Development Grant is generously supported by Netflix.

Stark Community Foundation

Since 1963, Stark Community Foundation has been helping individuals, families, businesses and nonprofits like you support the causes you care about.

In addition to personalized donor services, we manage a competitive grantmaking program and award grants to address local needs. Today, the Foundation stewards over 1,000 charitable funds totaling $485 million in assets and has granted more than $300 million to nonprofits in our community and beyond.

Scholarships

Stark Community Foundation is one of the area’s major sources of college scholarship support— thanks to the generosity of caring individuals, families and businesses that have created scholarship funds.

The Foundation currently manages more than 100 scholarship funds that support hundreds of deserving students each year from Stark and Carroll counties.

The Manzer-Keener-Wefler Scholarship Fund

The Manzer-Keener-Wefler Scholarship Fund assists applicants with a field of study in or related to photography, visual arts (including graphic design). 

This scholarship is renewable.

Helen Frankenthaler Foundation

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports the artist’s legacy through a variety of initiatives, including exhibitions, loans of artworks, research and publications, conservation, grants, educational programs for the public and the scholarly community, and the publishing of a catalogue raisonné. It is dedicated to promoting greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts.

Established and endowed by the artist during her lifetime (1928-2011), the Foundation became active in 2013, on the closing of Frankenthaler’s estate. As the principal beneficiary of Frankenthaler’s estate, the Foundation maintains an extensive collection of her work in a variety of mediums, as well as her collection of works by other artists and original papers and materials pertaining to her life and work.

Frankenthaler Climate Initiative

The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI) is a pioneering grantmaking program established by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation. Since its inception in 2021, FCI has distinguished itself as the foremost private national initiative in the United States dedicated to combating climate change specifically within the visual arts sector.

FCI provides visual arts institutions with up to $100,000 to undertake ambitious sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives that directly address carbon reduction and energy efficiency. The scope of its support is broad, encompassing everything from modest, rapid-response projects to comprehensive efficiency audits and feasibility studies, and extending to financial contributions for significant infrastructural renovations and strategic planning for new buildings and major initiatives.

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 and partnerships focused on tangible infrastructure, FCI aims to catalyze a sector-wide shift toward zero carbon operations, promoting a future where the visual arts thrive—while contributing to a more sustainable and ecologically conscious world.

Who We Fund

FCI funds nonprofit institutions in the United States and its territories whose primary focus rests in the visual arts. The visual arts includes but is not limited to painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and installations in clay, glass, metal, wood, fiber, paper, film, and mixed media.

Most of our grantees are art museums, nonprofit galleries, archives, noncollecting institutions, art schools, university museums, and artist-endowed foundations.

What We Fund

FCI funds energy efficiency and clean energy generation projects.

FCI meets arts institutions at every stage of the work, through four kinds of grants:

• Catalyst — first actions and stand-alone projects with a quick turnaround
• Scoping — energy audits and assessments that establish a baseline
• Technical Assistance — detailed planning for technically demanding projects
• Implementation — comprehensive capital work addressing a building's environmental impact at multiple levels

Technical Assistance Grants

Technical Assistance grants support projects that have finished initial assessments, and need procurement and financing support for an identified efficiency project. This may include providing designs, specifications, or fees for working with energy services companies (ESCOs) for project support. These grants also support more complex studies or analysis required for pursuing major implementation projects. At the conclusion of a Technical Assistance grant, the applicant should be sufficiently informed to implement a project.

Margot Eiseman Scholarship Fund

Established to carry on Margot Eiseman's legacy as an artist and educator by helping young artists pursue their dreams of an education and career in art.

Amount: Varies

• $1,000-$3,000

Number of awards:

• Varies

Renewal:

• Must reapply annually by submission of a new application.

About the Chester County Community Foundation

Our Mission

The Chester County Community Foundation connects people who care with the causes that matter, so their philanthropy makes a difference now and forever.

Valerie Lamb Smith Art Scholarship

Mission

The purpose of this fund shall to be to ensure that more Chester County students benefit from art instruction, regardless of family income or the schools they attend.

About Valerie

Valerie Lamb Smith was a dedicated teacher and artist from Newtown Square, PA. She taught oil and watercolor painting to young, aspiring artists at Wayne Art Center. Valerie’s personal work was a chronicle of her own life and observations. She centered her art around time and the lost but recent past. Her work centered around the figurative but was also decorative. Valerie was also a flower painter and at one paint had a large exhibition at Longwood Gardens.

Born in Quakertown, PA on April 26th, 1937, Valerie always had a love for the arts. She attended Solebury School in New Hope, PA and graduated in 1954. She followed her passion to Smith College in Northampton, MA where she studied Art and Art History. Valerie met her husband, Langhorne Smith, while he was a student at Yale University. They married in 1958.

After college, Valerie and Langhorne settled in Pennsylvania where Valerie taught Art at various schools on the Main Line. During this time, Valerie pursued her Masters Degree at The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. Valerie was the proud mother of three children, two sons and a daughter.

Valerie passed away in 1997 after a courageous battle with cancer. Her loving husband, Langhorne Smith, complied with her request that an art fund be established in her name. This fund, supported by her family and close friends and colleagues, helps young people from Chester County explore the world of art, regardless of their families income or the resources of their schools.

The Emily's Hope Scholarship, managed by the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, offers substantial financial aid to local students pursuing higher education in art. With over $500,000 awarded annually, this scholarship targets graduating high school seniors in South Dakota who plan to study visual art. Applicants need to submit an artwork sample and a reference from an art teacher. This scholarship is designed to complement other financial aid, covering tuition and course-related expenses.

The Alaska Community Foundation

The Alaska Community Foundation connects people who care to the causes that make a difference and matter most to them. We encourage and nurture philanthropy through building and managing permanent endowments, convening stakeholders, working with partners to strengthen Alaskan communities, and providing donors with flexible giving options that are strategic to their philanthropic objectives.

Scholarships at ACF

Each year, more than 60 scholarships are available to Alaska students—and it all starts with one simple application. With one login and one application, you’ll be considered for every scholarship you may be eligible for. Whether you’re taking your first step toward college, training for a career, or continuing your education, these scholarships are here to help carry you forward, backed by donors who believe in Alaska’s students and the futures they’re building. 

Alaska Native Students in Arts and Media Fund

The purpose of the Alaska Native Students in Art & Media Fund (ANSAM) is to support Alaska Native students who want to pursue higher education in media and/or visual arts. This includes, but is not limited to photography, videography, journalism, writing, graphic & digital design, drawing, painting. This annual scholarship will provide one student $5,000 to help acquire and build the skills to tell their own personal and cultural stories through visual and other media. The scholarship can be used for university level courses or professional development workshops.

Art League of Hilton Head Island

We are the community catalyst for the visual arts.

For over fifty years, the nonprofit Art League of Hilton Head has been the Lowcountry’s creative core for the visual arts with our innovative Gallery, teaching Academy and special community art events.

Art League sponsors satellite galleries, hosts the Gullah show and brings both traditional and cutting-edge works to our island with CraftHiltonHead, the Biennale National Juried Art Exhibition, special events, lectures, classes, workshops and so much more.

We award an annual scholarship to a local graduating High School senior to pursue a career in the visual arts in addition to sponsoring programs with local schools.

We partner with arts and cultural nonprofits and businesses to benefit residents, visitors and the artists who enrich our community.

Art League of Hilton Head Art Scholarship 

Since the year 2000, Art League of Hilton Head awards a $2000 scholarship to a graduating high school senior studying or living in Beaufort County, who has been accepted into an accredited art school or a college where he/she will be majoring in the visual arts. Only one scholarship will be awarded each year.

The successful applicant will be selected based on an interview, a review of a portfolio and completion of this application. 

In 2025, the Community Foundation of Madison & Jefferson County awarded over $233,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors of the county’s public and private high schools. Nearly 50 different students earned money toward their college costs. Scholarships are available for a variety of applicants. Some are specific to schools, majors, need, or interests.

CFMJC scholarships may be used for tuition and related expenses like fees and required equipment at accredited colleges and universities. Room and board are not covered.

Madison Chautauqua Scholarship for the Arts in Memory of Bob Fourhman

Criteria evaluated:

• Letter of recommendation and artwork samples

Required materials:

• Letter of recommendation from a person knowledgeable about your talent and accomplishments in your art form; and
• An uploaded sample of your work (maximum 3 photos or 1 short video/audio clip)

Scholarship amount:

• $1,200 | 1 scholarship

The NAACP X Society Awards Scholarship

The NAACP x Society Awards Scholarship is one of many funding opportunities available to students through NAACP's Inspire Initiatives. We offer scholarships to outstanding and qualified students pursuing undergraduate degrees. Through the generosity of our donors, we advance efforts to ensure equity in educational opportunity that prepares students for success in school, work, and life.

Scholarship amount: $1,000 to $5,000

This is a non-renewable scholarship opportunity.

The Fugazzotto Scholarship Fund for Visual Arts Students, established by the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, supports Tri-Cities residents pursuing careers in visual arts. This scholarship honors Barbara Fugazzotto's legacy as an art educator, encouraging students to explore their creativity in drawing, painting, ceramics, and graphic design. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5. The scholarship aims to nurture future artists who contribute to the cultural landscape.

Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area

Our Mission

The Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area seeks to ensure that our community thrives today, tomorrow, and forever by building our Community’s Endowment to support high impact charitable projects, helping donors achieve their charitable goals, and leading and partnering in community-level initiatives.

Scholarships

CFHZ awards over $1 million in scholarships each year for students to attend schools of higher education throughout the nation. Our scholarships are possible thanks to the generosity of donors who invest in our community’s future by furthering the education of others.

All Holland/Zeeland area individuals interested in post-secondary education are encouraged to apply for CFHZ scholarships.

The Foundation proudly administers over 100 scholarships, each with unique eligibility criteria that must be met before a candidate can be considered.

Holland Friends of Art Scholarship

• Graduating senior from Black River, Holland Christian, Holland High School, West Ottawa, Zeeland East, Zeeland West, or the Careerline Tech Center
• Enrolling in a 2 or 4-year degree program at an accredited post-secondary school (including vocational/technical school) within the United States
• Financial need, a consideration (encouraged to submit the page of the FAFSA Submission Summary showing the Student Aid Index amount)
• GPA of 2.5 or greater
• Continuing studies in the visual arts either as an art major or art minor
• Recommended by high school visual art teacher
• Potentially renewable for one additional year

The Lynne Goldsborough Yowell Scholarship, managed by the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation, supports students from Madison and Culpeper County public high schools. It is awarded to high school graduates or current college students pursuing an Arts Major, defined as visual arts, music, theater, or culinary arts. Emphasizing academic merit and financial need, this scholarship honors the legacy of Lynne Goldsborough Yowell, a dedicated community advocate.

The Tom Woodward Memorial Visual Arts Scholarship

The Tom Woodward Memorial Visual Arts Scholarship benefits students pursuing postgraduate studies at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university, or trade school. Art is not a required major for eligible applicants. This scholarship is renewable.

Application Requirements:

• High School Transcript, Essay, 3 Pieces of Artwork and References.

Allied Arts Fund

These awards help talented young students further their training in their artistic field. Students must live within the boundaries of the Greater Renton Area or have a Renton address and are between the ages of 12-19. The categories under which a student may apply are all areas of visual or performing arts. Awards may be used for tuition, school fees or academic expenses such as music, lessons, books, painting supplies, etc.

Awards

• $500 - $1000