Artist Professional Development Grants

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Before Applying: 

• Carefully read this page as well as the Notes For Applicants page (click for link)
• All applicants MUST have a conversation with the foundation before submitting a proposal. This includes reapplication by past grant recipients. 
• Requests for a meeting or conversation MUST be made at least 16 days before the grant deadline. (In the current round we cannot accept meeting requests made after May 24, 2024)
• Submissions that have not been through this process will be disqualified.

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Am I Eligible?

Applicants must:

• Reside in the Great Meadows Foundation region which encompasses the 120 counties of Kentucky, and the Greater Louisville area of Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana.
• Be professional visual artists
  • The foundation’s focus is on the visual fine-arts. We do not support commercial art activity including fashion, design, music, or non-fine art photography. We do consider artists whose work incorporates elements of these practices.
• Not currently be an enrolled student including graduate programs.
• Have held their primary residence in the GMF region for at least 12 calendar months before applying and must be current residents of the region at the time of receiving the grant and until their final report of the grant is submitted to the foundation.

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Re-application Rules

• All previous grant recipients must have submitted a Final Report before being eligible to reapply.
• Artists who have received up to 4 grants in this program must miss 1 round before being eligible to reapply.
• Artists who have received 5-9 grants in this program must miss 2 rounds before being eligible to reapply
• Artists who have received 10+ grants in this program must miss 3 rounds before being eligible to reapply.

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Restrictions

• GMF will not fund attendance at art classes, art courses, or technical workshops.
• GMF will not consider applications whose central purpose is attendance at commercial art fairs (i.e. Art Basel Miami, Paris Photo, Frieze, etc) or the search for commercial gallery representation.
• GMF will not consider applications whose central purpose is related to the exhibition of the artist’s work or the production of exhibitions. 
• This grant is not applicable to curatorial projects.
• This program is not open to applications by arts organizations and institutions or commercial art outlets.
• This program is not for the production or making of artwork. While the foundation supports artist residencies this funding does not include costs for materials or for the production of work.
• Applications for travel within the GMF region will not be considered.
• All applications must be submitted online through the GMF website by the relevant deadline.
• Without exception, late applications will NOT be accepted.
  

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Encouraged

• Travel to see contemporary art exhibitions, installations, performance art events, or visual art festivals outside of the region that can help the artist develop a broader knowledge and critical engagement with contemporary art and its concerns.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate that travel will help create connections and strengthen their practice.
• Travel to meet with professional colleagues (such as critics, curators, other artists, etc.) outside of the region to explore partnerships.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who have clear and demonstrable outcomes in mind.
• Travel outside of the region for participation or attendance at symposia, conferences, and seminars relating to the applicant’s practice.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who can outline how travel will support and develop their practice.
  • Special consideration will be given to applicants who are participants at a conference, seminar, or symposium.

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Application Guidelines

Grant Amount

• • • • Grants range between $500 and $6,000.

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Grant Purpose

• • • • For travel that is directly related to a specific issue of central concern to the applicant’s artistic practice.

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Application Process Overview

• • • • Applicants will be asked to submit proposals that clearly identify goals, benefits and outcomes, and preference will be given to those who aim to connect with individuals and groups outside of the region that can critically benefit their practice.
      • All applications must be submitted online through the GMF website portal
        • Applicants should fill out their personal details and complete sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the application page.
        • Give a brief description of your artistic practice.
        • Describe the purpose of the travel and itinerary, where you would go, what you would see or attend, who you would meet or interview.
        • Tell us why this is relevant to your practice.
        • Outline how this travel might impact your practice.
        • Give a researched and detailed budget. Include dates of travel and number of nights in accommodations.
        • Note that sections 1, 2, and 3 each allow you to write a total of 1,500 characters, including spaces, per section.

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Supporting Documentation

• • • • Professional CV
        • Must be submitted as a PDF form
        • Maximum 1 page
        • Must use Arial font 12 pt. and single line spacing
        • Write only your name, “CV”, and website address (if applicable) at the top of this page
        • CV should detail education, exhibitions, publications, residencies, etc.
          • Do not waste space with a logo, your address, email and phone number as these will be removed before your application is forwarded to the outside reviewer.
      • 1 Page PDF of Images  
        • Must be submitted as a PDF form
        • Must use Arial font 12 pt. and single line spacing
        • Images should show applicant’s recent work
        • Include one piece per page
        • Below each piece include:
          • Title
          • Date
          • Medium
          • Dimensions
          • If your work is on a large or small scale you should demonstrate this in the submitted images.
          • If there is an optical illusion or other sort of visual element in the work that requires clarity, you may provide a short description to explain.
          • Artists whose practices are time based may include a link to the work
        • Example PDF

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Deliverables

• • • • Grantees must submit a Final Report via this form
      • Final Reports must be submitted no later than 14 days after the completion of your grant project.
      • The foundation reserves the right to audit receipts relating to a final submitted budget.

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Grant Deadlines 

• Round 24 | Closed 
  • Application Deadline: Midnight EST on Sunday February 11, 2024
  • Notification Date: March 10, 2024
  • Grant Implementation Period:April 1 – September 30, 2024
• Round 25 | Current
  • Application Deadline: Midnight EST on Sunday June 9, 2024
  • Notification Date: July 7, 2024
  • Grant Implementation Period: August 1, 2024 – February 28, 2025
    
• Round 26 | Upcoming
  • Application Deadline: Midnight EST on Sunday October 13, 2024
  • Notification Date: November 10, 2024
  • Grant Implementation Period: December 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025
    
• For details of this and future grant cycles click this link: Notes for Applicants.

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Contact

If you have a question about applying for funding we invite you to email us.