Before Applying: 

  • Carefully read this page as well as the Artist Professional Development Grant homepage (click for link)
  • All applicants MUST have a conversation with the foundation before submitting a proposal. This includes reapplication by past grant recipients.
    • To arrange an appointment to discuss your proposal please email info@greatmeadowsfoundation.org
  • 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 January 24, 2025)
  • Submissions that have not been through this process will be disqualified without exception.

What You Need to Know

What We’re Looking For

In writing your application remember that this grant program aims primarily to strengthen the level of critical discourse and practice among artists in the region through travel that supports a growth in knowledge and engagement with contemporary art, and creates opportunities to build connections. Applications that are geared simply to promoting and exhibiting the applicants work or whose primary purpose is commercial, such as seeking gallery representation, or which are primarily focused on technical skills workshops or art classes will be not be considered. An application whose primary destination is a commercial art fair, such as Art Basel Miami, will not be considered. An application whose primary goal is the study of historical art will not be considered. An application whose primary purpose is research specifically geared toward the production of a body of work or exhibition will not be considered. This is not a project research grant nor an exhibition support grant.

Application Process

When applying, we want you to be ambitious, to go beyond business as usual and think how this proposal will advance your knowledge and engagement with contemporary art discourse. Think, for example, about major contemporary art exhibitions or art events that can critically inform your practice, or conferences and residencies that will allow you to connect and build discursive relationships with other creatives. Research what is going on in the contemporary art world nationally and globally and consider what and how this can be important for your development as an artist.

The application is about your work, so write your proposal in the first person. We recommend that you first compose and correct the narrative sections before copying and pasting them into the relevant boxes. Once you have completed the narrative ask a friend to look over your material. Having a second eye on your proposal can help make sure that your intentions read clearly. In parts 1, 2, and 3 of the application (see Section A below) in each section you will be able to enter up to a maximum of 1500 characters, including spaces. Make sure your texts fall within this parameter, otherwise your application will be incomplete and void. Please also note that, without exception, late applications will not be considered.

Review Process

Great Meadows Foundation “Artist Professional Development Grants” are awarded on the recommendation of a professional in the field from outside of the region. The recommender takes into account: the quality of the applicant’s work; the proposal’s relevance to the program guidelines; the ambition of the proposed itinerary; specific goals and identified contacts detailed in the proposal; the ability for the travel to positively benefit the critical growth of the artist’s career; how detailed and realistic the budget is.

Application Overview 

Grant Amount

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

Grant Purpose

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

Application Process

        • 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
        • The application consists of 4 parts
        • Note that sections 1, 2, and 3 each allow you to write a total of 1,500 characters (including spaces) per section.

Preparing Your Application

SECTION A 

        • Part 1

          • Give a brief outline of your practice. Use this box in your application to give some background about your work your artistic concerns, your subject matter, your process, your influences and your artistic intentions.
          • Be concise and clear and don’t be wordy. Contextualize what you do and the ideas you address. Avoid “art jargon”. Remember you are describing your work to someone you don’t know.
          • Remember that the reviewer will be reading this response in relation to the images of your work that are included in the application. They will be looking to see how clearly what you say fits with what they see.
          • Maximum 1500 characters including spaces.

        • Part 2

          • Give a detailed and clear description of your plan of activities
          • Include how many days your travel will take.
          • Let us know where you want to go, the dates you want to go, what you want to see or do, and who you want to to see or connect with.
          • If you are planning to attend an event let us know what the significance of this event is.
          • If you plan to meet other professionals let us know who they are.
          • Maximum 1500 characters including spaces.

        • Part 3

          • Give a brief description of why you want to undertake this travel.
          • What is the significance of the travel destination or event for you as an artist?
          • How will you benefit from visiting this destination or event, seeing the work of and/or meeting individuals you have identified?
          • What will be the impact upon your practice as an artist when you return to Kentucky?
          • Maximum 1500 characters including spaces.

        • Part 4

          • Use the budget boxes to provide a clear and realistic itemized budget with a detailed listing of travel, lodging and meal costs, and other related expenses.
          • Give the dates you will travel and list the number of nights you will need lodging.
          • If you are traveling by car, use the government mileage rate per mile.
          • Consider carefully whether it would be more efficient to travel by air or rail. For instance, in some cases a destination city may be easier to navigate with public transport than to drive around.
          • When considering costs for flights, hotels/AirBnB, and meals costs think about what would be realistic if you were spending your own money and use this as a guide in your request.
          • If you are using funds from other sources as well, let us know as this will help the reviewer understand your request more clearly. For instance, you may be using your own funds to make up a shortfall in funding or you might have other grants to help support your proposal.
          • The budget is a key aspect of your application because it shows what resources you need and how they will be used.
          • It should be well researched and detailed.
          • The reviewer will look at your budget to determine if your activities have been well thought out, and if they are realistic. They will also refer to your budget when recommending funding amounts for awarded grants.

SECTION B | CV 

        • Submitted as a PDF form
        • Submit in CV form. Do not send as a biography or resume
        • Maximum 1 page
        • Use only Arial font 12 pt. and single line spacing
        • Write only your name, “CV”, and website address (or Instagram handle 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.
        • Be selective and include the most important and significant exhibitions and other references to give a view of your history as a professional artist 

SECTION C | Images

        • Submit a 10 page Pdf with one work on each page
        • If you wish to include a detail, please put it on the same page
        • If you wish to show different aspects of a 3D work, put two images on the same page
        • Images should show applicant’s recent work
        • For large works or installations, find a way to demonstrate this, for instance by including a person in the shot
        • Make sure the images are clear and in-focus
        • Images do not have to be hi-res, but should be clear and sharp when you look at them on a computer screen
        • Artists whose practices are time based may use each page to list a link to a work
        • On each page list ONLY the relevant title, date, medium and dimensions of the work (or length of time based work)
        • The complete Pdf should not exceed 4mb
        • Note: If you get a X in a red box, you may have exceeded the 4mb file limit. Uploading a new, smaller, Pdf document will remove the previous one

Review Process

  • Artist Professional Development Grants are awarded on the recommendation of a professional in the field from outside of the region
  • The recommender takes into account:
    • The quality of the applicant’s work
    • The clarity of the applicant’s description of their practice
    • The proposal’s relevance to the program guidelines
    • The ambition and detail of the proposed itinerary
    • Specific goals and identified contacts detailed in the proposal
    • The ability for the travel to positively benefit the critical growth of the artist’s career
    • How realistic and detailed the budget is

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.

Restrictions

  • Artists who are awarded a grant in any given cycle must skip 1 cycle before being eligible to apply again. (see Re-application Rules above)
  • Artist who have not submitted Final Reports from previous grant cycles will not be considered.
  • Applications that are focused on promoting and exhibiting the applicant’s work or whose primary purpose is commercial, such as seeking gallery representation, or which are primarily focused on technical skills, workshops, or art classes will not be considered. 
  • An application whose primary destination is a commercial art fair, such as Art Basel Miami or Paris Photo, will not be considered.
  • Applications to support the remainder of a project that started before the implementation date will not be considered.
  • This is not an exhibition support grant.
  • This is not a project research grant.
  • This is not a grant for research specific to the production of work.
  • If you have not had a meeting or conversation with the foundation before applying, your submission will be disqualified.

Final Report

    • Upon completion of their grant, 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 foundations reserves the right to audit receipts relating to a final submitted budget.
    • Failure to submit a final report in the given time frame can affect your eligibility to apply in future grant rounds.

Notes

  • The foundation is keen to support applicants and we are happy to discuss your application with you and offer our advice. 

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 | Closed
    • 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 | Closed
    • Application Deadline: Midnight EST on Sunday October 13, 2024
    • Notification Date: November 10, 2024
    • Grant Implementation Period: December 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025
  • Round 27 | Current
    • Application Deadline: Midnight EST on Sunday February 9, 2025
    • Notification Date: March 9, 2025
    • Grant Implementation Period: April 1 – September 30, 2025
  • Round 28 | Future 
    • Application Deadline: Midnight EST on Sunday June 8, 2025
    • Notification Date: July 7, 2025
    • Grant Implementation Period: August 1, 2025 – February 28, 2026
  • For details of this and future grant cycles click this link: Notes for Applicants.