ARTIST GRANT

Next Grant Cycle 

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Artist Professional Development Grants are focused on supporting and forwarding the careers of Kentucky visual artists. This grant program promotes the growth and development of visual art in Kentucky by helping improve the critical skills, resources, knowledge, and connections of artists, furthering their careers by encouraging them to engage with the broader contemporary art world and raising the bar for art being produced in the region. Developing artists’ awareness of and participation in the national and international contemporary art world, this program aims to strengthen the level of discourse and practice among artists in the state.

Am I Eligible?

Applications 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.
  • Not currently be a student
  • Have held their primary residence in the GMF region for at least twelve 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.
  • Previous grant recipients must miss one round before reapplying, dependent upon having submitted the final report for their last grant.

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) or the search for commercial gallery representation.
    • Need help discerning whether your intended destination is commercial? Read our “Art Fairs, Expos, Exhibitions, Festivals, Biennials, Oh My!” Blog Post
  • GMF will not consider applications whose purpose is 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.

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 outside of the region to explore partnerships or co-productions. 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.
  • Travel and expenses relating to artist residencies outside the region.

Application Guidelines

  • Before applying please read the Applications FAQ page
  • Before applying, all applicants must have a conversation with foundation Director Julien Robson or Assistant Lindsey Cummins. Grant inquiries can be sent to director@greatmeadowsfoundation.org (cc info@greatmeadowsfoundation.org)
  • Applicants will be asked to submit proposals that clearly identify goals, benefits and outcomes
  • Preference will be given to those who aim to connect with individuals and groups outside of the region that can critically benefit their practice.

Grant Range

Grants range between $500 and $6,000.

Application Process

  • All applications must be submitted online through the GMF website.
  • 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.

Supporting Documentation

  • Professional CV
    • CV should detail exhibitions, etc., in Pdf. form.
    • Maximum 1 page. (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.
    • 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.
  • 10 Images of Work
    • Images should show applicant’s recent work
    • Photos should be in .jpeg format
    • Each .jpeg should be 300 dpi and no larger than 400KB.
    • Bear in mind that if your work is on a large scale you should demonstrate this in the submitted images.
  • 1 Page List of Images
    • A one page “List of Images” for the 10 submitted images
    • This must be in pdf. Form
    • PDF must list
      • Title
      • Date
      • Medium
      • Dimensions
      • If necessary, a short description of what is seen in the image.
    • (Use Arial font 12 pt.)
    • Please write only your name and “List of Images” at the top of this page.

Note: Artists whose practices are time based should contact the director of the foundation at info@greatmeadowsfoundation.org to discuss the submission of work samples.

Deliverables

  • Grantees must submit a final 1-2 pages report
    • Please use Arial font 12 pt.
    • Describing your itinerary and activities
    • Detailing what was gained through the travel
    • Outlining present and future outcomes
  • Grantees must submit a one-page final budget
    • Detailing expenses relating to the grant event by the Final Report date specified in the grant cycle.
    • The foundation reserves the right to audit receipts relating to a final submitted budget.

Deadlines

  • (add grant cycle dates for upcoming calendar year)

Questions

If you have a question about applying for funding we invite you to email us at info@greatmeadowsfoundation.org

CURATOR GRANT

Cycles & Deadlines:

The program does not have specific deadlines and accepts applications throughout the year. Curators are advised to contact the foundation before submitting an application in order to discuss their proposal with the foundation director. To arrange a meeting, contact Julien Robson at info@greatmeadowsfoundation.org

The Curator Travel Grants program is available to contemporary art curators in the Great Meadows Foundation catchment area. The program helps contemporary art curators travel outside of the region in order to begin research, develop their professional skills, and to build connections and network with other professionals. The goal is to enrich the contribution curators bring to support the region’s artistic development. Of particular interest to the foundation is how the proposed travel will contribute to and support the intellectual and aesthetic growth of Kentucky’s contemporary artist community.

The Great Meadows catchment area includes the 120 counties of Kentucky, and Floyd and Clark counties in Indiana.

Am I Eligible?

  • Applicants must be professional curators of contemporary art who have worked in the field for at least twelve calendar months. Students may not apply.
  • Independent curators must have held their primary residence in the GMF catchment area for at least twelve calendar months.
  • Institutional curators must be employed as contemporary art curators by institutions in the GMF region.
  • Artists who also work as curators may not apply for “Artist” and “Curator” grants in the same calendar year.
  • Grant recipients must wait 90 days after submitting their final report before being eligible to apply again.
  • Restrictions
  • Travel within the GMF catchment area will not be supported
  • Support cannot be given for projects, such as collaborations or exhibitions, that are already in progress.

Encouraged

  • Travel to see specific art exhibitions and events and to meet with colleagues. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate that travel will help create connections and strengthen their practice. Travel within the region will not be supported.
  • Travel to meet with colleagues outside of the region to explore partnerships, co-productions, and the development of projects. 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 presenters at a conference, seminar, or symposium.

Application Guidelines

Grant Range

Grants range between $500 and $3,000

Application Process

  • All applications must be submitted online through the GMF website

Supporting Documentation

  • Enclosed documents should be in Pdf. form, using Arial font 12 pt.
    Applicants should send a short proposal (1 to 2 pages), describing the purpose of the travel and including an expenses budget. Outline the itinerary and proposed dates of travel, what you wish to see, who you wish to meet and how the travel will impact your curatorial practice, as well as what you wish to achieve.
  • Additionally applicants should submit a one page short bio, or cv, or resume.

Deliverables

  • Grantees must deliver a final report (1 to 2 pages in Pdf. form) within 30 days of completing the travel itinerary. Describe the itinerary and what was gained through the travel, its benefit to the artist community in Kentucky, as well as present and future outcomes.
  • Grantees must also submit a final budget (maximum 1 page in Pdf. form), detailing expenses relating to the travel.

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READ BEFORE YOU APPLY

Before Applying

Remember that this is a grant program that 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.

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.

Consider the following:

  • What major contemporary art exhibitions or art events can critically inform your practice?
    What conferences and residencies 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.
    For help navigating the art world, see our Resources page

Preparing Your Application

  • Your application consists of 4 parts:
    1. Section A: Written
    2. Section B: CV
      • 1 page maximum
      • PDF format
    3. Section C: 10 Images of Work
      • .jpeg format
    4. Section D: Image List
      • A list detailing image titles, mediums, and dimensions for your 10 images
      • 1 page maximum
      • PDF format
  • All parts must be submitted electronically here
  • For PDFs, please use Arial font 12 pt. and single line spacing.
    The application is about you and what you want to do, 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.
  • Section A parts have a maximum of 1500 characters, including spaces. Make sure your texts fall within this parameter, otherwise your application will be incomplete and void.

SECTION A

Outline of your practice

  • Use this box in your application to give some background about your work, your artistic concerns, interests, and intentions.
  • Be concise and clear and don’t be wordy. Contextualize what you do and the ideas you address.
  • 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 what you say fits with what they see.
  • Maximum 1500 characters including spaces.

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.

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, and 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.

Budget Boxes

  • Use the budget boxes to provide a clear and realistic itemized budget
    Include a detailed listing of travel, lodging and meal costs, and other related expenses.
  • Give the dates you will travel and list the nights you will need lodging.
  • If you are traveling by car, use the government mileage rate per mile. However, 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. Kayak is a useful resource for budgeting travel.
  • 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

  • You should submit one page about yourself in the form of a CV.
  • Do not send this as a biography or resume.
  • Format as Arial font 12pt. with single line spacing.
  • At the top of the page put your name and your website address.
  • Do not waste space putting your e-mail, address and phone number on this form — If you do these will be deleted before sending the form to the grant Reviewer.
  • Your CV can include your educational training, give a list of exhibitions you have participated in, and awards and residencies you have received.
  • Remember to list the year relating to exhibitions in your CV.
  • List public collections that have acquired your work, important awards, and cite references to reviews about your work.
  • Be selective and include the most important and significant exhibitions and other references to give a view of your history as a professional artist and so as not to exceed the one page limit.

SECTION C

  • Submit 10 images of your work.
  • Try to concentrate on work you have done recently.
  • Do not waste images showing details of works.
  • 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 should be submitted as jpegs and should measure maximum 10 x 8 inches at 300 pixels/inch resolution – each jpeg should not exceed 400KB.
  • Save the folder of images in .zip format before uploading to the Great Meadows Foundation website.
  • Note: Artists whose practices are time based should contact the director of the foundation at info@greatmeadowsfoundation.org to discuss the submission of work samples.

SECTION D

  • Limited to one page, make a list of the 10 images.
  • Number each image and give the title, mediums, and dimensions in inches (height before width before depth).
  • If necessary, also give a short description of each image.
    Make sure to put your name at the top of the page.

2021 and 2022 GRANT DEADLINES

Artist Professional Development Grants will run three overlapping cycles each year. Below are the details of the current and future cycles.

  • (add grant cycle dates)

Application 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.

  • Artist Professional Development Grants are adjudicated by a professional adviser from outside 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 realistic the budget is.

Restrictions

  • Artists who are awarded a grant in any given cycle must skip one cycle before being eligible to apply again
  • Artist who have not submitted Final Reports from previous grant cycles will not be considered
  • Applications that are geared simply to 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, will not be considered. This is not an exhibition support grant.

Notes

The foundation is keen to support applicants and we are happy to discuss your application with you and offer our advice. We recommend you have a conversation with the director of the foundation, in person or by phone, before applying. To arrange an appointment to discuss your proposal please contact Julien Robson at director@greatmeadowsfoundation.org (cc info@greatmeadowsfoundation.org)