I get more inquiries than I can count about artists’ grants. 

As you might imagine, grants for artists are not plentiful.  However, I find that many artists that don’t live within 20 miles of a state’s capitol overlook one of their best chances–their state Arts Organization. 

Here is a collection of Arts Organizations across the United States that give artist grants and links to their sites. 

Find a Grant. 

Apply For a Grant.

Get a Grant.

Alabama State Arts Council – The Alabama State Arts Council awards Artist Fellowships of $5,000 for Alabama artists working in crafts, dance, design, media/photography, music, literature, theater and the visual arts. Recipients may use funds to set aside time to create art, improve their skills, or to do what is most advantageous to enhance their artistic careers. Recipients must be residents of Alabama.

Arizona Commission on the Arts – The Arizona Commission on the Arts “Artist Projects” is a programs to support individual artists in all disciplines for project-related costs that allow the artist(s)increased time to research and develop ideas or new works.

California – San Francisco Arts Commission – The San Francisco Arts Commision awards “Individual Artist Commission” Grants of up to $10,000 to individual artists working and living in San Francisco to stimulate the creation and presentation of works of art through out the city.

California – Arts Council Silicon Valley – Up to six fellowships will be given annually to artists living in the Silicon Valley in rotating artistic categories.

California – LEF Foundation – LEF operates within two regional areas: California and New England. Thje LEF California office funds in specific areas of architecture, the environment, and social justice. Grants are made to projects which includean artistic and cultural overlay, and are primarily focused on three geographic areas: California, Hawaii and New Mexico.

Colorado Council on the Arts – Colorado Council on the Arts Artist Fellowships acknowledge artistic integrity and quality among Colorado’s artists and promote public awareness of their work. Artist Fellowship Awards are $2,000 to $18,000.

Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism – Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism Artist Fellowship program is designed to encourage the continuing artistic development of Connecticut’s finest creative artists who are seriously committed to their art form and who have a demonstrated history of professional activity in the state. Twenty to thirty-five awards are made each year in the amounts of $5,000 and $2,500. Visual artists are eligible for this program during odd numbered years.

Delaware Division of the Arts – The Delaware Division of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships are awarded to applicants residing in Delaware for at least one year and at least 18 years of age.

The District of Columbia Comission on Arts and Humanities – The Arts Commission offers funding for the arts in the District of Columbia. The Artist Fellowship Program offers grants to individuals in a broad range of artistic endeavors. Individual fellowships support individual artists who make significant contributions to the arts and who promote the arts in the District of Columbia through artistic excellence. Fellowship artist disciplines rotate on a biannual basis. In 2011, fellowships will be awarded in Media, Visual Arts, and Crafts.

Florida Division of Cultural Affairs – Division of Cultural Affairs for the state of Florida awards grants to individual artists.

Idaho Commission on the Arts – Idaho Commission on the Arts offers grants to individuals.

Illinois Arts Council – The Illinois Arts Council awards grants to individuals for up to $7000

Indiana Arts Commission – Indiana Arts Commission Grants support individual Indiana artists, in all disciplines, for specific project-related costs. Eligible projects are purposely left flexible to respond to the artists’ ideas, dreams, and needs, however, the goal of this program is to aid the artists’ career development.

Iowa Arts Council – Iowa Arts Council provides Major Grants(up to $10,000) and Mini Grants (up to $1,500) to individual artists working in all disciplines, to develop significant and specific projects that will be presented to or shared with the public during or after the grant period. Applicants may request up to $15,000 which must be matched dollar-for-dollar.

Kentucky Arts Council – Kentucky Arts Council offers Individual Artist Professional Development Grants, Folk and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants, and The Al Smith Individual Artist Fellowship Awards.

Arts Kentucky – Arts Kentucky is a statewide membership organization for individual artists, performers, craftspeople, community and arts groups. Providing professional development opportunities, access to resources, consulting services and inclusion in a powerful arts network for people who are working to improve their communities through the arts.

Louisiana Division of the Arts – Louisiana Division of the Arts awards fellowships to individual artists.

Maine Arts Commission – The Maine Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowships are awarded annually, one in each catagory: Visual Arts, Performing arts, and Literary Arts.

Maryland State Arts Council – Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Awards are grants awarded to Maryland artists through an anonymous, competitive prices to encourage and sustain their pursuit of artistic excellence. A limited number of awards of $1,000, $3,000 and $6,000 are offered each year. Different categories of the Visual Arts are awarded in alternate years.

Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowships – The Artist Grants Program provides direct assistance to Massachusetts artists, to recognize exceptional work and to support the further developments of their talents. Fellowship grants of $5,000 are offered in discipline categories which rotate according to fiscal year.

Art Serve Michigan – Art Serve Michigan is not giving out grants at this time, but has a list of other grant opportunities on this webpage.

Minnesota – Five Wings Art Council – The Five Wings Art Council is one of eleven designated Regional Arts Councils in Minnesota who provide grants and services to nonprofit arts organizations and individual artists on a regional basis. The Individual Artist Grants (up to $1,000) are designed to help strengthen an artist’s career by taking advantage of arts related, short term opportunities.

Minnesota – Jerome Foundation – The Jerome Foundation makes grants to support the creation and production of new artistic works by emerging artists, and contributes to the professional advancement of those artists. Open to residents of Minnesota and New York City. Individual grants are available in the visual arts, theater, literature, etc..

Minnesota State Arts Board – The Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grants are a pilot programs that supports and assists artists at various stages of their careers. Grants will be awarded for career building and for the creative development of artists. Some artists may choose to request funds to create new work, but it isn’t a requirement of the program.Grants range from $2,000-$6,000.

Mississippi Arts Commission – The Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Fellowship program is focused on honoring mississippi artists who demonstrate the abilty to create exemplary work in their chosen field The agency awards fellowships up to $5,000 in several catagories each year.

Montana Arts Council – Montana Arts Council offers an Artist’s Innovations Award to honor the innovative ideas, practices and the contributions of Montana artists

Nebraska Arts Council – Nebraska Arts Council offers Artist Fellowships which provide monetary awards to Nebraska artists in various disciplines.

Nevada Arts Council – Nevada Arts Council (NAC) awards Fellowships ($5,000) and “Jackpot” Grants to individual artists in literary, performing and visual arts.

New Hampshire State Council on the Art – New Hampshire State Council on the Arts’ Artist Services Programs offer the following grants to individuals: Individual Artist Fellowships, Artist Entrepreneurial Grants, Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants, and Percent for Art Purchases/Commissions Grants which fund purchases or commissions of art and craft work for state buildings.

New York – Jerome Foundation – The Jerome Foundation makes grants to support the creation and production of new artistic works by emerging artists, and contributes to the professional advancement of those artists. Open to residents of Minnesota and New York City. Individual grants are available in Media Arts, and for travel or study.

New York – Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council – Individual Artist Grants are available to individual artists residing in Warren or Washington County. One grant of $2500 is available for artists who reside in Washington County, and a grant of $2500 and another for $1000 are available to artists who reside in Warren County. These proposals must be for the creation of new art that will impact the community creatively or involve the community in the creative process.

New York Foundation for the Arts – New York Foundation for the Arts Artists’ Fellowships awards grants of $7,000 in sixteen separate disciplines to individual originating artists in New York State. Through Artists & Audiences Exchange, each fellowship recipient performs a public service activity in collaboration with a non-profit organization located in New York State. The Foundation also offers Career Advancement Mini-Grants($100-$600).

North Dakota Council on the Arts – North Dakota Council on the Arts awards Individual Artists Fellowships in the amount of $2,500. In 2003, artists working in the visual arts/crafts and media arts will be eligible for grants.

Ohio Arts Council – The Ohio Arts Council offers several programs for individual artists.

Oregon Arts Commission – Oregon Arts Commission, due to the current state budget crisis, has temporarily suspended awarding the Individual Artist Fellowship Grant. This program may be resumed after the January 2003 election, pending approval by the voters of the State Income Tax Surcharge.

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts – Pennsylvania Council on the Arts offers funding opportunities and services for Pennsylvania artists. Opportunities include individual fellowships up to $10,000 and an annual catalogue of Fellowship Recipients.

Pennsylvania – Leeway Foundation – The Leeway Foundation was established to promote the welfare of women and benefit the arts. Awards to individual women artists are offered in a selected visual or literary discipline each year. Specific grants are available for emerging and established women artists. There is also a Window of Opportunity Grant which help artists take advantage of unique, time-limited opportunities that could significantly benefit their work or increase its recognition.

Pennsylvania – Pew Fellowships in the Arts – Pew Fellowships in the Arts awards grants of $50,000 to artists working in a wide variety of performing, visual, and literary disciplines which rotate on a four-year cycle. The primary function of the fellowships is to free artists from other activities-literally to “buy time”-so they can focus on creative development for an extended period. Up to twelve fellowships are awarded annually to artists living and working in the five-county Philadelphia area.

Rhode Island State Council on the Arts – Rhode Island State Council on the Arts makes direct grants to Rhode Island artists. Grants to individuals include Fellowships and Folk Arts apprenticeships. Proposals for funding for individual artists are also considered.

South Carolina Arts Commission – South Carolina Arts Commission Fellowships recognize and award the artistic achievements of South Carolina’s exceptional individual artists. Six fellowships are awarded each year on a rotation by arts discipline. Fellowship awards are made through a highly competitive process and are based on only one criterion: artistic excellence.

South Dakota Arts Council – South Dakota Arts Council awards several different kinds of grants to individual artists. These are: Artist Grants, Artist Collaboration Grants, and Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Grants.

Tennessee Arts Commission – The Tennessee Arts Commission offers Individual Artist Fellowships and Professional Artist Support grants.

Texas Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County – The Cultural Arts Council of Houston and Harris County offers fellowships that are cash awards of $2,500 and $5,000 for artists who have resided in Houston for at least two full years prior to the application deadline.

Utah Arts Council – Individual Artist Grants (for Utah residents only) for up to $1,200 are available two times annually with deadlines on the 1st day of June and October. For a hard copy, please contact Tay Haines, thaines@arts.state.ut.us, (801) 236-7549.

Vermont Arts Council – The Vermont Arts Council awards Creation Project grants ($3,000), Artist Development grants($250-$1000) to individual artists, Arts Endowment Fund ($1,000-$10,000) for Vermont artists and Vermont Arts Organizations for creation, production of new work and technical assistance.

Virginia Commission on the Arts – Through the Virginia Commission on the Arts a limited number of fellowships with awards of $5,000 are available to professional creative artists living in Virginia. Specific arts disciplines will be eligible for support each year on a rotating basis, depending on the amount of state and federal funding available to the Commission.

Washington Artist Trust – Artist Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated exclusively to supporting Washington State artists working in all creative disciplines. Grants awarded to individual artists are Grants for Artist Projects which awards up to $1,500 to artists to begin, further or complete specific works of art, and Fellowships, which are unrestricted awards of $6,500 to recognize artistic merit and continued dedication to art-making.

West Virginia Commission on the Arts – West Virginia Commission on the Arts annually awards fellowships in various categories of the visual, literary, and performing arts based on the originality, creativity, and accomplishment of previous work, as well as the level of commitment and potential for further growth. Fellowship awards are for $3500. The Commission also awards Professional Development grants to individual artists.

Wisconsin Arts Board – Wisconsin Arts Board’s Artist Fellowship Awards recognize the significant contributions of professional artists in Wisconsin. Fellowships of $8,000 are available, in odd-numbered years, to individual artists working in the Visual Arts and Media Arts.

Wyoming Arts Council – The Wyoming Arts Council awards The Individual Artist Fellowship. This is a competative program and applicants are judged on the merit of their work. The awards are given to recognize outstanding work that is already compeleted.