Grant Application for Visual Arts and Film/Moving Image | Creative Capitol | Due March 31st

Creative Capital is fiercely committed to groundbreaking ideas that challenge what art can be. As countless visionary projects selected for the Creative Capital Awards have demonstrated, socially impactful ideas are embedded in the work of forward-thinking artists in a myriad of forms, often with the goal of imagining new forms of living. Social engagement can take shape across disciplines, therefore, we have expanded opportunities for artists to propose socially engaged, multidisciplinary projects in every category instead of isolating socially engaged art as a unique formal category. In keeping with the spirit of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, we too have an expansive definition of “sustainability” that goes far beyond climate change and the environmental challenges we face—including: good health and wellbeing, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, life on land, and peace, justice, and strong institutions.

We invite artists to propose experimental, risk-taking projects in the visual arts, film/moving image, multidisciplinary, and socially engaged forms which push boundaries formally and thematically, and/or venture into wild, out-there, never-before-seen concepts and future universes real or imagined. Ultimately, we seek proposals for groundbreaking new work—including, but not limited to, work that attends to the many relationships between social, economic, and environmental justice, and advances the global dialogue around critical issues impacting the sustainability of artists, our communities, our planet, and beyond.

Artists are invited to propose interesting and innovative new projects for the Creative Capital Awards in the following areas (projects will be evaluated by external reviewers with expertise in the qualifying fields). We invite artists to submit their proposals based on which area experts are most suited and qualified to review the project proposal, with the understanding that radical art is often by nature interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or antidisciplinary. By choosing to apply within a certain disciplinary category, we are asking you to choose how you want to frame the discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are most qualified to evaluate your project proposal.

2024: 50 Grants 

• Visual Arts: including painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, architecture, design, multimedia, installation, video art, new genres, craft, and socially engaged and/or sustainable visual art-based practices
• Film/Moving Image: including experimental film, short film, animation, documentary film, narrative film, and socially engaged and/or sustainable film/moving image-based practices

2023: 50 Grants in Technology, Performing Arts, Literature (Awards Announced)

ROUND I: Tell us your idea. Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

Along with your project title, one line project description (25 words max), project description (250 words max), resume, and artist website (if applicable), please answer the following questions:

1. How does your project take an original and imaginative approach to content and form? Please be as specific as possible. (150 words)
2. Please place your work in context so we may better evaluate it. What are the main influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your current project? Please use concrete examples, which may include other artists’ work, art movements, cultural heritage, science, philosophy, research/work from outside the arts field, etc. (150 words)
3. What kind of impact—artistic, intellectual, communal, civic, social, political, environmental, etc.—do you hope your project will have? What strategies will you employ to achieve the desired impact? (100 words)
4. Who are the specific audiences/communities that you hope to engage through this project? Please think beyond the broader art community where possible. How are you hoping to reach them? (100 words)
5. How might your proposed project act as a catalyst for your artistic and professional growth? In what ways is it a pivotal moment in your practice? (100 words)
6. In addition to funding, Creative Capital also provides scaffolding and support services for awardees (such as expert consultations, gatherings, alumni network, workshops). How would our non-monetary services help you to realize your goals for this project and/or your long-term artistic and professional growth? (100 words)

ROUND II: Project Details

1. Project itemized budget (1 page)
2. Project timeline (1 page)
3. Work samples (see application handbook for guidelines)

ROUND III: Final Panel Review

1. Finalists submit proof of eligibility. Any awarded projects which are directly related to any of the 17 UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Project Drawdown 100 Ways to Reverse Global Warming will have the opportunity to have the “Way” or the icon of that UN Sustainable Development goal attached to their project on the Creative Capital website in effort to advance the global dialogue around these critical issues impacting the future of our communities, our planet, and beyond.

All applications are reviewed by external reviewers who are scholars, curators, artists, past awardees, and experts in the field. The final recommendations for the awards are reviewed and then ratified by our Board. Awardees are announced in January. Under no circumstances will the reasons for the rejection of an application be provided.

2024 Creative Capital Grant Timeline

Artists will be able to submit applications for their projects in Visual Arts and Film/Moving Image. These dates may change.

• March 1 to March 31, 2023: Letter of Inquiries (LOI) accepted
• March 31, 2023 4:00 PM [Eastern Time / New York Time]: LOI deadline
• July 2023: Notification of advancement to Round II
• September 2023: Notification of advancement to Final Panel Review
• January 2024: Public announcement of 2024 Creative Capital Awards

Artist Eligibility

• US citizen, permanent legal resident, or O-1 visa holder
• At least 25 years old
• Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice
• Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree granting program
• May not apply to the Warhol Foundation Arts Writers grant program in the same year
• May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award
• May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year
• Projects that are not eligible:
  • Projects whose main purpose is promotional
  • Project is to fund ongoing operations of existing business
  • Curation or documentation of existing work

Juror Information

Creative Capital invites regional, national, and international experts in a wide range of disciplines to serve in our review process. External reviewers are offered honoraria for their time and expertise. All external reviewer names are confidential until the review process has been completed.

In the past, Creative Capital accepted applications from all disciplines. Why is it moving to different cycles for different disciplines in 2023/2024?
Our national, open call process involves expert reviewers for all artists’ applications. We will have three panels each year focused on each specific discipline. We have also increased the number of awards 43% (from 35 to 50 awards) and we will be able to make more awards in each category with 50 awards per year in 2023/2024 (Creative Capital awarded 35 awards annually across all disciplines between 2020/2021).

If I am an artist working in social practice, what disciplinary category should I choose?
Creative Capital is fiercely committed to groundbreaking ideas that challenge what art can be. As countless visionary projects selected for the Creative Capital Awards have demonstrated, socially impactful ideas are embedded in the work of forward-thinking artists in a myriad of forms, often with the goal of imagining new forms of living. Social engagement can take shape across disciplines, therefore, we have expanded opportunities for artists to propose socially-engaged and/or sustainable projects in every category instead of isolating these categories.

My work spans multiple disciplines. How do I pick just one?
We invite artists to submit their proposals based on which area experts are most suited and qualified to review the project proposal, with the understanding that radical art is often by nature interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or antidisciplinary. By choosing to apply within a certain disciplinary category, we are asking you to choose how you want to frame the discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are most qualified to evaluate your project proposal.

More questions? Check out our extended FAQs or email [email protected]. No phone calls please.