Deadline: 3 February 2020
Wagner Foundation and VIA Art Fund are seeking Letters of Inquiry for its 2020 Incubator Grant Fund that aims to develop innovative programming, expand access to the arts, encourage artistic excellence, and, ultimately, contribute to a more inclusive culture.
The fund aims to build a robust and inclusive national arts ecosystem by awarding unrestricted funding to small nonprofit visual arts organizations throughout the United States, with a particular focus on regional diversity.
Funding Information
The VIA/Wagner Foundation Incubator Grant Fund provides two-year general operating support (that may also be directed towards a specific initiative) for small visual arts organizations across the United States. Each year, five organizations will receive a grant of $40,000, which will be disbursed in equal installments of $20,000 per year over the two years.
Core Values & Assessment Criteria
- Artistic Production: Champion the production of new work – from creation to exhibition, documentation, and dissemination – that reflects artistic excellence and innovation.
- Thought Leadership: Support the work of both established and emerging voices in contemporary art that bring new knowledge and dynamic avenues of understanding to the field. The creative output of these thought leaders generates entry points for dialogue and collaboration and fosters vital intellectual exchange.
- Public Engagement: Promote work that penetrates social, cultural, geographic, and economic barriers to inspire and educate diverse and expanded audiences. These initiatives act as platforms for inquiry and investigation, generating meaningful collective experiences for the public.
Eligibility Criteria
- Incubator Grants may be awarded to U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit visual arts organizations.
- Organizations or artists’ initiatives that do not have 501(c)(3) status may submit an application through a fiscal sponsor. The fiscal sponsor must submit the grant application.
- VIA does not award grants to international entities within the Incubator Grant Fund.
- VIA will consider grant requests for funding from independent, start-up organizations, or artists’ initiatives at a nascent stage. However, the organization must demonstrate clear objectives and robust engagement with diverse constituents.
- Organizations with an annual operating budget of up to $1.5 million are eligible to apply for a grant.
- Incubator Grant Fund recipients may not apply for renewed funding at the conclusion of their grant period.
- Organizations that were invited to submit an application, but were unsuccessful in a previous cycle must wait two years before submitting another LOI.
For more information, visit http://www.wfound.org/via-art-fund-incubator/