Deadline: 10 May 2019
VIA Art Fund and Wagner Foundation are seeking Letters of Inquiry for its Incubator Grant Fund that aims to build a robust and inclusive national arts ecosystem by awarding unrestricted funding to small to mid-sized nonprofit visual arts organizations throughout the United States.
The Incubator Grant Fund aims to develop innovative programming, expand access to the arts, encourage artistic excellence, and, ultimately, contribute to a more inclusive culture. They recognize that cultural production takes many forms. Proposals considered for the Fund include local art spaces focused on production and exhibition; artist residency programs; online or print discursive platforms; and curatorial or artists’ initiatives.
Funding Information
- VIA and Wagner Foundation have created a five-year, $1 million Incubator Grant Fund providing two year general operating and/or specific initiative support for small to mid-sized visual arts organizations across the United States.
- Each year, five organizations will receive a grant up to $40,000, which will be disbursed in equal installments of $20,000 per year over a two year period.
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 on behalf of the applicant, and must assume the role of grantee if the application is successful.
- VIA does not award grants to international entities within the Incubator Grant Fund.
- VIA will consider grant requests for funding from independent entities, 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 $2.2 million are eligible to apply for a grant from the Incubator Grant Fund.
- Incubator Grant Fund recipients may not apply for renewed funding at the conclusion of their grant period.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit their Letters of Inquiry in a single PDF file via email at the address given on the website.
For more information, please visit http://www.wfound.org/via-art-fund-incubator/