Deadline: 1-Dec-20
VIA Art Fund and Wagner Foundation partnered in 2019 to establish a $1 million Incubator Grant Fund with an aim 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.
The VIA Art Fund recognizes 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.
They seek to support small visual arts organizations whose activities are rooted in programs, platforms and/or initiatives that embrace innovation, progress, and risk; who champion new, diverse and/or overlooked artistic voices; who attract and serve expanded audiences; and who cultivate new avenues of thought leadership. qual instalments of $20,000 per year over the two years.
The VIA Art Fund shares the belief that:
- Art has the power to engage, challenge, inspire, and transform individuals.
- Local arts organizations play a critical role in creating inclusive and supportive communities, and expanding access to creativity and well-being through engagement with the arts.
- A geographically diverse and programmatically dynamic network of small arts organizations cultivates innovative and creative artistic voices and is vital to the overall health of arts in the United States.
- Small arts organizations face considerable challenges in attracting and sustaining both capital and human resources.
Funding Information
- 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.
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.
- In some cases, VIA will consider grant requests for funding from start-up organizations, or artists’ initiatives at a nascent stage of development. 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.
- 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.
Assessment Criteria
- Artistic Production: They champion the production of new work – from creation to exhibition, documentation, and dissemination – that reflects artistic excellence and innovation.
- Thought Leadership: They support the work of both established and emerging voices in contemporary art that brings 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: They 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.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/38eXcJZ
