Artists with high-quality portfolios can qualify for both public and private funding.
Thousands of private foundations and community arts organizations across the country offer grants and scholarships to working artists. In 2010 alone, the federally funded National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) gave more than $1.2 billion to cultural programming around the country, including funding for individual artists. Grants are typically given to professional artists with a high-quality portfolio, while scholarships are typically available to students entering the field.
Eligibility
Some grants and scholarships are designed to support individual artists in creating new works. Other art grants go to groups like orchestras or theater companies to help them develop or share their work with a broader audience. Still other grants give money to schools, community groups and museums to help them expose their students or communities to the arts. Grants may support underrepresented artists, a specific kind of art like jazz, or arts education initiatives.
Sources
The federally funded National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) offers grants in numerous artistic fields, from general arts education to theater, dance and opera, among other disciplines. State arts councils typically make grants to artists and cultural organizations. Local and regional foundations across the country also support small arts projects in their communities. The Foundation Center in New York, a clearinghouse for grant information, publishes a list of the top 50 foundations awarding the most arts and culture grants each year. In 2009, these included the American Art Foundation, Inc., the Lucasfilm Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation.
Statistics
In 2010, the federal government gave roughly $1.2 billion to the NEA as well as state and local arts organizations, according to Grantmakers in the Arts. This represented an 8.1 percent increase over the previous year's funding. Funded initiatives largely focused on those that helped communities get involved in the arts. The top funder on the Foundation Center's 2009 list was the American Art Foundation, Inc., which gave roughly $110.9 million to arts programming.
Grants vs. Scholarships
Arts grants for individuals usually require a strong, advanced-level portfolio of work, whereas scholarships will support promising amateurs in their studies. For instance, a grant might help a musician who may have already performed at recitals or in an orchestra. Aspiring artists may not need as large a portfolio to earn scholarships. Rather, they may simply need to demonstrate talent, showing evidence that they have been creatively engaged in the visual arts, dance or theater. Students should inquire about art scholarships with their prospective schools, in addition to applying for outside scholarships. National associations such as the National Art Honor Society, the Academy of Motion Pictures and the National Sculpture Society offer scholarships.
