Funding, Fees + Fellowships

Artist residencies provide artists, scholars, educators and other creative professionals with time, space and resources to work, individually or collectively, on the research and development of their practice. 

Cost

The total cost of a residency includes whether there are fees required or stipends provided, but also includes the direct costs to you (including meals, materials, and transportation), as well as the indirect costs (loss of income from jobs, or whether you’re maintaining a home while you are away, among other factors). A residency that charges fees but provides other services may actually cost you less out-of-pocket than a residency with no fees but fewer amenities. 

Fellowships, Scholarships and Subsidies

Many residencies that charge fees also have full or partial scholarships available or offer partial subsidies through work-exchange (for example, working in the kitchen a few days a week, teaching a workshop, or assisting with the box-office for performances). Some scholarships are based on financial need, while others are for artists working in specific disciplines or from particular geographic areas. If you don't see information on scholarships or subsidies listed on the residency program's website, it never hurts to ask.

Where else can I find funding?

Even if a residency charges fees, there may be other funding sources available. Most state arts councils have grants for individual artists that can be applied to travel costs, materials, etc. Community foundations are also a good source of funding, through professional development, research, or project grants.

The Foundation Center is the largest resource on funders in the U.S., and separates their databases by grants for individuals and grants for organizations. The grants for individuals database includes tutorials, sample proposals, and other tools to assist you in your grant-seeking.
 

Funders Supporting Individual Artists

• The Pollack-Krasner Foundation - visual artists with demonstrated need.
• Creative Capital - project-based support.
• 3Arts - Chicago-based artists.
• Jerome Foundation - emerging artists.
• New England Foundation for the Arts - presenting and touring.
• Harpo Foundation - project-based support.
• Ohio Arts Council - supports Ohio-based artists with grant funding.
• Rasmuson Foundation - Alaska-based artists.
• Adolph & Esther Gottleib Foundation Individual Support Grant - painters, sculptors or printmakers practicing for over 20 years.
• John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation - US & Canadian individual artists.
• Artist Trust - artists living in Washington State.
• Puffin Foundation - work that addresses social and environmental issues.
• Institute of International Education | Artist Protection Fund - funding for artists whose practice or lives are threatened.
• Artadia - artists in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Emergency Grants for Artists

• Springboard for the Arts
• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
• PEN America Writers Emergency Fund
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants
• Adolph & Esther Gottleib Foundation Emergency Grants
• Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grant

Databases and Other Resources

• State Arts Councils - contact information for each state arts council
• New York Foundation for the Arts / NYFA Source - free online database of grants, fellowships, and other opportunities for artists
• On-the-Move has published a series of user-friendly guides for artists seeking funding for international exchange.
  • Cultural Mobility Funding Guide - for travel to or from the United States
  • Cultural Mobility Funding Guide - for travel to or from Arab countries
  • Cultural Mobility Funding Guide - for travel to or from Europe
  • Cultural Mobility Funding Guide - for travel to or from Asia

Other Resources

• Alumni and student career resources - Almost every college or university has an office of career development, and most offer career services (online or in person) to alumni and current students. Your specific department or dean may also be able to assist with researching grant and residency opportunities, putting together a funding proposal, and developing a strategy for your creative career.
• Fractured Atlas - A national network of more than 50,000 arts organizations and individual artists of all disciplines (visual artists, dancers/choreographers, musicians/composers, writers, filmmakers, and more), Fractured Atlas connects its members to career-building resources.
• GYST-Ink - GYST (Getting Your Sh*T together) provides artists with a variety of tools for planning their careers, including in-person workshops and computer software that includes sample business plans, grant proposals, and more.
• Artists U - a grassroots planning and professional development program run by and for artists. The site features their free-to-download guide: Making A Life As An Artist. Sign up for Artist Communities Alliance (ACA)’s Residency Opportunities Newsletter, visit the Resources for Artists page, and search through the Directory to advance your research, inquiry, and application process.

For more resources, sign up for ACA’s Residency Opportunities Newsletter, visit the Resources for Artists page, and search through the Directory to advance your research, inquiry, and application process.