The Arts Writers Grant Program was founded in 2006 to recognize the precarious situation of arts writers, and their indispensable contribution to a vital artistic culture. The Arts Writers grant supports both emerging and established writers who are writing about contemporary visual art. Ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in three categories—articles, books, and short-form writing—these grants support projects addressing both general and specialized art audiences, from short reviews for magazines and newspapers to in-depth scholarly studies. We also support art writing that engages criticism through interdisciplinary methods or experiments with literary styles. As long as a writer meets the eligibility and publishing requirements, they can apply. The application deadline is May 20, 2020.
To be eligible for this grant, an arts writer must be
By “contemporary visual art,” we mean visual art made since World War II. Projects on post-WWII work in adjacent fields—architecture, dance, film, media, music, performance, sound, etc.—will only be considered if they directly and significantly engage the discourses and concerns of contemporary visual art.
Writers who meet the program’s eligibility requirements are invited to apply in one of the following categories:
Article
The Article category supports essays, magazine features, and extended exhibition reviews. Catalogue essays will be considered, except for exhibitions held at commercial galleries. Articles may be published in print or online. A confirmed publisher for a proposed article is not a prerequisite to apply. Article grants are $15,000 each.
Book
The Book category supports a broad range of books on contemporary visual art, from general-audience criticism to academic scholarship. Writers working on experimental or non-traditional arts writing are also invited to apply. Projects on work in adjacent fields—architecture, dance, film, media, music, performance, sound, etc.—will only be considered if they directly and significantly engage the discourses and concerns of contemporary visual art. Book grants are $50,000.
Short-Form Writing
The Short-Form Writing category supports the ongoing practice of writers who regularly produce short texts that respond to current exhibitions, events, and issues in contemporary visual art. By “short” we mean texts in the range of 250-1,500 words. By “writers who regularly produce” we mean writers who, on average, publish at least one text per month in print or online (magazines, newspapers, blogs, or other independent publishing platforms). Short-Form Writing grants are $30,000 each.
An arts writer is NOT eligible for this grant if they are
Grant Timeline
We recommend that you read through the Application Guide before filling out the online application. Eligibility requirements and writing sample submission word counts vary for each project type.
QUESTIONS? Contact questions@artswriters.org prior to starting your application.