Artwork Archive’s Art Business Accelerator Grant provides visual artists with unrestricted funds, resources, and a curriculum to help establish, grow and manage their art careers.

The grant is designed to arm artists with the necessary business skills to succeed as artists and entrepreneurs—and to make a living through their artwork.

Open to both emerging and established artists, the Art Business Accelerator distributes unrestricted funds to invest in your art business, as well as six weeks of self-guided online educational resources that increase business skills, economic proficiency, marketing knowledge, and more.

Recipients receive funding and expert guidance in order to make the growth process easier, to gain confidence, and establish a solid business foundation for their art practice.

Grant recipients will receive grant funding, a lifetime account to Artwork Archive, and one-on-one access to expert career guidance.

Grant Amount: 10 unrestricted cash grants of $2,500 each.
A lifetime Master Account with Artwork Archive (valued at $1,000).
Educational resources/expert guidance.
All applicants will receive the career-building educational resources designed to drive career development.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Visual artists 21 and older who are working intentionally to better their communities and / or address community challenges directly through their work.
Examples of this could include, but are not limited to involvement in community projects, education, mentoring, and public art.
Visual artists (including painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, installation, mixed media, and site-specific works) with a strong artistic focus in their discipline. We regret that we do not accept submissions for narrative film/video, music, performance or sound art, theatre, or dance.
Artists that have demonstrated high artistic quality, innovation, and creativity with a track record of participation in the arts for at least two (2) years.
Open to professional artists worldwide.

WHY NOW?
While creativity is at the core of every art profession, the business side of being an artist is just as important to a successful career. Many art schools and traditional art education programs may not provide artists with the tools they need to make a living once they are out of the program.

As an artist, you are an entrepreneur and a small business. The Art Business Accelerator Grant focuses on the business of art and provides funding, tools and education meant to establish and grow your career as an artist.

What’s more, COVID has had a significant impact on artists and the arts. In a recent study of over 5,000 artists conducted by Artwork Archive, over half of the artists surveyed had lost 50-100% of their expected income. The survey also revealed that financial stability is one of the biggest challenges facing artists.

The Art Business Accelerator Grant hopes to bridge the gap between creative fulfillment and financial stability. By providing funding and resources during a critical time in the arts, we are looking to play a role in not only helping artists recover, but to also fuel the creative economy as a whole.

APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW
The 2021 grant cycle is open March 1, 2021 – May 14, 2021. For more information and to apply, click here.