Artist Grants

The arts have a sensory impact on people in numerous ways: from the visual feasting of sublime images to the soul-electrifying impact on the mind through the ears, and more. Art has played an integral role in all societies throughout the ages and today is no exception. How, though, can one avoid the trite cliché of "the starving artist"? The answer (aside from talent) lies within funding. Funding is available to both gain education in order to refine your craft or to find ways/projects to improve your craft.

The best starting point for a student of the arts would be to get grant/scholar information from the school(s) that they prefer to attend. An example would be a student who dreams of going to Juilliard. This school provides funding, in varying amounts, to approximately 80% of the students. Other schools specializing in arts offer the same opportunity.

Another avenue to travel is to search professional associations for the discipline in which your talent lies. While these may not be "artist grants", per se, the associations may have funding set aside for the training of future artists within that field.

When you are searching for artists grants, it is best to refine your search to your own particular specialty and branch out from there. Trying to find funding can be quite overwhelming if you do not narrow your focus first. It is easier to start with your particular specialty and then widen your search one branch at a time.

The first priority when filling out applications for grants and scholarships, other than ensuring you meet all the criteria, is to complete every field that is asked for. If a field is not applicable to you it is far better to fill it in with "n/a" rather than to leave it blank. The administrators of many types of financial aid services will immediately dispose of applications that are not filled out in it's entirety. For schools that require an audition, you may have to fill out the application for financial aid at the time of the audition. In order to cover all your bases, ensure the rules of the particular school in advance.