Behind the Curtain: Grants for Artist Projects (GAP)

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Since 1988, Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) has provided project-based funding for Washington State artists of all disciplines including Tatiana Pavela (2017 performing), Marilyn Montufar (2016 visual), Esther de Monteflores (2014 performing), Shaun Scott (2015 literary), Shin Yu Pai (2015 literary), Clyde Petersen (2013 media), Sheila Klein (2013 visual), Jenny Hyde (2010 visual), and Humaira Abid (2015 visual). The awards began as a complement to Artist Trust’s Fellowship program, and as a way to increase the amount of support available through the organization, providing smaller amounts of funding for a larger number of artists.

Thirty years later, GAP continues to support the creation, development, and completion of projects by Washington State artists of all disciplines and has grown into one of Artist Trust’s largest awards programs in terms of the number of awards available.

“[GAP is] an award intended to kick-start a new project or literally fill a gap in an existing project. It’s also a perfect entry-point grant for emerging artists into Artist Trust’s funding programs or for artists whose work hasn’t traditionally received grant support,” says Program Director Brian McGuigan on what makes GAP so important. “Many artists cite GAP as the first award they received, so the grant has a lineage of supporting many of the most accomplished artists in the state.”

In 2018, GAP will provide 61 awards of $1,500 for Washington State artists of all disciplines.

Application Process
Applications for the 2018 GAP are open to Washington State artists of all disciplines, including interdisciplinary, emerging, and traditional fields. Applications consist of a discipline statement (short description of the artist’s work and approach), biography, project description, project budget, resume, and work samples from the past three years.
Applications for each disciplinary category are reviewed by a three-person panel with expertise in that specific discipline. Panelists base their decisions on the artistic excellence demonstrated in the work samples and support materials, project clarity, and the likelihood that the project will be completed based on the project budget and the applicant’s professional background. Panelists are also encouraged to look at applications through a lens of racial equity.

Interested in applying?
Applications for the 2018 GAP are open until June 25. Applicants who submit their applications before June 4 may receive a preliminary review from Artist Trust staff and an opportunity to revise and resubmit their application. Award recipients will be announced in October 2018. More information about the awards as well as sample applications and application guidelines can be found here.

Learn more about upcoming GAP application support programs here.

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Megan Gallagher is a writer from Redmond, Washington. She has been writing for the Artist Trust blog since July 2017 and loves learning more about Washington State’s arts communities.

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