Grants for Artist Projects

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About the 2021 GAP Awards
For the 2021 GAP Awards, we have re-envisioned GAP as Grants for Artists’ Progress. Grants for Artists’ Progress are unrestricted hybrid merit-and-need based grants of $1,500 for BIPOC artists working in all disciplines across Washington State. Funding will be evenly distributed across five Washington State regions: West, Puget Sound, North Central, South Central, and East. 

Funding for the 2021 GAP Awards is made possible in part thanks to WarnerMedia, funded by AT&T.

To learn more about the 2021 GAP Awards, see the guidelines below. To learn how to apply for the 2021 GAP Awards, check out our How to Apply webinar.

Guidelines

Read the 2021 GAP Guidelines here!

Selection Criteria

• artistic excellence;
• clarity of vision & purpose;
• the potential progress and impact the award would have on the artist’s life;
• geographic location in Washington State

Selection Process

Applications are reviewed by two multidisciplinary panels of BIPOC working artists from across the state. Each panel will have one BIPOC artist from one of the five regions (West, Puget Sound, North Central, South Central, and East). The application pool will be evenly divided between the two panels for review. Panelists review their assigned list of applications online through Submittable and meet via Zoom to discuss applications. Each panel will nominate a minimum of 5 recipients from each region, totaling a minimum of 10 recipients from each region, and a minimum of 50 recipients combined. Panelists are required to review applicants through a lens of racial equity and are encouraged to highlight a range of discipline and practices.   2021 Panels are held virtually via Zoom.

Timeline

Note: All dates are in 2021 unless stated otherwise

July 6  Guidelines available.

August 2  Application opens.

August 12 & 26  Office hours.

September 7  Application closes.

September – November Panel review.

November  Board votes.

November 22   Notification of award status.

December 13   Public announcement.

Eligibility Information

The 2021 GAP Awards are open to artists residing in Washington State working in all disciplines.

APPLICANTS MUST BE:

• 18 years of age or older;
• Washington State residents at the time of both application and payment (payment will be made in the December 2021);
• Individual artists (or artist teams): those who are the originators of works of art;
• BIPOC (Alaskan Native, Asian/Asian-American/Pacific Islander or Hawaiian, Black/African/African-American, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Native American or Indigenous, or South Asian) 

APPLICANTS MUST NOT BE:

• A recipient of an AT GAP or Fellowship from 2015–2019; or recipient of three GAPs total in a lifetime;
• Recipients of another Artist Trust grant in the 2021 calendar year (including 2020 Fellowship) – if you are a recipient of the Artist Trust Relief Fund, you are still eligible;
• Recipients of more than one AT grant per calendar year;
• Current graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at the time of both application and payment (payment will be made December 2021);
• Current AT staff, Board of Trustees, honorary committee, consultants, contractors, current GAP panelists, or their immediate family.

GAP 2021 FAQ

 

Please read this FAQ prior to contacting our staff with questions. Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to respond to every question we receive. If your question is not covered in this FAQ, please contact Co-Program Managers Lydia Boss (lydia@artisttrust.org) and Luther Hughes (luther@artisttrust.org). 

What’s changed? 

For the 2021 award cycle, Artist Trust re-envisioned GAP as Grants for Artists’ Progress, an unrestricted hybrid merit-and-need-based award. The goal of this year’s regionally focused program is to center artists from backgrounds and communities most deeply impacted by the pandemic and those who have been historically excluded from arts funding and resources.  

This year, awards will be given to working artists of any discipline who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in five key regions across Washington State. An equal number of funds and awards will be evenly allocated to each region: West, Puget Sound, North Central, South Central, and East. Artists will be considered with other artists in their region.  

Why were these changes made?

It has been a time of growth and transformation for all of us at Artist Trust. Over the past 16 months, we have worked tirelessly to meet artists’ needs in the volatile landscape of COVID-19. Through the leadership of artists, we began to shift our organization towards deeper equity and accountability, examining processes, structure, culture, and more. 

The changes to the 2021 GAP process are part of an overall strategy to reverse historic inequities in Artist Trust’s funding programs, and move resources to Washington State communities without access to funding and resources to support their work. In the last ten years, well over 60% of GAP funding was given solely to white artists. In addition, 85% of GAP recipients resided in Puget Sound, with over 70% of all funding available going to King County artists. Although we have made great strides towards closing these gaps over the past five years, there is much more to be done.  

How were these changes made? 

2021 Grants for Artists’ Progress was created in response to feedback from our statewide artist community, in collaboration with national and statewide partners, Artist Trust’s Strategic Vision and Racial Equity Committees, Board of Trustees, and staff. We also convened two focus groups consisting of artists of all disciplines from across the State to further refine the program.  

Are these changes permanent?

 

How is 2021 GAP funded? 

2021 GAP is made possible thanks to support from WarnerMedia, funded by AT&T, along with Artist Trust’s Board of Trustees and donor community. No public dollars were used to fund this program.  

Which region do I live in? 

The map of Washington State regions can be found on page 5 of the 2021 GAP Guidelines. If you’re not sure which county you live in, click here.     

Am I eligible for the 2021 GAP Awards from Artist Trust?

The 2021 GAP Awards are open to BIPOC artists residing in Washington State working in all disciplines. Artist Trust COVID-19 Relief Fund recipients are eligible for this award. 

Applicants must be: 

• 18 years of age or older; 

• Washington State residents at the time of application and payment; 
• Individual artists (or artist teams) who are the originators of works of art; 
• BIPOC (Alaskan Native, Asian/Asian-American/Pacific Islander or Hawaiian, Black/African/African-American, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Native American or Indigenous, or South Asian.) 

Applicants may not be: 

• A recipient of a GAP from 2016-2019; 
• Previous recipients of the James W. Ray Distinguished Artist or Arts Innovator Awards; 
• Recipients of another Artist Trust grant in the 2021 calendar year (this includes the 2020 Fellowship. If you are a recipient of an Artist Trust COVID-19 Relief Fund, you are still eligible for the 2021 GAP); 
• Current graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at the time of both the application and payment (payment will be made December 2021); 
• Applying on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, fiscal sponsorship, or community group; 

• Current Artist Trust staff, Board of Trustees, honorary committee, consultants, contractors, current GAP panelists, or their immediate family. 

I don’t consider myself BIPOC, but I do consider myself an ally. Can I still apply?

No. Only artists who identify as BIPOC may apply. We define BIPOC as artists who identify with one or more of the following: Alaskan Native, Asian/Asian-American/Pacific Islander or Hawaiian, Black/African/African-American, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Native American or Indigenous, or South Asian. 

Can I still apply with a project proposal?

For the 2021 GAP, you are not required to submit a project proposal or budget. However, you are more than welcome to mention any project you are working on within the application. 

How much money will I receive? 

GAP Awards are $1,500 each. 

How many artists are being funded? 

50 artists in total will be funded, consisting of 10 artists from each of the 5 regions: West, Puget Sound, North Central, South Central, and East. 

Can I apply as part of a collaboration or team?

A team of two or more artists may apply if you have a documented history of creating and presenting work as a team. Artists applying as a team must contact Artist Trust to confirm eligibility before applying. If eligible, one artist will submit the application and list team members. All team members must meet the eligibility requirements for the respective award. Applications made on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, community group, or a fiscally-sponsored entity will not be accepted.  

If I apply as part of team, how much money will we receive? 

The team will receive $1,500 total.   

When can I apply? 

The 2021 GAP Award application is available online starting August 2, 2021. The application deadline is Tuesday, September 7, 2021, 11:59 PM PST.  

How do I apply? 

To apply, you must create a Submittable account and submit an application through Submittable. Here’s a link to the application. Applications must be submitted through submittable. Emailed or physical applications will not be reviewed.  

Do you accept late applications?

We do not accept late applications under any circumstances. 

Can I edit my application after I submit?

If you submit your application before the deadline, we are able to open your application for edits. You will be responsible for submitting your application after it’s opened for editing.  

However, after the deadline, applications cannot be edited. 

What materials do I need to include in my application? 

In your application in Submittable, be sure to include: A Discipline Statement (50 words or less), A Biography (150 words or less or up to 3 minutes of audio/video), an Artist Statement (350 words or less or up to 5 minutes of audio/video), Work Samples, and a Progress Statement (150 words). 

Can I see examples of these materials? 

Yes! Examples of the materials can be viewed in the 2021 GAP Reference Guide. 

What’s the most important part of the 2021 GAP application?
Your work samples are the most important part of your application. Spend the most time honing your samples. If you are submitting images, audio, or video, make sure your documentation is high quality. Be sure to follow the work sample guidelines. 

The progress statement is also an important part of your 2021 GAP application. Your progress statement should explain how this award will impact the progress of your artistic practice. Please feel free to address your financial need and how this award will impact other parts of your artistic progress and/or life, as well.   

Artists’ merit and need will be weighed equally and panelists will be encouraged to nominate recipients at various career stages as it related to merit and need. 

Your other application materials, such as the biography and artist statement help panelists understand your vision, process, and philosophy and give context for the work in your work samples. Start on these parts early and have friends or colleagues read them. You can find examples of successful applications in our reference guide(add link) here. For tips and tricks on the written parts of your application, visit our Resources  here. 

I can’t decide on my career stage. Will that affect the panelists’ decisions?
Career stage is not part of the selection criteria for this award and does not have an impact on whether or not you are chosen for an award. 

Where can I find help with my application? 
We offer several support services and resources to help you with your application, including virtual Office Hours and Study Hall, workshops, reference guides, and other resources. These are listed on page 5 of the 2021 GAP Guidelines, and on our website.  

What do I do if I’m having technical difficulties with my grant application?
If you aren’t able to sign into Submittable, have questions about uploading or formatting files, or other technical questions, visit  https://help.submittable.com.  

How are the awards selected?
Applications are reviewed by two multidisciplinary panels of BIPOC working artists from across the state. Each panel will have one BIPOC artist from one of the five regions (West, Puget Sound, North Central, South Central, and East). The application pool will be evenly divided between the two panels for review. Panelists review their assigned list of applications online through Submittable and meet via Zoom to discuss applications. The goal of each panel is to nominate 5 recipients from each region, totaling 10 recipients from each region, and 50 recipients combined. Panelists are required to review applicants through a lens of racial equity and are encouraged to highlight a range of disciplines and practices as well as discuss marginalized identities within BIPOC communities.

What criteria does the panel use to nominate recipients? 

The 2021 GAP Awards criteria are: 

• Artistic excellence; 
• Clarity of vision and purpose; 

• The potential progress and impact the award would have on the artist’s life;  
• Geographic location in Washington State 

How does racial equity impact the selection of awardees?
We have a strong commitment to racial equity throughout our organization. Within our award programs, we ask selection panelists to review all applications through a lens of racial equity. This means when a panelist is considering an applicant, we ask them to be mindful of structural, institutional, and historical barriers artists of color face and how those barriers may impact their work and their career. Additionally, panelists are encouraged to have an intersectional approach and to highlight a range of disciplines and practices as well as discuss marginalized identities within BIPOC communities. 

Read more about our work towards racial equity here.