Over the next year, A Blade of Grass will distribute $25,000 to artists and creative practitioners working throughout the country with 50 grants of $500 each. Field Funds supports both the public components of a project and the often unseen work that makes collaborative creative practice possible such as research and relationship-building. We are piloting this program with three funds to support specific needs common to socially engaged art: Artist-led Gatherings, Accessibility & Translation, and Documentation & Archiving.
We believe all parts of the creative process are valuable—from seeding new ideas to sharing work with audiences and archiving fleeting experiences. So, we designed a process where all eligible applications have the same chance of being funded. For this reason, there is no need for applicants to make a case for why a project is deserving of support, instead we ask applicants to speak directly and concisely to how they will specifically use $500.
All applications will be reviewed for eligibility. All eligible applications will be entered into a computer program where final selections will be made randomly. 4-5 applications will be selected for funding each cycle. Our intention is to create a nimble process that can be responsive to feedback and the changing needs of practitioners.
Artist-led Gatherings: Applications open May 15—June 30, 2024
To be eligible to apply for this opportunity, practitioners must:
- Be currently located in the United States and able to receive taxable income;
- Have a demonstrated history of creative work that gathers or meaningfully involves a community or public;
- Propose a gathering of 3 or more people that relates to socially engaged practice; the gathering can be in person or online, public or private, and part of existing creative work or a new project.
Please see full Frequently Asked Questions at the bottom of this page.