OVERVIEW: Creative Capital was originally founded in order to “reinvent cultural philanthropy” by applying the principles of venture capital to arts funding. It supports up to 55 individual artists a year in all forms of media with project grants and other resources.
IP TAKE: Creative Capital prioritizes innovation in the artists and projects it supports. Taking an entrepreneurial long-view of its funding, support often goes beyond just funding worthy recipients. It invests in the long term by forming ongoing relationships with the projects it supports. A new program, State of the Art, adds one artist from each U.S. state and territory to the foundation’s roster of awardees each year. Application guidelines are posted only during the open window, so sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of the website to keep up with the latest.
PROFILE: Creative Capital was founded in 1999 by Archibald Gillies, then president of the Andy Warhol Foundation, after the National Endowment for the Arts stopped offering grants to individual artists. According to its mission statement, this funder “uplifts innovative artists with unrestricted project grants, professional development, and community-building services to foster thriving careers.” It offers grants in four main areas: visual arts, performing arts, literature and film. Grants have also been awarded in the category of technology. All grants are awarded to individual artists, not organizations.
Since its inception, Creative Capital has supported over 700 individual artists with nearly $50 million in funding, professional development opportunities, expert consulting, and artist retreats and gatherings. Each grant recipient receives a three- to seven-year commitment that involves a high level of engagement between Creative Capital and the artist for that period. The foundation also offers Professional Development workshops that help grantees hone their skills in fundraising, public relations, strategic planning and marketing.
Grants for Arts & Culture
Creative Capital runs the following programs in support of its mission:
- Creative Capital’s main grant program is its Creative Capital Award program. Awarded to as many as 55 artists each year, the award provides unrestricted funding “for the creation of innovative, groundbreaking new artistic works.” Each year the foundation runs an open call and chooses recipients through an external review process. See the awardees page for a list of recent recipients.
- A new program, the State of the Art Prize, recognizes one artist from each state and U.S. territory with similar unrestricted funding. Artists who apply for the Creative Capital Award are automatically considered for the State of the Art Prize.
- Creative Capital also administers the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant, which offers grants of $15,000 to $50,000 to early-career and established writers whose work centers on contemporary visual art.
- Project support grants are available for books, articles and other short-form projects for both specialized and general reading audiences.
- See past grantees here.
Important Grant Details:
Creative Capital offers grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.
- Creative Capital names its visual art, performing arts, literature and film as its award categories, but has also recognized technology projects with its Creative Capital Award.
- Application information for the Creative Capital and State of the Art programs is posted on the program page during the application window each year. Sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of the website to receive updates.
- To apply for the Andy Warhol Writers Grant, see the program guidelines here. This program typically accepts applications annually with a due date in early May.
- See a list of past awardees here.
Grantseekers may contact the foundation at awards@creative-capital.org. Creative Capital prefers not to be contacted by phone.
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