A CCA Libraries guide to finding artist grants and residencies.
Last modified: July 30, 2012

Contents:

Local/Regional

  • Alameda County Art Commission
    The "ARTSFUND Grants Program provides support [$1000 grants] to Alameda County arts organizations that have demonstrated artistic merit and excellence both in achievement and in community involvement."
  • Artadia
    Awards from $15,000 to $1,500, which "can be used however the artist sees fit," for visual artists who live and work in San Francisco. Available once every three years.
  • Arts Council Silicon Valley
    Offers six $4,000 grants per year to professional working artists (including writers) "to enable them to continue to pursue their creative work."
  • Bay Area Video Coalition
    OfferOffer a variety of awards, training, short-term residencies, and grants for artists working in video and media.
  • Black Rock Arts (SF)
    Grants from $1,000 to $6,000 for "community-based interactive art" projects.
  • California Arts Council
    A listing of current CAC funding opportunities including "Artists in Schools" and "Creating Public Value through the Arts" grants.
  • City of Oakland Cultural Arts and Marketing Dept
    Includes listings of artist opportunities for city of Oakland projects, and grants from the Cultural Funding Program in performing, visual, and literary arts (ranging from $1,000 to $5,000). These grants seek "to provide access to financial support... to a wide range of Oakland-based artists and nonprofit organizations providing arts and cultural services in Oakland."
  • Djerassi Resident Artists Program - Santa Cruz Mountains
    One month residencies available for emerging and established artists in the visual arts, literature, music composition, and choreography.
  • East Bay Fund for Artists
    Financial support for composers, playwrights, choreographers, visual and media artists based in Alameda or Contra Costa Counties, for projects supported by a 501c3 partner or a fiscal sponsor organization.
  • Exploratorium - San Francisco
    A variety of opportunities for "artists to create artworks, installations, films, and performances that can augment large-scale thematically-based exhibitions" at the Exploratorium. Exploratory (one-week) and Full residencies available.
  • Film Arts Foundation
    Grants for Bay Area emerging and mid-career film and video artists up to $7,500. Some grant awards include free classes, access to production and post production equipment, project mentoring by an established director, and Film Arts Foundation membership, in addition or in lieu of cash.
  • Headlands Center for the Arts - Sausalito
    A variety of live-in and non-live-in residencies for international visual, literary, film/video, dance, and performance artists.
  • Intersection for the Arts
    Assistance in finding and applying for fiscal sponsorship in the arts as well as residencies for Bay Area artists in all stages of their career.
  • Kala Art Institute - Berkeley
    Residency and fellowship opportunities for artists working in printmaking, book arts, and digital media.
  • LEF Foundation: California
    Offering grants from $2000 to $5000 for art, architecture, and environmental projects.
  • Marin Arts Council
    Offers a range of grants for community arts projects (arranged through non-profits) and to mid-career and established artists in Marin County.
  • Millay Colony for the Arts
    Offers one-month residencies to visual artists, composers and writers between the months of April and November. Resident artists get private rooms, studios and all meals during their stay at the pastoral campus in upstate NY. The property is the former residence of the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay.
  • Northern California Grantmakers
    Does not offer grants, but rather an "Arts Loan Fund" which seeks "to provide quick-turnaround, low-cost financial assistance to San Francisco Bay Area arts organizations." Loans must be repaid within one year.
  • Pacific Pioneer Fund
    Offers emerging film and video documentarians in California, Oregon, and Washington grants from $1,000 to $10,000.
  • San Francisco Arts Commission
    SFAC offers "grants of up to $10,000 to individual artists living and working in San Francisco," Special Project grants "up to $1,000, for very small, volunteer-based arts groups throughout San Francisco’s neighborhoods in order to stimulate the production and dissemination of works of art," and more.
  • San Francisco Community Challenge Grants
    The CCG provides grants for "projects that directly engage residents and businesses in working together to create green spaces, gathering places, public art, and other neighborhood amenities."
  • San Francisco Foundation
    Six awards per year for California-born artists of all ages working in film, video, photography, or printmaking. Range from $2,500 to $7,500 each.
  • Service Works Space Program
    Josh Greene, a 36 year old artist and waiter dedicates one night’s worth of tips each month to fund an art project.
  • SF Recycling
    Four-month residencies include studio space, monthly stipend ($1800 for full-time, $900 for part-time), and 24/7 access to the dump for career-level Bay Area artists who are currently working professionally.
  • Southern Exposure
    An annual $15,000 award to commission a public art project in the Bay Area
  • Stanford University Stegner Fellowships
    Five poetry and five fiction fellowships with a $57,000 two-year stipend are awarded each year.
  • Sustainable Arts Foundation
    Offers financial awards to artists and writers with families. Special consideration for residents of the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • Yosemite Renaissance Artists-in-Residence [on hiatus] - Yosemite Natl Park
    One-month residencies for ten to fifteen established visual artists each year.

Directories of art opportunities

  • Alliance of Artists Communities
    A searchable directory of North American residency opportunities.
  • American Art Directory
    Annual directory of art organizations, museums, libraries, and schools. Includes extensive listings of art scholarships and fellowships, art magazine contacts, open exhibitions, and more.
  • Art Opportunities Monthly
    This monthly newsletter compiles current opportunities for artist "competitions, grants, shows, public art commissions, residencies, and more."
  • Artdeadline.com
    A service listing current artist grants, residencies, employment, juried exhibitions, fellowships and more.
  • Artists Communities: A directory of residencies....
    A detailed guide to residencies for visual artists, media artists, writers, and more, published in 2005.
  • Art Spaces Directory
    An international directory of alternative art spaces, art centers and galleries, published by the New Museum and ArtAsiaPacific as part of the New Museum Triennial.
  • Cranbrook Academy of Art Online Grant Directory
    Links to grants and other funding sources for individual artists.
  • Documentary.org
    A HUGE list of grants available to documentarians.
  • Foundation Center San Francisco
    "The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. grantmakers and their grants," operating a library in San Francisco with free classes for individuals in the arts, and lots of online and print resources.
  • Mira's List
    A frequently updated blog listing grants, fellowship, and residencies for artists.
  • National Alliance for the Media Arts & Culture
    Links to over 70 organizations with grant/funding opportunities in the media arts.
  • National Directory of Arts Internships
    State by state listings for arts organizations with internship programs, and a brief guide to the application process, published in 2005.
  • NYFA Source
    An extensive searchable national directory of awards, services, and publications for artists.
  • Res Artis
    Searchable directory of worldwide artist residency opportunities.
  • Rhizome
    Frequently updated list of art opportunities for artistic practices that engage technology.

Grant writing