A variety of grants are available to artists.
As an artist, it can be difficult to figure out fund your projects. Most artists have to work a day job to support themselves. If you are serious about your art career, you will need to apply for art grants. Doing so will help you remain active in the art world, and if you are awarded a grant, it may enable you to pursue your work without depending on your day job.
Governmental Organizations
Many national organizations have programs offered to artists and organizations that need funding, including the National Endowment for the Arts. Many of the awards it offers focus on reinvigorating the community and/or teaching. In other words, you may be expected to share your work with the community or work in the community as an artist educator. All of this can advance your career greatly, through press coverage and word-of-mouth. The governmental programs are a great resource for any artist or artists' organization and look very good on a resume.
Grants From Artists' Organizations
Some famous artists have started their own organizations to support new artists trying to get their footing in the art world. Many times, these organizations are geared toward a specific type of art. For instance, you may find a grant that is geared toward conceptual art, outsider art, public art or portraiture. One example of this type of organization is the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, which offers grants in curatorial work, exhibitions and program support.
You may want to do some research into your favorite artists and find out if there is an organization they work with to offer these types of grants. Some of these grants are highly competitive, while others have a very specific purpose. So if you know you have a niche in a particular sector of the art world, go for a grant that fits with your philosophy.
Private Philanthropists
Most grants for artists come from private organizations whose goal is to support the arts in their own communities or in the art world at large. There are hundreds of foundations that choose one recipient of funds per year from a pool of graduate students and individuals. Usually the focus is on graduate students, but if you are proactive enough and your work shows your dedication, there is always a chance you may receive one of these private grants as an independent artist. The grants are intended for immediate use with a new project and can enable you to focus solely on your art for some time. These types of awards can also go a long way toward helping you get more awards later. One example of a private organization that offers grants is the Joy of Giving Something, which offers a Forward Thinking Artist Award of $15,000 annually to support photographers.
