In 2017, we launched the Artist Fund to support the career development of local artists, and have since awarded more than $35,000 in grants through this initiative.
This program’s objective is to support artists as they advance their career through learning / skills-building and market development activities. The maximum grant request amount is $1000. There is no deadline. Grants will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis until the fund is depleted. View the detailed Program Guidelines, including the link to the Application Form, by clicking on "Learn More".
Our Public Art Grant program is being redesigned for 2025. Please stay tuned for updates on this grant program, and see the Impact section below for a glimpse into the projects it has funded to date.
Check out the Artist Fund slide deck for photos and testimonials demonstrating the unique, powerful impact of this program within our local artist community.
Artist Fund Slide Deck by Emily Clark
Applicant Information
— The Artist Fund offers micro-grants – helping artists ease the financial burden of their practice, and providing grant results quickly to facilitate applying for funding from other sources. We encourage artists to seek out additional funding opportunities, including at the federal and/or provincial level, to realize more ambitious projects.
— Please read our Evaluation Rubric prior to completing your application.
— Accommodations for applicants with disabilities / alternative application methods are available upon request.
— Competitive Artist Fund applications are assessed by a Peer Selection Committee composed of members of our Artist Advisory Committee and/or artists with specific expertise as needed, who are compensated for their time. Click to read our Peer Assessment Process Policies and Procedures document.
— Please send any inquiries to Programs Director Stacey Sproule at stacey@countyarts.ca.
Update – Artists in the Community Grant Program
The Artists in the Community Grant Program is currently under review. In the meantime, if you are an artist interested in pursuing a community-engaged arts project, we invite you to watch our Artists in the Community Grants 101 webinar and review the accompanying resources. If you are an organization seeking to engage an artist for workshops or a visual/media artist working with community organizations, we recommend reviewing our How To Work Respectfully with Visual/Media Artists guide linked on our Resources page.
Equity Priority Policy
— In a 2024 survey conducted by Hill Strategies in partnership with the Cultural Human Resource Council, 78% of responding artists had “experienced systemic barriers in their careers, including but not limited to: Sexism, ageism, class, race, mental ability or disability, and sexual orientation.”
— We value artists who express and reflect our diverse stories, histories, communities, cultures and artistic practices, and are taking several concrete actions to remove barriers to artist opportunities as committed to in our 2022-27 Strategic Plan and IDE Policy (linked here), including by developing a Voluntary Self-Identification Framework and Equity Priority Policy and applying this in our competitive application processes.
— Since beginning to collect self-identification data (for a total of 105 opportunities so far), we have learned that our programs and opportunities benefit a high proportion of equity-seeking artists: 10% of selected applicants identified as Indigenous persons (compared to 3% of PEC residents); 7% identified as racialized persons (compared to 3% of PEC residents); and 24% identified as LGBTQ2SIA+ (local data unavailable but 4% of Canadians identified as LGBTQ2SIA+ in 2021 census).
Grant Recognition
— Grant applicants are expected to publish an acknowledgement message on their social media account(s) and other suitable communications channels. Use #CountyArts / Tag @CountyArts
— In any printed or online promo materials for activities related to your grant funding, please use the County Arts Logo wherever possible. Download the logo file here.
Help us ensure the sustainability of the Artist Fund!
The Artist Fund can only be sustained with help from the community. Please consider supporting the creative entrepreneurs of our community by making a donation, or becoming a sponsor!
