Creative Capital
Application Handbook
2025
OVERVIEW
Creative Capital provides grants to support the creation of groundbreaking art by innovative and
adventurous artists across the country. Our transformative giving approach is built on the
principle that artists need funding as well as networks and professional services in order to build
long-term, sustainable projects and careers. Awardees have access to unrestricted project
funding of varying amounts, artist services, and a community of fellow awardees and other
professionals who may provide additional support for the project. We encourage a spirit of
mutual generosity among our awardees and seek to foster exchange through our online,
regional, national, and international gatherings. Over the course of a funded project, we partner
with each artist to help define critical moments of development and determine how to best meet
their goals. Award amounts range from $15,000 up to $50,000 per project. Creative Capital
grants are structured so that the artist(s) may draw down the funds over a multi-year period.
Creative Capital plans to award approximately 50 individual artists across a range of disciplines,
demographics, and geographic locations.
ELIGIBILITY
Artist Eligibility
● US citizen, permanent legal resident, O-1 visa holder, or Tribal ID holder
● At least 25 years old by April 4, 2024
● Working artist(s) with at least 5 years of professional artistic practice
● Applicant may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program
● May not apply to the Warhol Foundation Arts Writers grant program in the same year
● May not have previously received a Creative Capital Award
● May not be an applicant or collaborator on more than one proposed project per year
Projects are not eligible if the main purpose is:
● Promotional
● To fund ongoing operations of an existing business
● The curation or documentation of existing work
2025 AWARD CYCLE TIMELINE
● March 4 to April 4, 2024 at 4pm ET: Letter of Inquiries (LOI) accepted
● June 2024: Notification of advancement to Round II
● September 2024: Notification of advancement to Round III
● January 2025: Public announcement of 2025 Creative Capital Awards
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AWARD PROCESS
The selection process for the Creative Capital Award includes three rounds of review with
external expert reviewers. As a result, multiple arts professionals from across the country will
have seen each individual application by the final round, exposing the projects to new
audiences.
● In Round I, we will accept Letters of Inquiry (LOI) through our free and open-call
application, available through our application portal.
● In Round II, artists selected to advance will be required to submit a project itemized
budget, a project timeline, and work samples.
● In Round III, artists selected to advance to the Final Panel Review will be required to
submit their proof of eligibility, confirm their collaborators (if applicable), and can submit
optional project updates.
Throughout this process we make a concerted effort to select a roster of projects that reflects
work from across the nation and diversity in all its forms: art forms and creative processes,
gender, ability, race/ethnicity, geographic distribution, age, and experience. What results is an
incredible group of innovative projects by artists in varying stages of their career—from
emerging artists who have yet to show their work in major public forums, to renowned artists
ready to launch an exciting new idea in their body of work.
ROUND I: TELL US YOUR IDEA. LETTER OF INQUIRY
In Round I, you will be asked to provide demographic information; project discipline and
sub disciplines; a project title and description; answers to six questions about your project;
and a resume and artist website (if applicable) through our application portal.
PLEASE NOTE: Collaborations (including families) should submit one application. Collaborators
who have accepted to be part of one project cannot submit another proposal, nor will they have
to submit their own proposal for the same project. You may have up to five collaborators. (See
APPENDIX A: APPLYING AS A COLLABORATION)
Applicant Information
Please be prepared to complete the following information in our application form:
● Legal name, and professional/chosen name (if applicable)
● Contact Information
o Current City, State, Zip Code, Country
o Primary phone number and email address
● Date of birth
● Demographic information
o Gender identity and pronouns
o Race/Ethnicity
o Tribal Affiliation (if applicable)
o Disability identification
o Hometown city, state, zip code, country
o Career stage (emerging/mid-career/established)
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● A short bio focused on your creative practice or the practice. For collaboratives, please
also provide a bio for the collaborative, describing the origins and nature of your
collaborative work. (200 words max)
● A one-page professional resume. If applying as a collaborative, please submit a
one-page resume for the lead applicant only. (One page max)
Project Disciplines
Applicants must select one primary discipline, and up to three sub disciplines within that primary
discipline. The five primary disciplines and their respective sub disciplines are as follows:
Visual Arts: Architecture & Design, Craft, Drawing & Illustration, Ecological Art, Installation,
Painting & Printmaking, Performance Art, Photography, Public Art, Sculpture, Social Practice,
Socially Engaged Visual Art, Sound Art, Video Art
Performing Arts: Dance, Jazz, Multimedia Performance, Music, Music Theater, Opera,
Puppetry, Socially Engaged Performance, Theater
Film/Moving Image: Animation, Documentary, Experimental Film, Narrative Film, Socially
Engaged Film
Technology: Augmented Reality, Bio Art, Data Visualization, Digital Media, Games, Hardware,
Internet Art, Software, Socially Engaged Technology, Virtual Reality
Literature: Graphic Novel, Literary Fiction, Literary Nonfiction, Poetry, Socially Engaged
Literature
Project Title (10 words max)
One Line Project Description (25 words / 200 characters max)
Describe your project succinctly. Be as concrete as possible. This one line should give us a
sense of what ideas your project addresses, and importantly, what form your project will take
(i.e. a painting, dance, film. etc.)
Project Description (250 words / 1,750 characters max)
The project description should give evaluators a vivid sense of the project so they can imagine it
and “see” it in their mind’s eye. Do not discuss the concepts behind your project without
describing how the project will ultimately manifest. What will the work look like? What form will it
take? How will the audience interact with the work? Be specific and concrete. We understand
that these elements may change as the project develops, and/or that the project may have
multiple manifestations.
Questions
1. How does your project take an original and imaginative approach to content and
form? Please be as specific as possible. (150 words / 1,200 characters max)
Creative Capital has always been committed to supporting innovative, groundbreaking
work. How is the project pushing boundaries, taking risks, and exploring an idea in a new
or different way? Projects should challenge the status quo and spark conversations in
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new and innovative ways. Innovation can occur in a variety of areas, like form, function,
content, or technicality.
2. Please place your work in context so we may better evaluate it. What are the main
influences upon your work as an artist? How does your past work inform your
current project? Please use concrete examples, which may include other artists’
work, art movements, cultural heritage, science, philosophy, research/work from
outside the arts field, etc. (150 words / 1,200 character max)
Innovation often occurs through deep engagement with the field. This is an opportunity
for you to explain not only what your work is about, but also how it fits into a broader
discourse—be it within the field of art, or outside it. Be as specific and concrete as
possible.
3. What kind of impact—artistic, intellectual, communal, civic, social, political,
environmental, etc.—do you hope your project will have? What strategies will you
employ to achieve the desired impact? (100 words / 750 characters max)
Art can contribute to and expand creative, intellectual, civic and/or social dialogue. This
question is a chance to explain what you wish to accomplish with your work. The impact
of your project could be specific, impacting a smaller audience with a specific set of
concerns; or it could be more expansive, engaging a wide variety of people across the
country.
4. Who are the specific audiences/communities that you hope to engage through this
project? Please think beyond the broader art community where possible. How are
you hoping to reach them? (100 words / 750 characters max)
We encourage artists to begin thinking, at the earliest possible phase of their project,
about whom they hope to reach. Think about audiences outside a community like
“theater-lovers” or “readers”—who exactly is your work for? This question allows
evaluators to see what kind of individuals, communities, or organizations would be most
responsive to and appreciative of this project.
5. How might your proposed project act as a catalyst for your artistic and
professional growth? In what ways is it a pivotal moment in your practice? (100
words / 750 characters max)
We want to know how artists envision their work changing in the next few years, and
what part this proposed project will play in those goals. These responses provide us with
a sense of your artistic ambition and your level of engagement with professional
development.
6. In addition to funding, Creative Capital also provides scaffolding and support
services for awardees (such as expert consultations, gatherings, alumni network).
How would our non-monetary services help you to realize your goals for this
project and/or your long-term artistic and professional growth? (100 words / 750
characters max)
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The Creative Capital Award provides Awardees with services that include strategic
planning, legal and financial counsel, community-building, networking, and
communications support. Let us know if any of these services would be helpful to you
and how.
Resume
Please upload as a PDF (See APPENDIX B: RESUME.) If applying as a collaborative, please
submit a one-page resume for the lead applicant only.
Artist Website (if applicable)
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ROUND II: PROJECT DETAILS
In Round II, artists selected to advance will be required to submit a project budget, a project
timeline, and work samples through the application portal.
Itemized Project Budget
Applicants advancing to Round II are required to upload an itemized project budget for your
proposed project. A budget must include two sections: income/funding and expenses. As you
will see in the budget examples we provided, income/funding should equal (or exceed)
expenses. Simply designate any un-raised funds as “to be raised.” Please ensure that your
budget is complete, accurate, and consistent across the application. Please upload as a PDF.
(See APPENDIX C: BUDGET)
Project Timeline (1 page)
Applicants advancing to Round II are required to submit a 1-page project timeline. This timeline
should outline the major milestones in your project’s conception, production, funding, and
presentation. Please indicate where you are in this timeline at the time of submission—that is,
which milestones you have already met (and when), and when you anticipate meeting the
remaining ones. A detailed timeline is another way of communicating to evaluators the feasibility
of your project. Please upload as a PDF.
Work Samples
Applicants advancing to Round II are required to upload work samples. Applicants may submit
up to 3 work samples in total including still images and/or audio and/or video and/or written
work. Each individual sample should represent one work only. Promo reels and pitch decks are
not accepted.
● Individual still image samples should represent one work only; you may include multiple
views of the same work, but the total set of images per sample cannot exceed five.
Images should be uploaded as a single file.
● Video and audio work should not exceed 15 minutes in total. If combined with other
types of work samples, each individual video or audio sample should be no more than
five minutes.
● Written work may not exceed 25 pages in total. If combined with other types of work
samples, each individual written sample may not exceed 8 pages.
Each work sample must include a caption for the work, including title, materials used, date
completed, and a short description (up to 100 words). The description should provide contextual
information that helps reviewers better understand what they are seeing/hearing/reading, and
your rationale for including this particular work sample.
Naming Your Files
Please use this file naming convention for all work samples uploaded from your computer:
ProjectTitle-SampleNumber.FileType. For example, if your work is titled Catalyst Opener and
you want to upload a .jpg as the second work sample in your application, the file name should
be “CatalystOpener-2.jpg”. The file name will not affect your application, but all work sample file
names must be less than 30 characters (you may abbreviate titles).
(See APPENDIX D: WORK SAMPLES)
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File Requirements
For each work sample, you should provide details about the work (title, materials, date it was
completed) and a description (100 words or less).
● Still Image Samples:
Still images of at least 72 dpi should be uploaded as a single file, no larger than 25MB in
any of the following formats: PDF, JPG, GIF, or PNG. Each still image sample should
represent one work only. Multiple views of a single work can be provided, but the total
number of images per sample cannot exceed five.
● Audio and/or Video Samples:
You may submit up to 15 minutes of audio and/or video work. This could be one 15
minute sample, or up to 3 shorter samples that add up to a total of 15 minutes.
Audio and video work must be shared through a streamable link through YouTube,
Vimeo, or SoundCloud. If you link to a longer video sample, provide timestamps (in
hour:minute:second:frame format) where reviewers should begin and end
watching/listening (ex. “Start at 00:10:05:00 and end at 00:25:05:00”). Please note that if
you don’t provide this guidance, reviewers will view the first 15 minutes of the clip you
submit.
Be sure to provide a link to the work and include the password if applicable. If you fail to
provide the correct link or fail to include passwords, or change your password, we are
not responsible for reaching out to get the correct information and reviewers will not be
able to review your samples. Keep in mind that the application review process can take
many months, so all information you submit should stay valid for the duration of the
review.
● Written Work:
Written work should be uploaded as PDF files using a 12-point font size, and should not
exceed 25 pages. If you send a longer sample, reviewers will only read up to the first 25
pages due to time constraints. If submitting written work in combination with other types
of samples (audio, video, and/or still images), each individual written sample should not
exceed 8 pages.
ROUND III: FINAL PANEL REVIEW
In Round III, artists selected to advance to the Final Panel Review will be required to submit
their proof of eligibility, and can submit optional project updates. If applying as a
collaborative, collaborators will confirm their participation and provide their demographic and
contact information, bio, resume, and proof of eligibility.
Proof of Eligibility
Artists that are selected to advance to the final round of review must submit their proof of
eligibility. You can submit one of the following:
● US Passport
● US Birth Certificate
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● Tribal ID Card
● US Naturalization Certificate
● US Permanent Resident Card
● Non-resident O-1 Visa
Optional Project Updates (100 words)
You may submit a brief description of any significant updates to your project (i.e., new grant
funding, new partnership with a venue, etc.) However, you may not submit additional work
samples as part of this update.
UN Sustainable Development Goal Icon & Project Drawdown
Any awarded projects which are directly related to any of the 117 UN 2030 Sustainable
Development Goals and Project Drawdown 100 Ways to Reverse Global Warming will have the
opportunity to have the “Way” or the icon of that UN Sustainable Development goal attached to
their project on the Creative Capital website in effort to advance the global dialogue around
these critical issues impacting the future of our communities, our planet, and beyond.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Innovation is a primary selection criterion and our focus on championing groundbreaking work
distinguishes Creative Capital from other granting organizations. While selecting projects that
are genre-stretching and adventurous is at the core of our mission, we welcome multidisciplinary
projects as well as projects that push boundaries within a single genre (for example, a project
that takes a formal new approach to painting or dance).
Your application will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Idea: How groundbreaking, innovative, forward-thinking, original, and bold is the project?
● Does the project demonstrate boundary-pushing, bold, inventive and singular vision in
form?
● Do you demonstrate a deep engagement with the project and a clear vision for the
project outcomes?
● Do you clearly explain who the intended audience or community is?
● Is the “why” and “how” of the project clearly articulated with intentionality?
● Does the project have the potential to challenge the status quo and spark new
conversations in its given field and for the larger arts community?
*Please note that this first criterion—idea, innovation, and originality—is prioritized and weighted
most heavily of the three selection criteria.
Feasibility/Capacity: How feasible is the project? Do you have the appropriate
professional capabilities to execute the project?
● Are you demonstrably committed to your art form? This is not an award for artists just
beginning their creative practice, thus our requirement for five years of experience.
● Do you demonstrate a deep understanding of the professional landscape of your field?
● Is there evidence that the project is well thought through and articulated in detail,
including the final form the project will take?
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Timing: Are you at a catalytic moment when you would greatly benefit from Creative
Capital funding? (Creative Capital is dedicated to funding innovative projects that are in
the key, early stages of research and development. It is not a lifetime achievement
award.)
● Are you ready to examine your creative and/or professional approach? Are you ready to
take a risk and expand your working methods?
● Could you benefit from additional resources of capital and skills-building to complete the
project?
● How soon will the project be completed? If the project is likely to premiere before or soon
after the award being granted, it is not a strong match for Creative Capital funding.
Entering the life of a project at a key moment is important to us, and we have found that
projects premiering within the first year are less able to take advantage of our resources.
JUROR INFORMATION
● Creative Capital invites regional, national, and international experts in a wide range of
disciplines to serve in our review process.
● External reviewers are offered honoraria for their time and expertise.
● All external reviewer names are confidential until the review process has been
completed.
● Due to the volume of applications, we are unable to provide feedback on applications
that are not awarded.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Eligibility Questions
1. Do you fund artist-run nonprofits or businesses?
The Creative Capital Award is specifically designed to support the realization of new
artist projects. We do not fund nonprofits and artist-run businesses, nor are our services
well-suited to support these kinds of ventures. Some of the artist projects we have
awarded evolved into nonprofits or businesses; however, they began as artist projects.
We provided them funding during their research and development stages, and aided
early production of the project before it launched.
2. Do you fund curatorial projects?
The Creative Capital Award does not support the production of exhibitions. We fund new,
discrete artist projects that have one author, director, lead or a core group of
collaborating artists. While artists do use Creative Capital Award funding to support
exhibitions of the project they are proposing, the award isn’t designed solely for the
production of that show. If the artists you are working with are still in the early stages of
producing work that you would like to curate in the future, please encourage them to
apply with those projects.
3. Do you fund educational projects?
Creative Capital supports artist projects, and does not fund projects that are solely
academic. While we understand that all art is educational to some degree, if the end
goal of your project is to serve a student audience, create a curriculum, or help fund
programming for a community center, then this is likely not the right award for you.
4. I am looking to expand an existing project, should I apply?
We are most interested in projects that are in the early stages of development and
production, as they can benefit the most from the services that we offer. That being said,
if you still consider your project to be in development or have only shared the work in
workshops or much more condensed versions, you are welcome to apply. Note that we
do not provide support to projects that are at a stage where they need finishing funds or
touring support. We ask our reviewers to specifically consider the timeline of
development for a project to make sure that Creative Capital can make the most impact
on the artist and the final results of their project. If you think that a significantly more
evolved version of your project could take form, we are happy to review your application.
5. How do you define five years of professional experience?
We define five years of professional experience as engaging your practice in some
public capacity over a cumulative five years. This could be constituted through readings,
panel conversations, screenings, interviews, etc., and not just major projects or
exhibitions. The five years also do not have to be consecutive, and we consider multiple
creative avenues to be applicable (i.e. if you exhibited as a painter for three years but
then focused most of your attention towards writing for two years afterward).
6. How do you define student status?
All applicants must have finished any degree-granting educational commitments before
the time of receiving the award. This applies to ABD (all but dissertation) status Ph.D.
candidates and students in low-residency MFA programs.
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7. Can I apply with multiple projects?
You may only submit one project per award cycle. You are also not able to apply as a
collaborator on another application because all collaborators are considered awardees.
Our panel is interested in supporting artists who have a strong, clear point of view, and
submitting more than one project may look as though you are not dedicated to one
meaningful project.
Application Content Questions
8. My work spans multiple disciplines. How do I pick just one?
We invite artists to submit their proposals based on which area experts are most suited
and qualified to review the project proposal, with the understanding that radical art is
often by nature interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, or antidisciplinary. By asking you to
choose a disciplinary category, we are asking you to choose how you want to frame the
discussion around your work and to indicate which experts are most qualified to evaluate
your project proposal.
9. If I am an artist working in social practice, what disciplinary category should I
choose?
Creative Capital is fiercely committed to groundbreaking ideas that challenge what art
can be. As countless visionary projects selected for the Creative Capital Awards have
demonstrated, socially impactful ideas are embedded in the work of forward-thinking
artists in a myriad of forms, often with the goal of imagining new forms of living. Social
engagement can take shape across disciplines, therefore, we have expanded
opportunities for artists to propose socially-engaged and/or sustainable projects in every
category instead of isolating these categories.
10. What kind of non-monetary support does Creative Capital provide?
Awardees have access to professional services and community networks of fellow
awardees and other professionals. Professional services may include legal, financial,
communications, and planning & management consultations, and multi-session advising.
11. Why do you ask about my hometown?
The hometown question lets us know if you maintain roots that are different from your
present location. We find that many people who currently live and work in major cities
still identify as coming from another place. If you were born and raised in your current
city, please enter your current city.
12. My application contains sensitive information. How are you going to use this
information? Can I submit it another way besides through your application portal?
We are only able to receive information through the application portal as this is what
reviewers use to access and score submissions. Applications are only shared with select
Creative Capital staff and the reviewers who will evaluate the project. You can make note
of any sensitive information in the materials or in the title of your work—many previous
applicants and awardees have.
Other Questions?
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If you are having technical difficulties with the application or if you have any general questions,
Before contacting us about technical issues, you may want to try the following:
● We recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari
● Use a desktop computer or laptop—our application portal does not work on mobile
devices.
● Try refreshing your browser
● If the problem persists, take a screenshot of the occurrence, and send it to us so we can
help to solve the issue.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to apply for the Creative Capital Award, and for helping
us further our mission of funding innovative, groundbreaking projects poised to impact not only
the field of art, but also the world beyond it.
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APPENDIX A: APPLYING AS A COLLABORATION AND/OR FAMILY
Creative Capital acknowledges that many artists work in collectives, families, or other kinds of
groups. For this reason, we allow between two to five collaborators on each project. For the
purposes of the grant, a “collaborator” is someone who is a co-owner of the project and a
generative part of the team. Collaborators must be designated on the initial application. No
changes to collaborations may be made after the application has been submitted. Each
individual artist that makes up the collaboration must meet all of the eligibility requirements. All
collaborators will be considered awardees and receive equal billing on our website and have
equal access to funds and services. People who provide services on a “work for hire” basis for
the project are not considered collaborators.
● Ongoing Team or Collective Collaborations
We often see two to five artists joining forces to regularly work on projects, and they
sometimes produce work under a group name. These collectives can apply under the
group name, but the information of each individual artist should be entered into the
application in Round III (contact info, name, location, website, etc.) whether or not it is
intended for external communications.
● One-Time Collaborations
If you are making work together with another artist for the first time, you are welcome to
apply for a Creative Capital Award as a unified team. The application must be approved
and reviewed by all members of the collaboration, and not just the lead applicant that
you have selected for your team. Keep in mind that if your collaboration receives an
award, all parties in the collaboration will be equal owners of the project and are
expected to complete the project together. These types of collectives will need to make a
very strong case regarding their commitment to work together for the entire multi-year
life cycle of the project in order to be competitive.
APPENDIX B: RESUME
An artist’s resume is a listing of your professional experiences, achievements and credentials,
organized into categories for easy scanning by the reader. It is another way to help us
determine where the artist is in their career. We understand that not everyone is formally
trained, and may not have a typical resume. The resume tells a story about how a career has
unfolded so far, even if it’s not traditional.
Tips and Best Practices:
● Maintain a list of everything you have done in your career (a Curriculum Vitae or C.V.). It
may not be the document you distribute, but it will reflect your entire professional history,
so it’s an important document to keep.
● Unlike a C.V., your resume is a fluid document that can and should be tailored for a
particular opportunity. You may also have different kinds of resumes: one will be shaped
for exhibition/performance/publication opportunities, while another may be used to apply
for jobs or freelance situations, or to stress your activities as an educator, producer,
curator or critic.
● As you accumulate professional experiences, begin to eliminate lesser listings. Choose
only the most important and title the category “selected.” This alerts the reader to the fact
that you have done more than what’s listed.
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● Save your creativity for your art. Keep the format of your resume clean and neat, so it is
easy to read. You want to be sure all the information in your resume is up-to-date,
accurate, and free of grammatical and spelling errors.
● Save a version as a PDF file to preserve the formatting. The PDF version can be
attached to emails and included as a downloadable, print-ready document from your
website.
Suggestions on what to include:
● Contact Information: This includes your name, mailing address, phone number, email
address and website. If appropriate, also include your studio address and phone
number.
● Achievements: List the most recent events first and work backward in chronological
order. Include the year, exhibition/performance/publication title, sponsor/producer
(gallery, publisher, museum or organization), city and state.
● Exhibitions (for visual artists): If you have had four or more one-person exhibitions,
create two categories: SOLO EXHIBITIONS and GROUP EXHIBITIONS. If you have
had mostly two-person shows, the category could be SOLO & TWO-PERSON
EXHIBITIONS. If you have had fewer than four one-person exhibitions, use one
category, EXHIBITIONS to cover both group and one-person shows. Highlight the
one-person exhibitions with an asterisk (*). Consider including the curator’s name.
● Collections (for visual artists): List corporate collections, institutions and well-known
individuals who have collected your work. Do not list works owned by friends and
relatives.
● Performances/productions (for performing and visual artists): You may want to include
any other featured collaborators on the piece.
● Performances/productions (for playwrights): Indicate if your play was given a reading or
a production. Also indicate whether your play is a one-act, full-length or musical.
● Publications (for literary projects): Include book title, publisher and year of publication.
You may wish to make separate distinctions between chapter books, anthologies and
journals.
● Readings (for literary artists): List the title of the work presented and the location.
● Recordings (for musicians): List all recordings of your work. Include album title, work title
(if you are not the only artist on the album), record label, catalog number, year released.
● Repertoire (for dancers and musicians): List works you perform. Include title,
choreographer or composer. If you perform on a special instrument, include it here.
● Works completed and in production (for filmmakers and new media): List your work that
is both completed and in production. You can categorize by your role (director, writer,
etc.) or the type of work (TV, feature, documentary, etc.).
● Screenings & Festivals (for filmmakers and new media): List the screenings and
festivals. Include festival name, location and year.
● Commissions/public art projects: List the title of the commissioned work or public project,
date, site and sponsor/producer.
● Awards and Honors: List recent awards first, working backward in chronological order.
Include project grants, prizes won in competition, artist-in-residence programs and
fellowships.
● Related professional work: List work that relates to your profession, such as teaching
positions, lectures given, curatorial projects, films, adaptations, installations or
recordings on which you have assisted/performed, etc.
● Bibliography: List all publications in which you have been mentioned or reviewed, and
any articles that you have written related to art. Creating a bibliography with the correct
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information and punctuation is a complex science. When in doubt, refer to The Chicago
Manual of Style or the Modern Language Association Style Guide
● Education: If you are a recent graduate, education should be your first or second
category. If you are a mid-career artist, it should be your last. List education credits in the
following order: any degree you are currently a candidate for; graduate degrees earned;
undergraduate degrees earned; other institutions of higher education and notable artists
you’ve studied with (musicians and performers).
APPENDIX C: BUDGET
An itemized budget gives us an honest sense of what it will take to make the project happen,
including reasonable fees for the artists involved. It is also a window into the scale of the project
and if you have a reasonable understanding of what it will take to execute it. This is just an
estimate. We know that the budget is subject to change and may well exceed the amount of the
Creative Capital Award. Please ensure that your budget is complete, accurate, and consistent
across the application.
Tips and Best Practices:
● A Budget Has Multiple Uses
The budget isn’t only a way to give an idea of how much a project costs, it also allows
granting foundations to see how realistic you are about what the project entails. Artists
can use itemized budgets as a management tool to set milestones throughout the life of
a project. A successful budget can function as a launching pad for fundraising and can
be used as a flexible document to use as check-ins and to update as the scope and
timeline of a project change.
● Pay Yourself
Make sure to pay yourself and all of your collaborators. A budget that includes a fee that
compensates artists for their time will look more informed to evaluators than one that
doesn’t have an artist fee at all. There are two ways to calculate the artist fee for your
budget:
o If this project is the artist’s primary source of income, time spent can be
represented as a percentage of a reasonable, annual salary. For example, if
$65,000 is your annual salary, and you estimate you will spend six months
working full-time on this project, your fee—one-half of the “annual salary”—would
be represented in the budget as follows: Artist’s fee for six months: 50% of
$65,000 = $32,500
o If this project is not the artist’s primary source of income—perhaps you are
working on it concurrently with other projects or if you have a full-time job that
supports you—the artist can represent time spent as a percentage of the total
project budget. Organizations and individual artists typically budget 15-25% of a
project’s costs to cover administration and overhead (also known as A&O). Even
if the project budget pays for expenses in other ways—by covering items like
travel and research costs—the A&O line will compensate the artist for the time
spent planning and fundraising for the project. Artist fee (2) for six months: 20%
of $250,000 = $50,000 (This line item assumes two collaborators receiving
$25,000 each)
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● Self-Financing
“Self-financed” expenses are still project expenses and need to be accounted for in your
project budget. If you’ve been using personal finances (like credit cards or personal
income) to cover creative expenses, check your receipts and add them to your total
expenses. That said, we discourage all artists from self-financing their projects.
● Income/Funding from the Project
A complete budget includes expenses and income/funding. Make sure that you include
all possible income/funding and designate sources as Confirmed (funding is
committed/secured), Pending (funding has been applied for), and To Be Raised (still
need to source this amount). Foundation grants you apply for—including the Creative
Capital Award—should be listed in the income/funding section. As a reminder, the grant
amount of the Creative Capital Award is between $15,000 and $50,000. If you still need
to raise money for your project but don’t have an identified source, you can write “to be
raised” followed by the amount.
● Sample Budgets
Here is a sample budget template that you can use as a guide:
o Sample Budget Template
APPENDIX D: WORK SAMPLES
Great work samples are important. Remember that even if you don’t get the award, great work
samples could stick with evaluators after the application process. We have seen work that was
not ultimately selected go on to be curated, programmed, and funded.
Tips and Best Practices
During a review process, an evaluator may be looking at upwards of 100 different projects. The
evaluators want to give their full attention to your project, so choosing great work samples can
help them do that. For evaluators who don’t know you, your work sample is your work—it’s the
single way they will experience it. So, make sure it’s the best representation of it. The strongest
work samples will capture your singular sensibility and areas of exploration.
● Use the Description Space Wisely
Help the evaluators connect the dots by adding descriptions of the work samples—telling
them what they’re looking at, and how it connects with your future projects.
● Samples of Previous Work
It’s likely that the work you are proposing in your application won’t be far enough in
development for you to provide documentation. It is okay to use samples of previous
work to help the evaluators imagine what your future work will look like. Try to submit
completed work from the last five years. While completed work is best, work-in-progress
supplements are acceptable if you feel they will make the best case. We recommend
showing at least some fully-produced work that demonstrates your ability to accomplish
ambitious projects.
● Get Feedback Before You Submit
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It may be helpful to show your work samples to a few friends or colleagues before you
submit. Consider choosing someone who knows your work intimately, as well as
someone who has never seen it before. Discuss their perceptions of the project—you
may be surprised to learn that others may take away meanings that are completely
different from your intentions.
● Drop Us Directly into the Action
For time-based works, the first few seconds or sentences are crucial. Don’t do a slow
buildup with lengthy intertitles. Instead, drop us straight into the action and make us feel
like we are right there with you. Remember, in any grant application process, your
project is not the only sample that an evaluator is reviewing. You want to capture their
attention quickly and then hold it for the duration of your sample. Do not submit trailers, a
reel of greatest hits, or a series of quick edits of your work. Submissions should be a
continuous excerpt so we can see how it unfolds. If you’d like evaluators to see more
than one section of work, divide it across multiple samples.
● Documentation
When collecting work sample documentation, hold yourself to the same high standards
that you hold in your art practice. You wouldn’t produce a play in a setting where the
audience can’t hear what the actors are saying, so don’t submit video of a performance
that makes it hard for the evaluators to hear the dialogue. For performing arts especially,
collecting great documentation may require working with videographers, editors, and
sound recordists—which can get expensive—but if it means getting that next big grant, it
can pay off. Or, consider working with a colleague who can help with these needs by
trading skills or other in-kind services.
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