OVERVIEW: Creative Capital was originally founded in order to "reinvent cultural philanthropy" by applying the principles of venture capital to arts funding.
IP TAKE: Creative Capital prioritizes innovation in the artists and projects it supports; grant seekers prepared to take risks with their art will do better here. Applicants cannot be students and must be at least 25 years old and a working artist with at least five years of professional experience.
It invests in the long term by forming ongoing relationships with the projects it supports. Creative Capital takes an entrepreneurial long-view of its funding, so its support goes way beyond just funding worthy recipients. Additionally, all of its grants have an open application process, so anyone who meets the eligibility criteria can apply.
This is an innovative funder in the arts space, if you secure funding here.
PROFILE: Founded in 1999, Creative Capital seeks to inspire “a deep connection and commitment to artists” and help “those working in all creative disciplines realize their visions and build sustainable practices.” It offers grants in five main areas: visual arts, performing arts, literature, film/video (also known as "Moving Image"), and emerging fields. All grants are awarded to individual artists, not organizations.
Since its inception, Creative Capital has supported 741 artists with nearly $50 million in funding, professional development opportunities, expert consulting, and artist retreats and gatherings. Grantees each receive $50,000 in project funding, supplemented by an additional $50,000 in career development services, for a total value of $100,000.
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 helps grantees hone their skills in fundraising, public relations, strategic planning, and marketing.
Grants for the Arts
Creative Capital grants “seek to amplify the voices of artists working in all creative disciplines and catalyze connections to help them realize their visions and build sustainable practices.”
Grants for the Performing Arts: Grants for Music; Grants for Theater; Grants for Dance
Creative Capital’s grantmaking for the performing arts includes dance, music theater, experimental music performance, experimental opera, spoken word, theater/performance art, puppetry and interdisciplinary projects. To get a better idea of the types of arts and projects Creative Capital funds, see the list of past grantees.
Grants for Visual Arts
Creative Capital’s visual arts support grants include funding for Animation, Architecture & Design, Artistic Activism, Augmented Reality, Data Visualization, Digital Media, Drawing & Illustration, Ecological Art, Games, Graphic Novel, Multimedia, Painting, Photography, Public Art, Sculpture, and Virtual Reality Art. Visual art is also supported through the Arts Writers Grant Program, which awards grants to writers whose work "addresses contemporary visual art," particularly those who write directly about and promote contemporary works of visual art. To get a better idea of the types of arts and projects Creative Capital funds, see the list of past grantees.
Grants for Film
Film grants include support for narrative and documentary films, as well as experimental and video art. The competition for Creative Capital is also among the top tier of talent. For example, among past recipients, Deborah Stratman's work has been featured at the Museum of Modern Art, Cam Archer's film Wild Tigers I Have Known was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, and Nina Menkes work has been screened at a number of film festivals, including Sundance and the Toronto Film Festival. To get a better idea of the types of arts and projects Creative Capital funds, see the list of past grantees.
Grants for Creative Writing
Creative Capital also offers the Arts Writers Grant Program. The Arts Writers Grant supports writers whose work "addresses contemporary visual art," particularly those who write directly about and promote contemporary works of visual art. The breakdown of grant amounts for various areas is $15,000 to article writers, $30,000 for blogs, $50,000 for books, $15,000 for new media, and $30,000 for short-form writing. To get a better idea of the types of arts and projects Creative Capital funds, see the list of past grantees.
Important Grant Details:
Grant seekers can apply more than once and the jurors are different each year. Evaluators consider the quality of the work as well as the originality and/or urgency of the project. Grant seekers can apply here.
PEOPLE:
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