Individual Arts Grant Program (Visual Artists)
Up to $15,000 grant for Canadian visual artists in British Columbia to support project creation, criticism, or curation.
The Individual Arts Grant Program offers funding for established visual and craft artists, independent critics, and curators in British Columbia, Canada. Eligible applicants may request up to $15,000 to cover project-related expenses including subsistence costs, materials, rentals, travel, accessibility needs, and professional fees for collaborators. The program provides subsistence support of up to $750 per week to assist with living costs during project implementation.
Projects must begin after the application closing date and can include creation, criticism, or curation of a body of work. The program emphasizes ethical and equitable creative processes, fair compensation to artists, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and collaborators, and adherence to community and cultural protocols. Applicants must follow international intellectual property rights standards and ensure participant safety and inclusivity.
To be eligible, applicants must be established visual or craft artists, independent critics, or curators with appropriate training and at least two years of professional practice. They must demonstrate recognized professional achievements such as curated exhibitions or published critical works. Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have lived continuously in British Columbia for at least 12 months before the application deadline.
Applications are evaluated on three key criteria: Artistic Contribution and Significance, Impact on the Applicant and Community, and Feasibility. Assessment considers project quality, originality, scope, relevance to professional development, alignment with reconciliation and equity priorities, and clarity of timeline and budget. Only one application per intake is permitted, and applicants may apply for a single project per submission.