Wendy Wagner Foundation Spring 2026 Trio Grants

The Wendy Wagner Foundation for Funding Creativity, a Houston nonprofit, has announced an open call for its Spring 2026 Trio Grants. Twice each year, the foundation awards three Houston-based women artists a total of $8,500 in unrestricted funds to support their artistic practices.

The foundation is named after Wendy Wagner, a Houston artist who attended the Glassell School of Art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 1998, was awarded the Hunting Art Prize in 2008, and received recognition in The New York Times for her 2013 solo exhibition at Women & Their Work in Austin. Wagner incorporated her experiences with a malignant brain tumor diagnosis into her art before her death in 2014 at age 47.

The biannual Trio Grants, established in 2018, recognize exceptional talent among women in the field of contemporary art. Winners receive grants of $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000 respectively. Eligibility is open to female artists age 21 and over living in Harris County who are not currently enrolled in school or undertaking an artist residency.

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of Houston artists, art collectors, and arts organization directors. Previous recipients have included sculptor Jessica Phillips, painters Carolina Otero and Chayse Sampy (winter 2025), collagist Kaima Marie Akarue, multimedia artist Abbie Preston Edmonson, and photography and performance artist Sarah Sudhoff (spring 2025).