Grants help sculptors pay for expensive materials.
Given the costs of materials such as marble, metals and glass to create works, sculpting can be an expensive endeavor. Like other artists, some sculptors depend on funds from grants to help them finance the costs of creating work. Sculptors can apply for grants many types of organizations.
State Grants
Many states have arts councils that disseminate individual grants to visual artists for varying lengths of time. Awards support the creation and exhibition of work and some are specifically designed to finance the installation of public art for the enjoyment of the local community. For example, the Massachusetts Cultural Council (massculturalcouncil.org) gave individual awards up to $7,500 in 2011 in an artist fellowship program. Minnesota State Arts Board (arts.state.mn.us) has an "Artists Initiative Grant" that awards up to $10,000 to individual arts to develop work. The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (nasaa-arts.org) provides an online directory of state arts agencies. The amount of awards may vary from year to year depending on state budget allocations.
Foundation Grants
Foundations are a major source of funding for artists and provide millions of dollars in grant awards per year. Sculptors can apply for awards to support a myriad of activities including purchasing materials, research and travel to art events. Some awards like the grants from Creative Capital (creative-capital.org) are restricted to established artists who have already created a substantial body of work. As of 2011, sculptors can apply for up to $50,000 in funding from the organization. Young and emerging sculptors can apply for money from organizations like the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation (louiscomforttiffanyfoundation.org) and the Jerome Foundation (jeromefdn.org) if they are just beginning their careers as professional artists.
Municipal Grants
In an effort to increase the cultural offerings of their cities, some local governments fund the work of artists in their communities with competitive grant programs. Some grants have specific conditions and may specify that the artist provide educational workshops to youth or organize public viewings of their work. Others such as the Lighton International Artists Exchange Program grant (kansascityartistscoalition.org) in Kansas City, Missouri, funds travel for visual artists to participate in global exchange programs or to participate in an arts residency. Kansas City also awards grant for artists to market their work. Local arts councils or city government agencies maintain websites with lists of grants available to local artists.
College and University Grants
Sculptors enrolled in or teaching at a college or university fine arts department may qualify for grants from their institution. Grants are endowed by alumni or special funds. Financial aid departments, especially art schools such as the Savannah College of Art and Design (scad.edu), also provide directories of awards for undergraduate and graduate students.
