Assembly for the Arts works to expand resources for artists in Greater Cleveland.  From grants, fellowships, and awards, here are a variety of local, state, and national artist funding opportunities to help you grow and sustain your creative practice.

SPACES Urgent Art Fund Cycle two applications accepted from May 20, 2024 – July 22, 2024. 12 artist awards to Cuyahoga County artists/collectives for the creation of “urgent art” that is socially, politically, and/or culturally responsive. $4,000 each will be awarded to artists along with on-site art production facilities, mentorship and network opportunities, an artist–level SPACES ArtsPass membership, and an Assembly for the Arts membership. A Support for Artist program funded by Cuyahoga Arts & Culture and administered by Assembly for the Arts.

SPACES – Satellite Fund. Administered by SPACES and supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, this is a grant opportunity for established and emerging visual artists, cultural producers creative professionals, and any Cuyahoga County resident with a strong vision and demonstrated ability to complete the proposed project. Awardees will receive a cash award, a SPACES membership, and professional development opportunities.  

Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Awards – a variety of awards that recognize excellence, preserve cultural traditions, and offer developmental support. Award programs include Individual Excellence, Artists with Disabilities Access Program, Traditional Arts Apprenticeship, and Artist Opportunities (Professional Development and Project Support).

Spark Grants provide easy-to-access funds with a quick turnaround time to artists, arts & culture non-profits, and creative businesses in need of funding (up to $1,000) to pilot a public initiative or event that “sparks” from a conversation at a monthly Creative Meetup or from the Neighbor Up Arts & Culture Network Night Gatherings.

Additional Artist Resources

The following organizations offer resources that help artists write grant proposals, find opportunities, and apply for competitions, grants and residencies. 

• Opportunities for Visual Artists in Northeast Ohio.  A comprehensive list of opportunities (art calls, funding, jobs, and spaces) for visual artists.  
• ClevelandArtsEvents.com/Opportunities. A website jointly managed by Assembly for the Arts and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture for sharing and finding artist profiles, events, and opportunities for artists (grants, fellowships, jobs, calls for art, other).  
• Candid.  A national organization with easy to find scholarships, fellowships, and awards for artists, students, and researchers.  
• Creative Capital.  A national organization, that offers educational support for artists on the topic of funding (view the Applying for Grants section).   
• Springboard for the Arts. A national organization with grant seeking and writing resources. Individual consultations are also available. 
• Artwork Archive | Guide to the Best Artist Grants and Opportunities in 2024. A list of top artist residencies, calls-for-entry, grants, competitions, and more to benefit artists in 2024.
• ioby Cleveland: ioby (“in our backyards”) is a crowdfunding and support platform that empowers leaders to plan and develop projects that lead to positive change in neighborhoods across the city.
• Request fiscal sponsorship: Leverage Assembly’s nonprofit status to apply for funding from corporations and foundations.

Archive Grants

Community Revitalization Fellowship . Applications close Monday, April 8th, 2024. A learning opportunity to help cohorts of grassroots community leaders revitalize neighborhoods that are struggling with serious challenges related to vacancy, abandonment, and disinvestment.

The City of Cleveland Transformative Arts Fund. Applications close March 30, 2024. Opportunities for Cleveland artists in collaboration with a city-based institutional partner. 6 to 12 projects will receive $250,000 to $500,000 to create innovative, thought-provoking, and inclusive Cleveland-centric public art projects. Administered by Assembly for the Arts. 

Dobama Theatre – Fostering Opportunity for Communities Underserved on the Stage (FOCUS). Applications close April 15, 2024. A mentorship and training program to direct paid professional opportunities for early career theater designers, technicians and stage manager from underserved and underrepresented communities including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Disabled, Deaf, and neurodivergent theatre practitioners.  
 

Karamu House – Room in the House Fellowship. Applications open in March and close May 3, 2024. The Room in the House Fellowship will award 5 visual artists and 5 performing artists with $5,000 in unrestricted funding, inclusion in a digital exhibition on Karamu’s website, participation in curated Karamu events that will feature artists in exhibition or performance, and access to shared workspaces. Artists may be in any phase of their career and align with Karamu’s vision of culturally and socially relevant work that celebrates the Black experience. No project is required. In partnership with Assembly for the Arts and supported in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. 

Zygote Press – PROOF: Print Residency of Ohio’s Future. Applications close April 20, 2024. A 6-month fine art printmaking residency program for Northeast Ohio artists from historically underrepresented communities. PROOF offers non-printmaking artists from BIPOC communities the opportunity to learn a variety of printmaking techniques including silkscreen, monoprint, relief, intaglio, lithography and RISO.

Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center – Unidos por el Arte. Applications open March 1 – March 30, 2024. Unidos por el Arte is a project-based grant opportunity focused on uniting artists to celebrate the diversity of Cleveland’s Latino community. Ten artists will be awarded $5,000 to complete their project. Artists will have access to dedicated workspace and supplies. Their project will culminate in an art showcase as part of the Center’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration in September 2024. Artists of all disciplines are encouraged to apply. In partnership with Assembly for the Arts and supported in part by residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture. 

Cleveland Public Theatre – Individual Artist Fund. Applications open March 1 – April 14, 2024. Provides 3 artists with $5,000 in unrestricted funds for actors, dancers, and designers who demonstrate artist excellence and innovation. 

Cleveland Public Theatre – Premiere Fellowship. Applications open March 1 – April 14, 2024. Provides 4 artists with a $7,000 in unrestricted funds and $3,000 in support towards a project support by CPT. Also includes access to rehearsal and performance space, mentorship, networking opportunities, and additional support (production, marketing, and front of house management).

SPACES – Artists Forward Fund.   Applications are currently closed. Supported by the Cleveland Foundation and administered by SPACES, this fund awards $2,000 in unrestricted funding to Cuyahoga County artists. Adapting a pay-it-forward structure, recipients of this microgrant are selected by past awardees letting local artists support local artists.