Art Projects
Create and share your art with our King County communities! This grant offers up to $15,000 to bring your art project of any discipline to life.
Steps to Apply
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What Art Projects Funds
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What Art Projects Funds
Artists and art groups all over King County use the Art Projects grants to create and share their work of any discipline or medium.
Criteria
We fund these grants through a competitive process. A panel of local artists and art professionals reviews all eligible applications based on two kinds of criteria: core and choice.
Core Criteria:
- Project impact and public benefit: art is the primary component of your project. The project includes a public event for King County residents and visitors to enjoy, experience, or benefit from the art or artmaking. The project makes clear efforts to be accessible to many ages, disabilities, languages, and communities.
- Quality and qualifications: your work samples and experience show an ability to successfully complete the project. If applying as a group, the lead or partnering artists have the relevant experience to achieve the project.
- Feasibility: your project budget and plan are realistic and achievable. The requested funding amount is appropriate for the project.
- Advancing equity: 4Culture’s mission focuses on racial equity and envisions a county where culture is essential and accessible to all. Your project specifically benefits communities of color and/or historically marginalized communities. The project serves or collaborates with members of these communities This is not an eligibility requirement, but it is one of factors the panel will consider.
In addition, the Choice Criteria is an opportunity for you to select an important focus of your project.
Choice Criteria:
You must select ONE of the following that best describes your project’s goal and impact:
- Continuity: your project continues a long-term artistic practice or tradition and demonstrates value in sustaining or repeating this work.
Examples:
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- John Feodorov presented a solo exhibition at Gallery 4Culture of new and recent work that questioned the ways colonization shapes identity.
- Folklore Mexicano Tonantzin WA continued the living tradition of Mexican folkloric dance with a public performance.
- Growth: your project expands your practice, medium, or artwork in new directions, and shows artistic development.
Examples:
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Jess X Snow wrote and directed Roots that Reach Toward the Sky, a 16mm short narrative drama about how two generations of queer Asian Americans grieve and heal each other through traditional medicine and love.
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Seattle Trans and Nonbinary Choral Ensemble produced their first ever concert for Transgender Day of Remembrance.
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- Engagement: your project focuses on participation, arts education, or collaboration beyond a presentation. The project intentionally engages or collaborates with specific communities based on their interests and needs.
Examples:
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- Sarah Bassingthwaighte presented Flute Premiers in the Parks, a series of flute choir performances in public parks with new works commissioned and created by young composers.
- Blue Cone Studio hosted CommuniTEAs, a weekly series of drop-in workshops for a wide range of skills and artforms.
Public Benefit: Why It Matters
Visitors who stay in hotels and motels in King County pay sales tax. A small part of that tax generates the funds for our grants—our mission is to reinvest those funds into King County communities. Most importantly, in your application you will be asked to state specifically how fellow residents and visitors will benefit from the work you do.
Equity Investments
To combat inequities in our grantmaking, 4Culture engages in the practice of making Equity Investments. This practice involves looking at several indicators of structural inequity and applying that knowledge to our peer review panel process. These indicators include but are not limited to geographic location of applicants, operating budget, communities engaged with, and audiences served, and project focus. By prioritizing these factors in our grantmaking decisions and panel review process, we anticipate funds will be distributed to communities that have historically been excluded from cultural funding.
Each of our grant programs utilizes an Equity Investment system tailored to the specific needs of its applicants. This organization-wide change—and what we learn about its impact—is an important step towards more equitable funding at 4Culture and throughout the King County cultural sector.
This grant’s Equity Investment is additional funding added to all selected projects that meet one or more of the following requirements:
- You are based outside of the City of Seattle.
- You are located in one of Seattle’s Communities of Opportunity.
- OR your application scores highly on the Advancing Equity criteria.
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Are You and Your Project Eligible?
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Are You and Your Project Eligible?
You
You can apply for Art Projects as an individual artist or an art group based in King County. You may only apply in one category.
Apply as an individual if you are the sole creator, a curator, or are leading other artists in the creation of your project. The panel will assess your individual contribution to the project and your work samples.
- Individuals must be at least 18 years old and a resident of King County when you apply through completion of your project.
- If selected for an award, you must provide a Social Security Number to receive payment. No fiscal sponsors may be used.
- 4Culture staff, Board, Arts Advisory Committee members, and 2025 Art Projects selection panelists are not eligible to apply.
Apply as a group if you represent a collaborative group, a grassroots or non-profit organization, municipality, or business that creates art projects.
- Groups must be based in King County with a core mission dedicated to the arts. If your group is not arts-focused, you must have a formal partnership with an artist or art group.
- If selected for an award, you must provide an Employer Identification Number to receive payment (sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, General Partnership, nonprofit, etc.). Social Security Numbers will not be accepted.
- Fiscally sponsored groups are eligible.
- Your group does not need to be a nonprofit.
- Organizations with a current contract for 4Culture’s Arts Sustained Support or Creative Consultancy programs are not eligible to apply.
Additional eligibility for individuals and groups:
- Applicants with incomplete contracts for past 4Culture’s Art Projects grants are not eligible.
- Multiple applicants may not apply for the same project.
- You may not apply on behalf of a current recipient of 4Culture’s Arts Sustained Support.
- Projects working in multiple disciplines – arts, heritage, and preservation – may be eligible for more than one 4Culture Projects grant. Please contact the program managers before applying to multiple Project grants.
You can only submit one application for the Art Projects program. We’ll consider your application complete once you’ve filled out all sections and provided all required materials listed in the Apply section of this page. It’s a good idea to put all these together before you login and begin your application.
Your Project
- Your project creates art of any discipline that offers an opportunity for our King County communities to experience or participate in your project. Projects can include readings, screenings, exhibitions, performances, festivals, workshops, collaborative artmaking, residencies, conferences, discussions, and more. Projects can be the creation of new work or the interpretation of existing work.
- Your project, or a phase of a larger project, must take place between July 1, 2025—July 1, 2027.
- You may request funding for $2,500, $5,000, $7,500, $10,000, $12,500, or $15,000.
See a list of past Awardees here.
This grant does not fund:
- Projects produced or funded by a 4Culture Sustained Support organization
- Food and beverage
- Purchase of equipment
- Murals and permanent public art
- Religious worship, exercise, or instruction
- K-12 schools or school districts
- Tuition and cost-of-living expenses for students in any degree program
- Fundraising expenses
- General operating support
- Capital construction
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Helping You Succeed
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Helping You Succeed
Workshops
Please join us to meet staff, learn how to apply, ask questions, and meet other artists and art groups. Take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen your application!
Online workshops will be hosted on Zoom video conference. Please register through the links below or click to join during the workshop time! Registration is not required for in-person workshops.
Accessibility: ASL interpretation will be provided at the January 30 and February 13 workshops and can be provided for any workshop by advance request! Please contact Jackie Mixon at for access requests and questions.
Office Hours
We will be standing by on Zoom to answer any questions, provide quick feedback on your application, and help you succeed! Join our open Zoom video call using the link below. If you missed these Office Hours, you can still call or email us anytime.
Tuesday, January 21, 11:00 am–1:00 pm
Tuesday, January 28, 11:00 am–1:00 pm
Tuesday, February 11, 11:00 am–1:00 pm
Tuesday, February 18, 11:00 am–1:00 pm
Tuesday, February 25, 11:00am–1:00 pm
Helpful Resources
Video
Watch these step-by-step videos to for tips on how to set up an account and access the application, as well as a detailed walkthrough of the application:
Worksheet
Click to download the 2024 worksheet: Individuals | Groups
This worksheet includes the full application with helpful tips. Use this to work offline, draft your responses, and then copy-and-paste them into the online application.
Sample Application
Here are samples of Individual and Group applications that received funding. You can also view last year’s Individual and Group grant recipients on our Awardees page.
Personal Feedback
We’re happy to offer feedback on a draft of your application! Please contact the Program Manager before Wednesday, February 26.
Contact
Groups:
Scott Oshima
(206) 477-8064
Individuals:
Melissa Newbill
206-263-1603
Translation and Assistance
The guidelines, a detailed explanation of how to apply, and the application are in English. If this is a barrier that stops you from understanding the grant or applying due to limited English writing ability, visual impairment, or you would like to request assistance to create an application, please contact or call (206) 296-7580 or TTY 711, and we will make sure you get the support you need. More ›
Las pautas, la explicación detallada de cómo enviar la solicitud y la solicitud están en inglés. Si esto le impide comprender la información relacionada con la beca o enviar una solicitud debido a una limitación en la capacidad para escribir en inglés, si tiene una discapacidad visual o si desea recibir asistencia para crear una solicitud, escriba a o llame al (206) 296-7580 o TTY 711, y nos aseguraremos de que obtenga la ayuda que necesita. Más información ›
详细说明如何申请的指南以及申请本身均使用英文。如果由于英语写作能力有限、视力障碍而妨碍您对本资助的了解或申请，或者您希望请求协助来完成申请，请发送电子邮件至 或致电 (206) 296-7580 或 TTY (听障专线) 711 联系，我们会确保您获得所需的支持。了解更多相关信息 ›
Руководство, подробная инструкция и форма заявки на английском языке. Если вам сложно разобраться в процедуре получения грантов или подачи заявок из-за ограниченных навыков письменного английского языка либо нарушений зрения, а также если вы бы хотели обратиться за помощью при составлении заявки, отправьте письмо на адрес электронной почты или позвоните по номеру (206) 296-7580 или 711 (телетайп), и мы позаботимся о том, чтобы вы получили необходимую помощь. Дополнительная информация ›
Hướng dẫn, giải thích chi tiết về cách nộp đơn va tài liệu áp dụng tất cả đều bằng Tiếng Anh. Nếu đây là rào cản khiến quý vị không hiểu được khoản trợ cấp hoặc cách nộp đơn do khả năng viết tiếng Anh hạn chế, do quý vị bị suy giảm thị lực hoặc muốn yêu cầu hỗ trợ để tạo đơn đăng ký, làm ơn liên hệ hoặc gọi (206) 296-7580 hay TTY 711 và chúng tôi sẽ hỗ trợ những gì quý vị cần. Để biết thêm chi tiết ›
Tilmaamaha, sharaxaadda faahfaahsan ee ku saabsan sida loo codsado, iyo waraaqda codsiga waxa ay dhammaan ku qoran yihiin Af-Ingiriisi. Haddii ay arrintani tahay caqabad kaa hor istaageysa fahamka deeqda ama codsashada oo ay sabab u tahay awoodda qorista Af-Ingiriisiga oo xadidan, araggaaga oo liita, ama aad jeclaan lahayd inaad codsato in lagaa caawiyo in aad codsi sameyso, fadlan la xiriir ama wac (206) 296-7580 ama TTY 711, waxaana xaqiijin doonnaa inaad hesho taageerada aad u baahan tahay. Xog badan ka ogow ›
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After You Submit
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After You Submit
Timeline
The deadline for this grant is March 12, 2025 at 5:00 pm PDT. Award notifications will be sent by July 1, 2025.
Panel Process
We make all funding decisions through a panel of artists and art professionals, who evaluate all eligible applications based on the above criteria and Equity Investment. Panelists are different every year and work in a variety of art disciplines, which may differ from your own. Keep this in mind as you write your application.
4Culture staff facilitates the panel but does not score applications or influence the outcome. The panel meets to discuss and recommend applications for funding. 4Culture’s Advisory Committee and Board then approve the final list of awards.
Contracts and Payment
If we select your project for funding, your grant manager will work with you to create a contract, including your project’s Public Benefit and a payment schedule. Payments are made as reimbursements, but you can request 50% of the award to start your project and 50% upon completion of the Public Benefit.
Requirements and Appeals
Learn about the legal requirements of grant recipients, and about the process for appeal of a 4Culture award.
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Apply
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Apply
You will apply through our online grant portal system at apply.4culture.org.
- Returning: please make sure your profile is up to date.
- New: you will need to create an account before you can access the application. Groups must create an organization account, which may take 1-2 days to be approved.
Once you log in, select Art Projects and the correct program: Individual or Group.
Save a draft by completing the required fields or by using temporary text. Once you click “Submit,” your application is considered complete and ready for review.
We highly recommend drafting your application in a separate document (e.g. using the application Worksheet, a Word Document, Google Doc, etc.).
What’s in the Application?
You will be required to answer five narrative questions based on the criteria. In addition, applications must include all the following materials to be eligible. We strongly recommend assembling them before you begin your application.
Demographic Information
Your profile in our application portal must provide demographic information for the current year for yourself (for individuals), or your board and staff (for groups). We use this information to help us understand how well we are doing in our efforts to reach all communities in King County. All information will be kept confidential and will not be used in funding decisions.
Project Budget
Use the budget form to share the planned expenses and revenues for the project. In the notes section, provide more detail on each category and how you would use the grant funds. The total expenses and revenues must match, including in-kind expenses and revenues. Please refer to “What Art Projects Funds” section above for eligible of 4Culture funding.
Venue
Complete this section if you know the name and address of the project’s venue or location. If you do not yet have a venue, please skip down to Project Venue Notes, and share the type of venue you would like to use and why. If you are planning to use more than one venue, indicate that in the Project Venue Notes as well.
Work Samples
You must submit samples of past work that best demonstrate your qualifications for your project. We recommend prioritizing your work samples by selecting the most relevant to your proposed project—in scope, scale, complexity, or subject matter.
Eligible work samples include images, text documents, videos, and audio in the following formats:
- File Attachments (images and documents): JPEG, PDF, or Word Document under 2MB each
- Links (video and audio): YouTube, Vimeo, or Soundcloud – links must be public or unlisted (no password)
Work samples must be under 5 minutes or 5 pages total. For longer work samples, please note what section should be reviewed in the Work Sample Description.
To resize files to under 2MB, you can use free websites like Image Resizer and PDF Resizer.
The following formats are not accepted and will not be reviewed:
- Links to social media, cloud storage, film databases, resume/CV websites, or links requiring passwords.
- Attachments over 2MB each.
- Full resumes.
Work Sample Description
Please prepare the following information for all work samples:
- Titles of the work samples in the order in which they are to be reviewed.
- Date the works were completed or if they are in-progress.
- Your role (e.g. “I was the choreographer and director of this project.”).
Documents: note if the samples are complete works, abstracts, excerpts, or a collection.
Images: share the medium, dimensions, and image credits.
You may elect to write a few brief sentences about each work sample.