The Arts Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities supports accessibility in the arts and celebrates the work of disabled Midwestern visual artists.
Donor Name: Arts Midwest
States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Award
Deadline: 05/22/2023
Size of the Grant: $3,000
Details:
Visual artists with disabilities, across many lines of difference, are doing incredible work around the Midwest. The Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities recognizes and celebrates their efforts and encourages their future work.
This award also supports and celebrates accessibility in the arts. It recognizes that the general funding community in the Midwest has not historically invested in disabled artists and that increasing support for this group is an important part of increasing accessibility in the arts. It also advocates for the arts being viable employment, which is often overlooked by funding agencies supporting people with disabilities.
From 2023–2025, this award will recognize 27 individuals (9 per year) in the Arts Midwest region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography.
Each awardee will receive a $3,000 check award. Total awards across the region will equal $27,000 per year. There are no requirements for how awarded funds are used, though awardees are encouraged to use it toward growing their art career. Awardees’ submitted work will be featured on the Arts Midwest website.
Eligibility Criteria
Arts Midwest invites mid-career 2D and 3D visual artists with disabilities to apply for this award. Artists may use assistance in filling out the application. They also allow nominations with consent from the artist being nominated.
This award may be a fit if you:
- Are based in the Arts Midwest region of: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Native Nations that share this geography.
- Have a disability/identify as disabled.
- Disability communities are not a singular group, and they want artists to be able to self-identify into this award. They welcome a self or medical diagnosis understanding of disability. Disability as you experience it may include, but is not limited to cognitive, learning, and developmental disabilities; emotional or mental health disabilities; and/or physical disabilities.
- Arts Midwest acknowledge disability justice and intersectionality and encourage artists who are part of historically excluded groups, such as women, people of color, immigrants, and people who identify as LGBTQ+, to apply for this award.
- Create 2D or 3D visual art
- Examples of 2D art include but are NOT limited to: drawing, painting, printmaking, photography
- Examples of 3D art include but are NOT limited to: ceramics, sculpture, glass
- Are mid-career, which they interpret as creating artwork and building a career for 5-15 years
For more information, visit Midwest Award.
