The Kentucky Arts Council is accepting applications for its Emerging Artist Award to support professional, early-career Kentucky artists engaged in creating artwork of high quality and to recognize creative excellence.
Donor Name: Kentucky Arts Council
State: Kentucky
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 03/15/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
The primary goal of the program is to directly support the advancement and continuation of early–career Kentucky artists’ creative work.
Funding Information
The Emerging Artist Award is a competitive $1,000 award.
Grant Period
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply to the Emerging Artist Award program, an applicant must:
- Must have been a legal Kentucky resident for a period of at least one full year immediately prior to the application deadline
- Remain a legal, full-time resident of Kentucky for the duration of the grant period
- Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application for the Emerging Artist Award
- Be a professional, working artist, responsible for creating original work, not interpreting the work of others or creating under the guidance of an instructor or mentor
- Students in the final year of their college or university art degree program, may be eligible to apply for an Emerging Artist Award.
Note: Applicant age does not determine emerging artist status. For the purposes of this grant application, an emerging artist is defined as a professional creator of new work who:
- Has a developing voice that reveals significant potential
- Is rigorous in their approach to creation and production
- Has some evidence of professional achievement
- Is not recognized as an established artist by other arts professionals (artists, curators, critics and arts administrators)
For more information, visit Kentucky Arts Council.
