The Public Art Learning Fund aims to strengthen the field of public art in New England by providing professional development support directly to artists.
Donor Name: New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA)
State: Selected States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/14/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Through the Public Art Learning Fund, NEFA intends to foster the continued development of more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant public spaces and public life throughout New England.
The Public Art Learning Fund aims to strengthen the public art field in the region by supporting artists in further developing the skills, resources, and connections they need to build a more vibrant and equitable community of practice in the region. Learning in partnership with grantees, NEFA strives to learn how we may be able to better support a more equitable and sustainable public art ecosystem throughout the region.
Priorities
Public Art Learning Fund equips artists with skills, resources, and connections to strengthen public art practices that contribute to more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant public spaces and public life throughout New England.
The Public Art Learning Fund gives priority to timely opportunities that are:
- Specifically expanding an artist’s public art practice. NEFA will look for clarity on desired learnings and application to artist’s public art practice.
- Equitably contributing to more just and inclusive public artmaking in the region. Artists at various stages in their public artmaking practice from urban, suburban, and rural communities across all six states in New England are welcome to apply.
NEFA values diverse cultural and artistic expressions as essential to more equitable and vibrant public spaces and recognizes that some artists may experience barriers to accessing professional development opportunities due to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, class, age, and geography. The Public Art Learning Fund intends to prioritize equity in funding opportunities.
Funding Information
- The Public Art Learning Fund provides grants of $500 to $ 3000.
- For opportunities that take place January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicant must:
- be an artist who resides full-time and makes work in one of the six New England States (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont)
- be an artist whose artistic practice engages the public realm or who can demonstrate that they are in the process of expanding their artistic practice towards public artmaking
- have an active Creative Ground profile.
- Proposed professional development opportunity must:
- specifically relate to strengthening the applicant artist’s own public art practice
- take place during the grant period
Note: There are no geographic limitations for the professional development opportunity requested (e.g., an artist may apply to the Public Art Learning Fund to attend a conference outside of New England). Travel expenses are eligible expenses only when traveling beyond a commutable distance from the artist’s home.
For more information, visit NEFA.
