ARTIST GRANTS ARE PLENTIFUL IN MIAMI-DADE; HERE’S WHERE TO FIND THEM

Artist Grants are vital to the sustainability of Miami’s thriving cultural community. Digital collage by Jean Blackwell Font.

Being a working artist means relying on grants to make your work and oftentimes it’s tough to know where to look.

In the hopes of easing the search, we have rounded up a list of resources on where to find them.

Downtown Creative Collaborators Grant Program
miamidda.com/marketing-comm/miami-dda-funding-programs

The Miami Downtown Development Authority is an organization with a long history of supporting artists. For years they have found innovative ways to create opportunities in the unlikeliest of places, like vacant storefronts in Downtown Miami. Their latest grant program will award between $5,000 and $50,000 to artists who create projects or events happening from 2023-2024 that demonstrate the area’s economic impact and strengthen Miami’s appeal as a global destination. The deadline is July 31. Click the link above for full details and the application.

Miami Light Project Open Call for Submissions
miamilightproject.submittable.com/submit

A fixture in the Miami arts scene for nearly three decades, Miami Light Project has always been known as an arts organization whose mission is to “support the development of new work by emerging and established artists living in Miami.” Two of the many ways they accomplish that is through their long-running ScreenDance Miami Festival and Here & Now Festival. Miami Light Project is currently seeking submissions for both festivals through Sept. 15 and Sept. 29 respectively. The link above provides full details and submission links.

Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
miamidadearts.org/news/miami-dade-county-department-cultural-affairs-announces-grants-program-deadlines-2023-2024-fall

The department is a major lifeline for Miami artists, offering year-round opportunities of both training workshops on applying for grants as well as grants for working artists. With Michael Spring at the helm for nearly four decades, he and his staff are aware of artists’ needs and tailor the grant program to meet those needs. They have an entire section on their website dedicated specifically to their offerings, making this invaluable resource quick and easy to access. Click on the link above to visit the page and peruse what is currently available.

Knight Foundation
knightfoundation.org

With a legacy rooted in the Miami community, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation sets the standard for supporting the arts in Miami. Their Knight Arts Challenge and Knight New Work grants offer the most no-nonsense approach to applying for a grant. The Knight Foundation grants were how artists and arts organizations survived during the pandemic, awarding them funds for their creative ideas on pivoting to virtual programming wherever possible. Those pivots led to increased audiences and have in several cases, continued as an additional offering to in-person programming.

Miami Foundation
miamifoundation.org/communitygrants

Nonprofits and arts organizations across all of Miami-Dade are familiar with Miami Foundation’s annual Give Miami Day, a 24-hour fundraising event held yearly in mid-November. In addition to this marathon event, the organization also awards grants across six funding priorities, one of which is Inspiring Arts and Culture. In that category, grants are awarded to work that champions Miami’s diverse community, expands access to cultural experiences for the city’s residents and aids in increasing opportunities for artistic expression.

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