Creative Capital Award
Creative Capital
Up to $50,000
Researched for this program: 1 rejection trap · 3 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
National open-call artist grant
Creative Capital's flagship national open-call grant for individual artists creating bold, original new work in any discipline — visual arts, performing arts, film/moving image, literature, technology, and multidisciplinary or socially engaged forms. Each project receives up to $50,000 in unrestricted project funding, plus multi-year professional development: strategic advising, peer mentorship, financial and legal guidance, and access to Creative Capital's network of cultural producers and funders. The 2026 cycle supported 49 new works. It is described as the only national open-call grant program funding artists across every discipline.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $15,000 – $50,000
- Realistic amount
- Funded artists receive up to $50,000 for their project, typically disbursed across the project's multi-year arc as milestones are met, alongside the non-cash professional support.
- Deadline
- Annual open call — the 2026 cycle application closed April 2, 2026 at 3 PM ET. The next cycle's open call is announced on creative-capital.org.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- milestone
Who qualifies
- Working artist aged 25 or older with at least five years of professional experience
- Not enrolled in a degree-granting program at the time of application
- US citizen, permanent resident, Tribal ID holder, or O-1 visa holder (proof of eligibility required)
- Individual artists (and collaborative teams meeting the criteria) creating original, groundbreaking new work
- Open to all disciplines — visual, performing, film/moving image, literature, technology, multidisciplinary, socially engaged
Is the Creative Capital Award legit?
Yes. The Creative Capital Foundation, a national 501(c)(3), has funded artists since 1999 and publishes each year's awardees. It is for artists' projects, not businesses.
- Who runs it: The Creative Capital Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Since: 1999
Sources: creative-capital.org. Last checked at the funder on October 18, 2026.
Past Creative Capital Award winners
Some 2026 awardees:
- Cara Romero · 2026 Creative Capital Award
- Sadie Barnette · 2026 Creative Capital Award
- Gina Beavers · 2026 Creative Capital Award
- Delbert Anderson · 2026 Creative Capital Award
- Jocelyn Bioh · 2026 Creative Capital Award
- Samuel Beebe · 2026 Creative Capital Award
Names as published by Creative Capital (source). GrantCompass is not affiliated with Creative Capital.
New grants like this every week: see this week's list or get it by email on Mondays.
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Costs of creating the proposed new artistic work (materials, fabrication, production)
- Artist time and project-related fees
- Project-related travel, research, and collaborators
- Unrestricted — the grant supports the realization of the funded project
Ineligible expenses
- General living expenses unrelated to the funded project
- Tuition or costs tied to a degree program
How to apply
-
1
Review the application handbook and confirm eligibility
Read the current-cycle Creative Capital Application Handbook. Confirm you are 25+, have 5+ years of professional experience, are not enrolled in a degree program, and hold eligible US status (citizen, permanent resident, Tribal ID, or O-1 visa).
~4 hrs
-
2
Develop your project proposal
Articulate a bold, original new work: the idea, why it matters, your approach, and how the funding and professional support would advance it. Prepare a clear project description and work samples.
~15 hrs
-
3
Submit the open-call application
Submit via Creative Capital's online application portal before the cycle deadline (the 2026 deadline was April 2, 2026 at 3 PM ET). The first round is a relatively short proposal; advancing applicants are invited to submit fuller materials.
~6 hrs
-
4
Multi-round review and selection
Applications go through a multi-stage review by panels of artists and arts professionals. Finalists provide additional materials; awardees are selected and announced, then begin the funded project and professional-development engagement.
~5 hrs
Creative Capital funds the boldest, most original idea — not the most polished résumé. The selection process rewards genuinely risk-taking, field-advancing projects; frame your proposal around what's never been done rather than a safe extension of past work. The professional-development package (advising, network, financial/legal counsel) is often worth as much as the cash to a mid-career artist.
Deadline & timing
Creative Capital runs an annual national open call (typically opening in late winter and closing in early spring). The 2026 deadline was April 2, 2026; applications were closed as of mid-2026. Subscribe to Creative Capital updates or watch the application handbook page for the next cycle's dates.
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