The purpose of the Grants for Artists program is to contribute to the sustainability of artists’ livelihoods by providing funds that support working or living expenses.

The Grants for Artists program aims to provide artists with holistic support rather than support that focuses solely on a particular product or project-based needs.  A primary goal of the program is to strengthen the creative workforce, which is a vital part of Maryland’s economy and culture.

Do you need support with your application? Watch our previous information session! Access previous webinar slides and recordings below! 

Applicants must be:

  • An artist who engages in a consistent creative practice, independent of affiliation with a larger organization or institution.
  • A Maryland resident (i.e., owning or renting residential property in Maryland six months prior to the application’s submission and throughout the funded project or program) who is 18 or older.

Applicants must not be:

  • Enrolled in any matriculated high school, undergraduate or graduate degree program.
  • Recipient of a Grants for Artists award in the most recent cycle.

Applications for the Grants for Artists program are accepted annually through SmartSimple. Log in or create a free account at marylandarts.smartsimple.com

Applications submitted by the deadline will be considered for funding. Applicants will be asked to provide responses to prompts that assess eligibility, including general information such as residency and educational enrollment status, details about their artistic practice, and the intended use of the Grants for Artists funding. Grants for Artists funds are designed to foster artistic growth and sustained creative practice. Detailed information on eligible expenses can be found in the program guidelines.
 

Because Grants for Artists support is based primarily on eligibility, application review is completed by MSAC staff. Eligible applicants are then entered in a selection process through which grantees are determined at random. Therefore, all eligible applicants have the same chance at receiving a grant.

Applicants with questions about the application process are encouraged to contact the relevant MSAC staff, as listed below.

 

After the selection process, applicants will be notified of the grant status as soon as possible, and, if selected for funding, receive a formal Grant Agreement Form to process the grant payment (100% of award amount).

Upon execution of a grant agreement, payment will be processed for receipt in 6-8 weeks. 

Grantees are required to submit a Final Report at the completion of the support period. For detailed reporting requirements, please see below.

 

All MSAC grants are paid on the same timeline. To learn more, click here.

Grants for Artists award recipients are required to submit a final report in SmartSimple by the deadline specified in the Grant Agreement Form. The report will be added to the grantee’s SmartSimple profile as soon as the grant agreement is fully executed.

The Final Report serves to gather information on how the grant funds were used, as well as any anecdotes or insights grantees wish to share regarding the impact of the funding. The report also includes a data collection section required by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

Failure to submit a Final Report may affect eligibility for current and future MSAC grants and could result in the need to return grant funds to the State of Maryland.