Artist Grants

The Living Artists Grant program is closed and will not accept any further applications.

February 2, 2024 winners of the first round of Living Artists Grants: Rowan Eriksson, AshaAung Helmstetter, and Seattle Stories. Each of these Seattle-area emerging artists living at a lower income received a $1,000 award.

About the Living Artists Grants: This grant program was developed between September-December 2023 to fairly pay and uplift hard working emerging artists who call this increasingly expensive area home. The round kicked off in December 2023 with an application that required artists be making $58k/year or less to qualify, chosen as it is half of the Seattle-area’s median income, and because it is an income level many local artists are living below.

Artists submitted artwork samples and information about their art practice, and were added to the pool of applicants scored by our five local arts leaders who made up the grant committee. 94 applicant artists were scored by many factors: the skill demonstrated in work samples, how clearly they explained and conveyed their work’s themes, how committed they seemed to be to their practice, and how strongly the committee members connected to the pieces. After extensive discussions, five finalists were chosen to be interviewed. From those five, the winning three were chosen.

Winning artists may use the award money however they wish, as the committee is confident that all the chosen winners are committed to furthering their art careers while making ends meet. No financial reporting is required as a part of this grant.