Grants for a Sculpture

Types

Grants for sculptures can take several different forms. Some go to communities and artists who wish to place works in public spaces, providing funds to purchase or commission sculptures. Other sculpture grants go directly to artists to produce work in a specific medium, or for the artist to use as needed. Still others take the form of residencies, allowing an artist to spend a specific amount of time at a workshop, studio or university. These grants usually cover the cost of living and materials, allowing the sculptor to produce work while performing research and engaging with members of the community.

Just as there are many types of grants for sculptures, there are also many sources artists and communities can turn to for free grant money. Civic organizations provide grants for local sculptors and installations. Colleges and universities with fine arts departments are also common grant sources. Federal, state and local governments also provide money for the arts -- through organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts -- which are available equally to sculptors, painters, photographers and other artists.

Since sculpture grants provide free money and never require repayment, they are especially desirable for artists. Competition, even for small grants, is strong in most cases. This means that individual artists must make their work or ambitions stand out when applying. Besides basic contact information, sculpture grant applications may ask for images of a sculptor's previous work, or drawings and plans for a future work that the grant money will fund. Grant committees review applications and award money based on talent, financial need and the benefit a sculpture will provide to the public.

Grants for sculpture, like other grants for the arts, come in a wide range of values and amounts based on what arts advocacy organizations can afford to offer, and how many grants they choose to administer. Some groups, such as the Virginia A. Groot Foundation, offer sculpture grants in stages, with $5,000, $10,000 and $35,000 awards based on merit. Government grantors, such as the National Endowment for the Arts, offer sculpture grants worth up to $100,000. Other groups offer much smaller grants, which allow sculptors to combine multiple grants or use grant money to subsidize the cost of producing work.