Opportunities for Student Artists: Grants & Calls for February 2025
Photograph from Boston College Arts Council’s Disability Awareness Show Opening Night Reception
Being a student artist comes with many challenges, one of the biggest being how to expand your reach beyond your university community. To help with that, here are some exciting opportunities available this February! Below, you'll find grants for visual arts, music, dance, and initiatives supporting the advancement of inclusive practices.
Visual Arts:
This section will include artist opportunities for Visual Artists across the nation.
Call for Art: Beyond the Veil at Gallery 263
Submission Deadline: March 2, 2025
Exhibition Dates: April 24–May 25, 2025
Location: Gallery 263, Cambridge, MA
Theme:
Artists are invited to explore contemporary interpretations of surrealism and the supernatural, using dreams, folklore, and intuition as creative tools to envision new realities and challenge material perceptions.
Juror: Kate M. McNamara, a Providence-based curator, educator, and founder of ODD-KIN. She has curated for MoMA PS1, Otis College of Art and Design, and Boston University Art Gallery.
Submission Guidelines:
Eligibility: Open to all U.S. artists. Work must be created within the last 5 years.
Accepted Mediums & Size Limits:
2D (painting, photography, graphic design, etc.): Max 108" H x 60" W, 40 lbs.
3D (sculpture, installation): Must be self-supportive/mountable, max 108" H x 30" W x 30" D.
Time-Based (video/audio): No length restrictions. Submit via YouTube/Vimeo links (artists must provide A/V equipment).
Entry Fee:
$25 for 1–3 submissions
$40 for 4–6 submissions
Apply Online: Gallery 263 Submission Page
This is a great opportunity to showcase work that challenges reality and explores the unknown!
Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants
Susie Ibarra. Image Credit: Tessa Fuqua.
Deadline: Not published for 2025 dates
Theme: This grant program supports environmental art projects that inspire thought and action around environmental concerns and create meaningful community engagement. Managed by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), it aims to empower women-identifying artists.
Submission Guidelines:
Eligibility:
Women-identifying artists in the U.S. or U.S. territories
Collaborative projects are eligible
Projects must address environmental themes and engage communities
Apply Online:
Visit the Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants Page for:
Program Guidelines
Application Portal
Detailed Eligibility Information
What this Grant Provides:
Grant Amount: Up to $20,000 per project
Flexible Use: Funding may cover materials, artist stipends, research, and project development
International Call for Art – Divide Magazine Issue 13
Theme: Divide Magazine Issue 13 is contemporary art across various disciplines, including painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, film, and traditional arts. The opportunity focuses on global exposure, allowing artists to showcase their work alongside both emerging and established creatives. The magazine aims to highlight innovative and diverse artistic voices in the contemporary art scene.
Submission Deadline: February 12, 2025 (may close earlier if capacity is reached)
Entry Fee: £35
Eligibility: Open to artists aged 18 and over, worldwide
Categories:
Craft/Traditional Arts
Photography
Film/Video/New Media
Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline
Painting
Sculpture
Online Only: Yes
What You'll Receive:
Featured in Divide Magazine Issue 13
Exposure to an annual readership of over 86,000+ art enthusiasts and collectors
Visibility on @dividemag Instagram account (20,000+ followers)
Artists will be showcased alongside prominent and emerging creatives such as the Popovy Sisters, Coderch & Malavia Sculptors, Erik Minter, and Annan Affotey.
How to Apply:
Visit the Divide Magazine Submission Page for:
Submission Portal
Full Guidelines
This opportunity offers a global platform for contemporary artists to gain significant exposure in the art world.
Visual Artist Grants – The Pollock-Krasner Foundation
Image Credit: Pollack-Krasner Foundation
Theme: to provide financial support to visual artists—specifically painters, sculptors, and artists working on paper—to help them create new work, afford studio space, purchase materials, and sustain their artistic practice.
Deadline: Rolling—applications are accepted year-round with no set deadline. However, review and decision-making can take 9 to 12 months.
What You’ll Receive:
Grants up to $50,000, based on individual circumstances
Support for professional expenses, including studio rent and materials
Funding available for living expenses during artistic projects
Who Should Apply:
Artists actively working and exhibiting in professional spaces, such as museums and galleries:
Eligible Disciplines: Painters, sculptors, and artists working on paper (including printmakers)
Professional Exhibition History Required: Artists must be actively exhibiting work
Applications accepted year-round — no deadlines
What’s Not Covered:
Commercial, graphic, video, and performance artists
Filmmakers, crafts-makers, or photography-focused artists
Students and academic expenses
Past debts, legal fees, or personal travel
How to Apply:
Submit a cover letter, application, and images of your current work
Applications reviewed within 9 to 12 months
Professional exhibition history and financial need are considered
Reapplication Process:
Submit new work samples when reapplying
Declined applicants must wait 12 months before reapplying
Grantees can reapply 12 months after their grant period ends
Grants for Advancing Inclusive Practices:
Native American Fellowship – Peabody Essex Museum
Make it stand out
Theme: The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, MA, is offering a 9-week paid fellowship for emerging Native American, Alaska Native, Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian), First Nations, Métis, and Inuit cultural professionals. This opportunity is designed to help fellows gain the skills, experience, and connections needed to become leaders in museums and the nonprofit cultural sector.
Deadline: February 7, 2025
Apply Here: PEM Application Link
What You’ll Do:
Work 35 hours per week at $25/hour
Get hands-on experience in museum departments such as Curatorial, Development, Marketing, Collection Management, and more
Receive mentorship from museum professionals
Participate in workshops on strategy, fundraising, communication, and leadership
Take field trips and contribute to real museum projects
What’s Included:
Paid housing near the museum
Travel assistance
Option for academic credit
Who Should Apply:
If you’re a rising graduate student or an early-career cultural professional looking to grow your leadership skills in the museum world, this fellowship is for you!
Walking Together: Investing in Folklife in Communities of Color
Photo Credits: New England Arts Association
Theme: A national funding program managed by the six U.S. regional arts organizations (RAOs), Walking Together supports traditional artists, practitioners, and community organizations that care for folklife and cultural heritage in communities of color.
Initial Self-Nomination Deadline: March 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET
What You'll Receive:
$15,000 Grants: For individual traditional artists and practitioners
$50,000 Grants: For community organizations and collectives
Flexible Use: Funds can support ongoing work and strengthen community traditions without requiring a specific project
Who Can Apply:
Traditional artists and keepers of cultural knowledge rooted in communities of color
Community organizations and collectives, including non-profits, Tribal and local governments, and businesses
Applicants must reside in one of the 56 states and jurisdictions served by the RAOs
How to Apply:
Visit the Walking Together Program Page to access:
Program Guidelines
Application Link
Webinar Information
Advising and Office Hours
Spanish Language Resources
This opportunity is designed to support living traditions that build community power, engage in healing, and sustain cultural identity.
Music:
Jazz Road Grants for Touring & Residencies:
Litchfield Jazz Orchestra | Credits photo: Nathan Turner
Theme: Jazz Road is a grant program designed to support jazz musicians by funding tours and creative residencies. Led by South Arts in partnership with NEFA, it helps artists connect with new audiences, especially in underserved communities.
Deadline: March 5 & April 2
Two Grant Opportunities:
Jazz Road Tours – Supports 3- to 6-stop tours in a variety of venues, including rural areas.
Grant Amount: $5,000–$15,000
Covers: Travel, lodging, artist fees, and more
Rolling application cycles through 2026
Jazz Road Creative Residencies – Funds self-designed residencies for jazz musicians to explore their artistry, engage with communities, and develop new work.
More Info & Apply: Jazz Road Grants
This is a great opportunity for jazz musicians looking to expand their reach and deepen their craft!
Dance:
National Dance Project (NDP) Production Grant – 2025 Cycle
NDP Production Grant-supported Ogemdi Ude | photo by Ian Douglas
Theme: The NDP Production Grant supports the creation and U.S. touring of 20 new dance projects annually, funding professional choreographers or companies developing innovative works. This grant would work best for seniors looking to pursue dance professionally.
Preliminary Application Deadline: February 28, 2025 (11:59 PM EST)
Eligibility Criteria:
Open to professional choreographers or companies (U.S.-based preferred, but international applicants can apply).
The proposed dance project must be new, interdisciplinary works allowed, and cannot premiere before October 1, 2025.
Must be ready to tour by May 31, 2027.
Requires a U.S.-based organizational partner supporting its development or presentation.
Applicants must have nonprofit status or a fiscal sponsor to receive grant funds.
Ineligible Applicants:
Those already receiving NDP Production Grant funding for another project.
Artists/companies with overdue grant reports.
Projects that received an NDP Finalist Award more than once since 2020.
Self-produced tours or dance works made exclusively for film.
School, youth, or student companies.
Selection Process:
Preliminary Round: Applicants submit an initial proposal 📄. Selected finalists are paired with an NDP Advisor for guidance.
Full Proposal Round: Finalists submit a detailed application , and final awardees are announced in July 2025 .
More details available at: NEFA.org
National Dance Project (NDP) Travel Fund
National Dance Project-supported Ladies of Hip Hop | photo by @titusogilvielong.jpg
Theme: The National Dance Project (NDP) Travel Fund supports U.S.-based presenters, curators, and artists in fostering partnerships and collaborations by funding travel for dance-related projects and professional development opportunities.
Deadline: Rolling
What You'll Receive:
Grant Amount: Up to $2,000
Flexible Coverage: May be used for travel expenses related to:
Research and project development
Networking and partnership-building
Professional development
Who Can Apply:
U.S.-based dance artists, curators, and presenters
Applicants seeking travel funding for activities that strengthen their work in the dance field
How to Apply:
Visit the NDP Travel Fund Application Page to access:
Application Guidelines
Program Details
Key Information:
Applications accepted on a rolling basis
Funding decisions typically made within a few weeks
This fund provides a valuable opportunity to deepen connections and advance innovative projects within the dance community.