Applications are open for Autumn 2026.
Grants for artists & creative storiesAutumn 2026 applications open
Make art.
Keep going.
One artist. Every quarter.$1,000Unrestricted creative grant / USD
Your work matters.
So does the story behind it.
Illustrative photography / Unsplash · not applicant workDeadline: Friday 20 November 2026, 23:59 UK time
Applications close in
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Deadline: Friday 20 November 2026, 23:59 UK time
A little support.
A next step.
Your practice. Your possibility.
ArtFundMe supports artists, makers and creative storytellers with quarterly grants. Support to keep making, experimenting and sharing your work.
Meet the award ↓You don't need a perfect CV, formal training or gallery representation.The quarterly creative awardAutumn 2026
$1,000.
For what’s next.
$1,000.
For your next step.
One selected artist receives an unrestricted grant to support their creative practice.
Selected
voices recognised.
Honourable Mentions are individually approved editorial features, not funding awards.
Your work.
Your rights.
You retain copyright. Selected work may be shared for editorial, promotional and award-announcement purposes.
Meet a past winner / Summer 2026Kenzie
Kenzie
Colvin.
Summer 2026 winner.
A self-taught, multidisciplinary artist exploring resilience, identity and human connection through acrylic painting.
Support for the next chapter of her creative practice.
Read Kenzie’s story ↗This homepage feature stays visible between award cycles.Weekly Artist SpotlightFeatured
Featured
artists.
Meet the artists and the work behind their stories.
Featured artists are selected from applicants who gave public spotlight permission. Spotlight selection is separate from judging and does not affect the award outcome.
Live activity
A living space for creative stories.
Application energy
Applications open
Just opened
Gathering stories
Building momentum
Final weeks
Final 72 hours
Applications closed
Review in progress
Winner announced
Apply by Friday 20 November 2026, 23:59 UK time.
Story prompt
What made you keep going?
Every light represents a story shared with ArtFund Me.
Recent creative energy
PaintingPhotographySculptureFilmTextilesCeramicsPerformanceSoundWritingDigital ArtMixed MediaIllustrationInstallationCommunity ArtExperimental Practice
PaintingPhotographySculptureFilmTextilesCeramicsPerformanceSoundWritingDigital ArtMixed MediaIllustrationInstallationCommunity ArtExperimental Practice
Current cycle signals
Recently shared with ArtFund Me.
Shown only from applicants who give permission for public preview. This creates momentum without showing exact applicant totals or implying limited places.
Artist stories / Past WinnersFrom the
From the
blog.
The work, the journey and what comes next.
08/09/2026 / Past Winners
KENZIE COLVIN — SUMMER 2026 WINNER
Read the published winner story, with the original interview and artwork.
Read the full story ↗From you.
To what’s next.
No perfect pitch required. Show us your work and tell us the story behind it.
Submit your work
Upload or link to examples of your creative practice.
Tell us your story
Share the personal history, journey or experience behind the work.
Panel review
Applications are reviewed using published criteria.
Winner announced
One artist receives $1,000. Honourable Mentions are approved individually and do not imply a funding award.
Who can apply / Artists aged 18+ worldwide
Self-taught?
Starting out?
You belong here.
Emerging, independent, mid-career or established. Painting, sound, sculpture, writing or something we haven’t seen before. We want to see your work.
Apply now / $35 USD ↗Skill and judgement. Never chance.The work.
The work.
The voice.
The story.
Every application is assessed against the same published criteria.
Strength of creative work35%
Originality / personal voice20%
Story, journey or lived experience25%
Clarity of purpose: how the grant may help10%
Emotional, creative or cultural impact10%
Dates and deadlines
Current cycle timeline.
| Cycle | Deadline | Winner announced |
|---|
Application guidance
What you'll need to apply
Application fee: $35 USD
The application fee is non-refundable and helps support the grant award, application review, administration, selected artist promotion, platform costs and the continued running of ArtFund Me.
Applications open 29 June- Your name
- Email address
- Country / city
- Artist or creative name
- Website, Instagram or portfolio link
- Your main creative medium
- Examples of your work
- A short description of your creative practice
- The personal story behind your work
- How the $1,000 grant would support you right now
Terms / legal clarity
Important information
ArtFund Me is an independent creative award platform. It is not a charity, public funding body or government grant.
ArtFund Me is operated as a skill and judgement-based creative award. Applications are assessed by a review panel against published criteria. The outcome is not determined by chance.
Application fees are non-refundable.
Applicants retain all rights to their work. By applying, selected artists grant ArtFund Me permission to share submitted images, name, artist statement and links for promotional, editorial and winner-announcement purposes.
ArtFund Me may update dates, judging panels, promotional formats or application requirements where necessary, but the advertised grant amount for each active cycle will be honoured.
Before you applyGood
Good
questions.
Is this open to all mediums?
Yes. ArtFund Me welcomes all creative mediums including visual art, photography, performance, film, writing, textiles, sound, design, mixed media and experimental practice.
Do I need to be a professional artist?
No. You can be emerging, self-taught, independent, returning to your practice, mid-career or established.
Is the winner chosen randomly?
No. ArtFund Me is a skill and judgement-based creative award. Applications are reviewed against published criteria.
What is the application fee?
The application fee is $35 USD.
Is the application fee refundable?
No. Application fees are non-refundable.
What does the fee support?
The fee supports the grant award, review process, administration, selected artist promotion, platform costs and the running of ArtFund Me.
Why is the fee in USD if ArtFund Me is UK-based?
ArtFund Me is based in the UK but open to artists worldwide. We use USD because it is widely understood by international applicants.
Can international artists apply?
Yes. Artists and creatives aged 18+ can apply from anywhere in the world.
What are Honorable Mentions?
Honourable Mentions are approved individually for editorial recognition and do not imply a funding award.
Can I submit more than one application?
Yes, but each application must be submitted separately and requires its own application fee. Each application is reviewed individually.
Do I keep copyright?
Yes. Applicants retain copyright of their work. Selected artists grant ArtFund Me permission to share submitted images, names, statements and links for promotional and editorial purposes.
How are weekly spotlight artists chosen?
Weekly spotlight artists are selected from applicants who gave public spotlight permission. The spotlight is refreshed weekly, is separate from judging and does not affect the award outcome.
$1,000.
Your next step.
Latest from the Journal
Conversations, ideas and practical perspectives on making art and sustaining a creative practice.
Winner Interviews
Kenzie Colvin — Summer 2026 Winner Interview
Kenzie Colvin is the ArtFundMe Summer 2026 Winner. In this interview she talks about her journey as a self-taught acrylic painter, the emotions behind her black-and-white work, and what the grant supports next.
Artist Interviews
Alex Singleton (Asbirdman) — Artist Interview
Oxford mural artist Alex Singleton, also known as Asbirdman, on humour in public art, a Danse Macabre house commission, community workshops, printmaking and advice for a first outdoor wall.
Funding Advice
Artist Grants in the UK: How to Find and Apply
A clear map of major UK public arts funders for individual artists — what each nation offers, how to prepare, and how to check live deadlines.
Honourable Mentions
Editorial recognition of participating artists and their work. An Honourable Mention does not imply a funding award.
London · United Kingdom · Interdisciplinary sculpture and installation — silicone, prosthetic processes, wearable artificial-skin textiles · 2026 · Summer 2026
Megumi Ohata
Megumi Ohata is an interdisciplinary artist and prosthetics technician of Japanese and Korean heritage whose studio practice turns artificial skin into sculpture, installation, moving image and performance. They imprint their own skin texture into silicone, making detachable surfaces that can be worn, stretched, damaged and repaired.
Israel · Israel · Sculpture and site-specific installation (Styrofoam, cardboard, video) · 2026 · Summer 2026
Ronit Keret
Ronit Keret makes large site-specific installations from discarded packaging materials — especially white Styrofoam — that recall glaciers and other fragile landscapes. Sculpture, video projection, drawing and relief meet in environments that feel still at first and then unsettled.
Gold Coast · Australia · Interdisciplinary practice — water, bioplastics, photography, ecoacoustics, participatory installation · 2026 · Summer 2026
Juniper Sikora
Juniper Sikora treats water as a collaborator rather than a subject. Through the ongoing Water Response Atlas she collects water from oceans, creeks, rain and canals, then photographs it, listens beneath its surface and works it into experimental bioplastics so that each place leaves a material trace.
As featured in
