Artist Funding Opportunities November 2025: Over $2.9M+ Available
- Forbidden Fruit
- 5 days ago
- 12 min read
Funding Opportunities for Artists: November 2025
November brings the year-end positioning phase - when major foundations finalize annual grant cycles and institutions open applications for next year's programs. This month offers an extraordinary concentration of funding across all career stages, from accessible micro-grants and emergency support to six-figure awards and transformative fellowship opportunities.
This artist funding opportunities November 2025 guide includes over $2.9 million in combined support across grants, residencies, and open calls. Whether you're seeking multi-year general operating support, international exchange opportunities, or project-specific funding, this month offers an unprecedented range of pathways to sustain and grow your creative practice through year-end and into 2026.
Remember:
Read the full guidelines – Requirements can change from year to year.
Check eligibility – Many grants have location or discipline-specific criteria.
Prepare your materials early – Some applications require work samples, proposals, or letters of recommendation.
Grants to Fund Your Creative Work
November delivers game-changing funding across all disciplines and budgets - from $1,200 unrestricted grants for emerging artists to million-dollar awards for established organizations, plus specialized support for diverse communities and urgent needs.
November Deadlines
November 6: VIA Art Fund Artistic Production Grant – Funds production and exhibition of new artistic commissions ranging from $25,000-$100,000, supporting ambitious projects that bring new work into the world.
November 7: Bi-Monthly Community Impact Micro Grant (Long Island, NY) – Up to $2,500 for arts-centered programs with demonstrable community impact. Applicants may apply for two distinct programs, potentially receiving up to $5,000 total annually.
November 7: Charlene Victor and Ella J. Weiss Cultural Entrepreneur Fund (Brooklyn) – $2,500 awards supporting professional development of Brooklyn's emerging and mid-career women artists and arts administrators.
November 7: Creative Equations Fund (Brooklyn) – Up to $10,000 each for community-engaged artists, organizations, entrepreneurs, and researchers dedicating creativity to solving social problems through arts for social justice.
November 7: Brooklyn Arts Council Local Arts Support – $10,000 awards to develop high-quality local arts projects focused on community engagement, designed for nonprofit organizations and artist-nonprofit partnerships.
November 7: Brooklyn Arts Fund – $2,500-$5,000 grants for arts and cultural projects contributing to creative experiences for Brooklyn audiences.
November 11: The Hopper Prize – $13,000 total including two $4,500 grants and four $1,000 grants. International open call for all visual media with exposure to international curators, gallerists, and arts administrators reaching over 150,000.
November 14: Wherewithal Grant (Washington DC) – Funding for DC-area artists supporting experimental and multidisciplinary practices, particularly those emphasizing collaboration and discourse. Two categories: Project & Presentation and Research.
November 15: Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company Foundation Grant – Financial assistance for organizations supporting preservation, promotion, and advancement of American Indian self-sufficiency and culture. Grants generally $10,000-$20,000.
November 15: Artist Grant – Unrestricted $1,200 grants to one visual artist three times yearly. International submissions accepted from artists 18+ in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, installation, and other visual media.
November 15: Stowe Story Labs Short Film Production Grant – $50,000 to support development, production, and distribution of a short film with approximately 10-minute runtime, developed in partnership with PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.
November 16: Northwest Film Forum's Collective Power Fund (King County, WA) – $60,000 total distributed over 14 projects by arts collectives and individual artists, focusing on work that incites dialogue, pushes boundaries, and speaks truth through authentic perspective.
November 17: Folk Arts Apprenticeship Grant (Utah) – Enables individuals to study with traditional mentors of Utah's ethnic, Native, rural, and occupational communities. Maximum request $5,000.
November 18: Biafarin Awards – $4,000 CAD in cash grants plus over $6,000 CAD in additional prizes including exhibitions, magazine publications, and features on Artsy. International program for visual artists of all styles.
November 18: Queens Art Fund: New Work Grant – $2,500-$5,000 supporting emerging individual artists and collectives of all disciplines in creating new work.
November 18: Queens Art Fund: Arts Access Grant – $2,500-$5,000 supporting community-based organizations and collectives producing public arts programs that bolster cultural vibrancy of Queens communities.
November 19: Asian Cultural Council Organization Grant – Up to $50,000 for organizations in Asia and the United States to pursue travel and activities enabling deep cultural exchange experiences.
November 25: New York City Small Theatres Fund – Two-year general operating support for NYC-based theatre companies with budgets below $250,000. Multi-year awards of $7,500-$10,000 annually.
November 26: The Kindling Fund (Maine) – Project grants of $3,000-$7,000 (plus smaller R&D grants) for Maine-based artists organizing projects that engage audiences inventively. Focus on experimentation, unconventional engagement, and new presentation models.
November 30: Actors' Equity Foundation Theatre Grant – $250-$1,000 grants to nonprofit theaters and organizations supporting the arts community
December Deadlines
December 1: Cowles Charitable Trust Grant – Supports arts, education, advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research in Downstate New York and South Florida with $10,000 yearly grants.
December 1: New England States Touring (NEST) Grant – Funds nonprofit organizations to present touring artists in venues across New England. Maximum grant amount $5,000.
December 1: Joyce Foundation Culture Program – Supports growth and sustainability of Chicago arts organizations and the artists they present and serve through multi-year general operating grants and project grants. Awards range from $10,000 to over $1 million.
December 1: Joyce Foundation Journalism Program – Supports journalism organizations whose investigative coverage helps illuminate issues related to Joyce's program areas in the Great Lakes region. Awards range from $10,000 to over $1 million.
Rolling Deadlines
South Arts Artist Creative Practice Grant – Supports career-enhancing opportunities for artists in the South Arts region with grants up to $3,000 for activities between November 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, including milestone career activities.
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grants – Provides one-year grants up to $50,000 for painters, sculptors, and artists working on paper, including printmakers. Covers both professional work expenses and personal needs for actively exhibiting artists.
Musicians Foundation Grants – Offers one-time financial assistance to professional music performers, composers/arrangers, and educators facing unexpected hardships including medical situations, natural disasters, or housing crises.
Innovate Artist Grants – Distributes two $1,800 grants quarterly to one visual artist and one photographer, plus features 12 honorable mentions on their platform, building community among emerging talent.
Gottlieb Foundation Emergency Grants – Provides interim financial assistance up to $15,000 (typical award $5,000) to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs result from unforeseen, catastrophic incidents.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants – The only active multidisciplinary program offering immediate, project-based assistance ranging from $500-$3,000 (average $1,900) to artists living anywhere in the United States for U.S. and international projects.
Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund – Provides $10,000 support to creators during times of extraordinary hardship, offering meaningful assistance when circumstances become challenging.
Open Calls for Exhibitions & Competitions
November presents diverse opportunities for artists to gain visibility, earn recognition, and connect with new audiences through exhibitions, publications, public art commissions, and international competitions spanning all disciplines and mediums. November Deadlines
November 6: Esperanza Park Roundabout Public Art (Cathedral City, CA) – Public Arts Commission invites artists to create sculpture for entryway roundabout in the city's newest public space, Esperanza Park.
November 7: Booooooom Illustration Awards (U.S.) – Five winners across five categories plus 20 shortlisted illustrators featured in special print publication. Prize includes cash pool of $7,500 plus special product award bundles. Everyone can submit one image free; members submit unlimited entries.
November 12: San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) – Accepting submissions for feature films, mid-length films, and short films.
November 15: Sight/Geist (New York City) – The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation supports emerging NYC-based film and performance artists. Artist fee for one-night group screening is $300; stipend for one-night solo performance is $1,000.
November 15: Ricciardi Prize – Awards $5,000 for best new and unpublished article on drawings topic (any period) by scholar under age 40.
November 15: Nightboat Books Poetry Prize – Winners receive $1,200 advance, standard royalty contract, and 25 free copies of published book.
November 16: Locust Projects Main Gallery Open Call (Miami, FL) – Solo exhibition opportunity to develop ambitious new installation-based work for 2,500 sq. ft. Main Gallery. Full project support includes $10,000 production budget, $5,000 artist fee, travel and housing support, curatorial guidance, and installation assistance. Exhibitions scheduled 2026-2028.
November 16: Moab Arts Public Art Campaign (Moab, UT) – Requests design proposals for Dark Sky Mural installation. Project proposals include but not limited to murals, performances, mosaics, socially engaged art, and sculpture. Up to $15,000.
November 17: Creative Commission for Sycamore Gap Tree (International) – National Trust invites artists, organizations, and creative agencies to submit proposals breathing life into wood saved from felled Sycamore Gap tree. Up to five shortlisted artists receive £5,000 (approximately $6,250) to develop proposals.
November 17: Art of the People - NYC – SaveArtSpace holds open call for public art exhibition on ad space in New York City.
November 17: The David Prize (New York City) – Celebrates New Yorkers with ideas for extraordinary change. Open to any individual working in five boroughs with vision and conviction to change communities, culture, and future. Awards $200,000.
November 20: YICCA International Art Prize – Competition open to all artwork types and techniques including videos, performances, and installations. Winner receives prize of up to €3,000 (approximately $3,300) and exhibition opportunity.
November 21: Voices Embodied: VI Open Call (International) – Invites artists for sixth iteration at Design Museum of Chicago from June 2026-January 2027. Show considers disability in relation to identities and celebrates visibility, collaboration, and community engagement.
November 22: Postcards from the Edge – Anonymous exhibition and benefit sale encouraging artists of all backgrounds and career levels to submit postcard-sized artwork to help raise funds supporting artists living with HIV.
November 25: PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers – Recognizes 12 emerging writers yearly for debut short story published in literary magazine, journal, or cultural website. Winning writers each receive $2,000 cash prize and publication by Catapult in annual anthology.
November 30: Sanctuary Open Call at Decagon Gallery (International) – Invites photographers worldwide to interpret theme through landscapes, interiors, portraits, abstractions, or documentary work. First place: $500 plus online exhibition; second: $300; third: $200.
December Deadlines
December 1: Guest Speaker on "The Truth In This Art" – In response to diminishing arts and culture coverage, platform invites artists and creative practitioners to share their stories. Selected guests receive dedicated exposure and opportunity to bridge growing gap in arts media representation.
December 1: Future Dance Festival – Spotlights emerging women and female-identifying choreographers and dance filmmakers through two curated programs: live performance and online presentation of dance films.
Rolling Deadlines
Open Call for Discovery Art Fair Frankfurt (International) – International galleries, project groups, and individual artists showcase work at this German art fair, profiting from Frankfurt and Rhine-Main-Area's high density of capital and collectors. Fair runs November 6-9.
Art in City Hall Exhibition Application (Philadelphia) – Philadelphia's Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy invites cultural community to present proposals for display cases on 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors of historic City Hall. Program provides platform for diverse cultural organizations to amplify community voices and foster healing through visual arts. Local nonprofits and cultural organizations welcome; does not present solo exhibitions.
Residencies & Fellowships: Time and Space to Create
November features prestigious fellowships and immersive residencies offering financial support, international exchange experiences, and dedicated creative time - from specialized programs for underrepresented voices to six-month opportunities in major cultural centers.
November Deadlines
November 7: A.I.R. Fellowship Program (Brooklyn, NY) – Awards six local emerging and underrepresented women and non-binary artists with their first solo exhibition, professional development programming, curatorial support, mentorship, and $3,000 stipend.
November 9: Velvetpark LGBTQ+ Writers Residency 2026 (Brooklyn, NY) – Three-month residency offering designated live/work studio space at Crown Studios. Open to LGBTQ+ writers across the United States. Emerging, mid-career, and experienced writers welcome.
November 10: Wedding Cake House Residencies – Short-term, project-based residencies focusing on mid-career artists. Spring Duo, Family Teen, Family Youth, and Caregiver Residencies accepting applications.
November 10: Lucid Art Foundation Residency Program – Encourages exploration of art through multimedia, conceptual, ecological, and interdisciplinary approaches. This year focuses on art and science in relation to environment and climate crisis.
November 14: UCLA Film & Television Archive Artist-in-Residence Program – Hosts emerging artist for two weeks to work exclusively with Hearst Metrotone News Collection, In the Life LGBTQ+ Collection, or KTLA Newsfilm Collection. Includes $10,750 honorarium.
November 15: National Gallery of Art Predoctoral Dissertation Fellowship – Supports graduate research in history, theory, and criticism of visual arts. Predoctoral dissertation fellows receive $30,000 per year plus travel allowances, office space in East Building, and housing as available.
November 17: Pillars Artist Fellowship – Supports screenwriters and directors committed to working in and alongside Muslim communities, providing mentorship, industry connections, and $40,000 unrestricted award to advance their careers.
November 18: ACRE Residency Open Call (Wisconsin) – 14-day residencies hosting 20-25 visual artists, sound artists, musicians, performers, writers, community makers, curators, and administrators. Set on 1,000 acres with expansive workspaces, screen-printing, woodshop, fibers, ceramics, art & tech, and sound studios.
November 19: "Miss Sarah" Fellowship for Black Women Writers (North Carolina) – Provides Black women writers restful environment conducive to reflection and writing. This cycle focuses on fiction. Participants receive $1,000 stipend and transportation to/from Asheville, NC.
November 19: Asian Cultural Council Individual Fellowship – Offers artists, scholars, and arts professionals in Asia and the United States opportunity to pursue research and self-directed cultural exchange experience in another country, territory, or region. Individual fellows may receive up to $35,000.
November 19: Asian Cultural Council New York Fellowship – Six-month program offering artists, scholars, and arts professionals from Asia opportunity to immerse in New York City's cultural life. Individual fellows may receive up to $35,000.
November 19: Asian Cultural Council Graduate Fellowship – Supports travel and living expenses of graduate students from Asia studying in the United States when comparable programs unavailable in home country or field underrepresented. Provides $15,000 for one academic year.
November 21: SU-CASA (Bronx, NY) – Community arts engagement program placing artists in residence at senior centers across the Bronx. Individual artists-in-residence receive $6,000 stipend plus additional $2,000 materials/supplies budget.
November 26: Banff Centre Playwrights Lab 2026 (Canada) – Two-week residency for Canadian playwrights dedicated to supporting development of new theatrical work in generative, artist-centered environment. Provides time, space, and resources to experiment, rewrite, and explore plays.
November 26: Banff Centre Theater Directors Intensive 2026 (Canada) – One-week intensive for emerging directors led by acclaimed director Weyni Mengesha. Participants engage in masterclasses, scene study, and group discussion exploring vision, leadership, and process.
November 28: Mountain AIR (West Virginia) – Residency at West Virginia University Libraries to explore archival collections on environmental activism and conservation, then create original art, performances, or publications. Provides $1,000 materials, up to $3,500 travel/lodging, and $1,000 honorarium.
November 30: Marco Castro Cosio Media Art and Technology Fellowship – Supports emerging creators and researchers dedicated to impactful, interdisciplinary work in tech, media, and arts. Provides fiscal sponsorship of $10,000 and residency at Brown Institute at Columbia Journalism School.
November 30: Brooklyn Org Microgrant – One-year microgrants of up to $10,000 in general operating support to organizations with 501(c)(3) status or working under fiscal sponsor. Supports neighborhood-based organizations from community gardens to organizing initiatives.
December Deadlines
December 1: Chokechaka Artist Residency (Peru) – Welcomes artists, scholars, activists, and creatives to inspiring mountain setting in Peru's Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco Region's Calca district.
December 1: Design Writing Fellowship – Encourages and facilitates scholarly pursuits within design field, open to full-time and contingent faculty in graphic design, information design, branding, marketing, advertising, typography, web, interaction, film, video, animation, illustration, and game design.
December 1: MLK Winter Residency (Maryland) – Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center invites artists to submit community arts project proposal inspired by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
December 1: Arts in Nature Artist in Residence Program (Kentucky) – Bernheim Forest awards visual artists of all mediums opportunities to live and create works inspired by Bernheim's natural environment. Includes $2,500 stipend.
Rolling Deadlines
Steel Yard Micro-Residencies (Providence, RI) – One to three-month residencies helping artists grow their creative industrial art practice. Ideal for completing specific projects, commissions, or prototypes. Hosts one ceramics and one metals micro-resident at a time.
ART14 Residency (Los Angeles) – Self-prescribed objectives in conjunction with L.a. Studio community's art outreach. Welcomes all types of artists, writers, and musicians of all skill levels. Encourages exploration of new media and local community engagement.
Indigo Arts Alliance Mentorship Residency Program (Northeast U.S.) – Brings together artists from diverse backgrounds of the African Diaspora to engage in creative process while building relationships rooted in co-mentorship. Open to all disciplines from Northeast region.
Stochastic Labs Residencies (Berkeley, CA) – Fully-sponsored residencies of variable length for exceptional engineers, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Includes private apartment, co-working or dedicated work space, shop access, monthly stipend, and materials budget. Open to individuals or teams.
Ready to Apply? Rejection, Recovery & Reapplication
Rejection is part of every artist's funding journey - even the most successful artists face far more "no" responses than "yes." How you respond to rejection often matters more than the rejection itself, turning setbacks into strategic opportunities for growth.
📌 Pro Tip: Learning from "No" and Trying Again
Request feedback immediately after notification – Many funders offer panelist comments or will share general feedback if you ask promptly. Email within a week thanking them for considering your application and politely requesting any available feedback. Even general comments like "budget wasn't detailed enough" or "work samples didn't match project description" provide actionable direction for next time.
Analyze patterns across multiple rejections – If you've applied to 5-10 opportunities without success, look for patterns. Are you consistently rejected at the portfolio stage? Your documentation may need improvement. Rejected after the written portion? Your narrative or artist statement needs strengthening. Keep a spreadsheet tracking which stage rejections occur to identify your weakest application component.
Reapply strategically with meaningful improvements – Don't just resubmit the same application next cycle. Make substantial improvements based on feedback or your own analysis. If possible, complete the project with different funding and reapply showing finished work. Funders often favor applicants who demonstrate persistence combined with growth - reapplying shows serious commitment if you've genuinely strengthened your proposal.
Build relationships beyond the rejection – Stay connected with organizations that rejected you. Attend their events, engage with their grantees' work, follow their social media. When you reapply, you're no longer an unknown name. Some of the best funding relationships begin with initial rejections that lead to conversations, workshops, or informal connections that eventually result in successful applications.
Set a "rejection recovery" timeline – Give yourself 24-48 hours to feel disappointed, then move to action mode. Schedule time within one week to request feedback, two weeks to analyze the application objectively, and one month to implement improvements. This structured approach prevents rejection from derailing your momentum and transforms disappointment into productive next steps.
Stay Connected
We're taking a brief pause from our grant writing workshops but keep an eye out keep an eye out for upcoming workshop announcements with Asimina Chremos, Crux, & Stonez. Looking for more artist opportunities, funding updates, and creative resources?
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November's extraordinary funding landscape sets the stage for closing 2025 strong - here's to positioning your practice for success as the year winds down and 2026 approaches.
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