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Supports an artist taking part in a structured learning opportunity to build skills or advance their artistic career. You may submit only one Artist Grant application per grant cycle. All grant-funded activities must also be completed by June 30, 2028.
QUICK RESOURCES
FUNDING AMOUNT: Up to $2,000
APPLICATION OPENS: January 1, 2027
DEADLINE: March 1, 2027
GRANT PERIOD: July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028
WHO CAN APPLY
You may apply if you:
- are an individual artist who lives in South Dakota, including within the boundaries of one of the state’s nine Tribal reservations;
- are at least 18 years old; and
- meet the residency requirements for the grant you choose.
ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
All applicants must:
Live in South Dakota:
Your legal residence must be in South Dakota, including within the boundaries of one of the state’s nine Tribal reservations. Your South Dakota address must be the legal address shown on your W-9 and income tax return. You must have lived in South Dakota for at least one year before the grant period begins on July 1, 2027 and remain a South Dakota resident through June 30, 2028.
Who Cannot Apply:
Artist Grants are not available to:
• high school students
• undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree students
• artists applying for the same project or activities through another SDAC grant
• artists who received the same Artist Grant within the previous three years
• artists who received an Artist Collaboration or Artist Fellowship within the previous three years
CAREER DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS
Career Development Grants support structured learning opportunities that help artists build skills or advance their careers.
Career Development Grants do not support the general creation or production of artistic work outside an eligible professional development activity.
Eligible activities may include:
• workshops or master classes
• mentorships or apprenticeships;
• internships
• training programs
• residencies focused on learning, skill-building, or career development
What Artist Grants Cannot Support
Grant funds may not be used for:
• activities whose primary purpose is earning academic credit or completing an academic or professional degree
• academic research, formal study, tuition assistance, or scholarships
• religious activities, including activities that are part of a religious service or intended primarily for a religious audience
• emergency assistance for housing, food, utilities, medical expenses, or other personal needs
• awards, prizes, gifts, or gift cards
• alcohol, entertainment, or social activities
• costs already paid by another grant or funding source
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
The application asks about you, your artistic work, and what you hope to do.
What You’ll Tell Us
You’ll answer questions about:
• You as an artist: Your artistic background and experience.
• Your artistic work: What you create and the ideas, interests, and processes that guide your work.
• Your plans: What you want to do and why it is important to your work or goals.
• How you'll use the funds: What you plan to spend the grant funds on.
What You’ll Need
Before you begin, it may help to have:
• information about your artistic background and experience;
• information about what you plan to do and how you plan to use the grant funds;
• work samples that represent your artistic work; and
• information about collaborating artists, if you are applying for a Collaboration Grant.
Writing Your Application
• You do not need grant-writing experience to apply. Use clear, specific answers and tell us about your work in your own words.
• Write for someone who may not know you or your work. Give panelists the information they need to understand what you do and explain terms or details that may not be familiar to someone outside your art form.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
1. You as an Artist
Your Artistic Background: 1,200 characters: Tell us about yourself as an artist. What experiences or opportunities have helped shape your work? These might include exhibitions, performances, publications, commissions, training, residencies, or other experiences that are important to your development as an artist.
Record of Work: Upload a 1–2 page record of your work as an artist. This may be a résumé, CV, or another clear list of your artistic experience. Include the experiences and accomplishments that best help the panel understand your work as an artist.
2. Your Artistic Work
Your Work: 1,200 characters: Tell us about the art you make now. What do you create, and what ideas, experiences, interests, or influences guide your work?
Your Artistic Process: 1,000 characters. How do you make your work? Tell us about the materials, tools, techniques, skills, or methods that are important to what you do.
3. Your Plans
What Will You Do? 1,000 characters: Tell us about the professional development opportunity you plan to take part in. What is the opportunity, and what will you do or learn?
What Do You Hope to Accomplish? 750 characters: What do you hope to learn, develop, or accomplish?
How Will This Help You Grow? 750 characters: How will this opportunity help you grow as an artist or take a next step? What do you hope will be different as a result?
Grant Period Activities: List the main activities you plan to do between July 1, 2027 and June 30, 2028. Include only activities that will take place during this grant period. Approximate dates are fine.
4. Selected Work
Submit up to 8 work samples. Share examples that best represent your artistic work. When relevant, include work that helps the panel understand what you hope to do with this grant.
For each item, require structured fields:
• Title
• Date
• Medium or format
• Your role, if applicable
• About This Work: 300 characters. Briefly tell the panel what they are reviewing and anything they need to know to understand this work. If the sample relates directly to what you hope to do with this grant, you may explain that here.
5. How You'll Use the Funds
List how you expect to use the grant funds. Expenses must be directly related to the professional development opportunity described in your application.
Eligible expenses may include:
• registration or participation fees;
• mentor, instructor, or training fees;
• transportation or mileage;
• lodging;
• per diem or other allowable travel costs;
• materials or supplies needed to participate;
• accessibility services; and
• temporary dependent care needed to participate.
Expense | Amount | Brief Description:150 characters
Total Grant Funds: $_____
Is the total cost of what you plan to do more than the grant amount? Yes / No
If yes: Briefly tell us how you expect to cover the remaining cost: 300 characters
Write in clear, direct language—avoid jargon.Focus on why this support matters for your growth.Choose work samples that show your best and most recent work.Connect your goals to your artistic practice and community.
APPLICATION REVIEW
What happens next:
After the deadline, SDAC staff review applications for eligibility and completeness. Staff may contact you with questions. Eligible applications move forward to panel review. Staff also confirm that the proposed activity meets the requirements for an eligible professional development opportunity.
Panel Review
Each Artist Grant is reviewed by a separate panel of people with arts knowledge and experience. Panelists review your application, record of work, and work samples. Each application may receive up to 20 points and must receive at least 10 points to be considered for funding.
• Professional Development and Artistic Growth — 10 points: How clearly the artist explains what they hope to gain from the professional development opportunity, how it connects to their artistic work or goals, and how it could help them grow or take a next step.
• Artistic Work — 6 points: The quality of the artist's work, including artistic voice, skill, process, experience, and work samples.
• Readiness and Feasibility — 4 points: Whether the artist's planned activities, timing, and use of funds show a clear and realistic plan for completing the professional development opportunity.
Funding Decisions
Panelists use their scores and discussion to make funding recommendations. SDAC staff submit the panels' recommendations to the South Dakota Arts Council board, which makes final funding decisions.
Applicants are notified after final decisions are made. We strongly encourage all applicants to contact SDAC staff to go over their application and scoring comments to find out what they did well and how to make a better application.