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Applications open↓

Artist-Led Gatherings

Field Funds logo

Each year, A Blade of Grass distributes $25,000 to artists and creative practitioners working throughout the country with 50 grants of $500 each.

Field Funds supports both the public components of a project and the often unseen work that makes collaborative creative practice possible, such as research and relationship building. This program supports specific needs common to socially engaged art including artist-led gatherings, accessibility & translation, and documentation & archiving.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this opportunity, practitioners must:
  • Be currently located in the United States and able to receive taxable income.
  • Propose a use for $500 that supports your eligible creative practice and fits the open call’s theme.
  • Be an individual artist or collaborative with a demonstrated history of creating socially engaged art.* (Field Funds does not accept applications from nonprofit organizations or commercial businesses.)
*Field Funds uses the terms artist and socially engaged art, but we understand that not all practitioners identify with the same language. Regardless of how they describe their work, eligible applicants will be able to show in their application that their practice:
  • Applies creative strategies and interventions that make society more just, kind, safe, and free.
  • Involves and builds relationships with communities and collaborators in meaningful ways.
  • Employs processes and skills beyond those used in creating studio artwork or traditional performance—including advocacy, dialogue, facilitation, organizing, and research.
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Selection Process

We believe all parts of the creative process are valuable—from seeding new ideas to sharing work with audiences and archiving fleeting experiences. So, we designed a process where all eligible applications have the same chance of being funded. For this reason, there is no need for applicants to make a case for why a project is deserving of support; instead we ask applicants to speak directly and concisely to how they will specifically use $500.
All applications will be reviewed for eligibility. All eligible applications will be automatically assigned a number, and a number generator will make final selections randomly. Four to five applications will be selected for funding in each cycle. Our intention is to create a nimble process that can be responsive to feedback and the changing needs of practitioners in times of escalating crises.

Open Calls

Artist-Led Gatherings

What can this opportunity support?

Artist-led gatherings for practitioners to bring groups of three or more people together. This could be a stand-alone gathering in person or online to further research, chase curiosities, or simply build connections. Or, this opportunity could support a larger project or event that is already in the works. There is no requirement that the gathering be public, and selected practitioners will have the freedom to use the $500 contribution as they see fit.

Gathering proposals can support practitioners to:

  • Pay fees to a facilitator
  • Pay fees to accessibility service providers (ASL interpretation, Communication Access Realtime Translation [CART] or live transcription, image description, etc.)
  • Pay rental or other fees to hosting venues
  • Promote a gathering or event
  • Provide COVID-19 safety measures for events (testing, masks, hybrid options, etc.)
  • Provide food and hospitality
  • Provide honorariums to artists and/or participants
  • Provide travel for participants

What kind of proposals are not eligible?

Proposals from nonprofit organizations or commercial businesses; proposals for events or projects that are not initiated and led by artists; proposals to support the creation of studio work, books, exhibitions, or other presentations; and proposals for activities that take place more than six months after the application deadline.

When should my proposed activities take place?

Selected applicants will receive funds within 10 days of the application due date. All proposed expenses should be spent within six months of receiving funds. Please see the schedule section for the dates for this cycle.

Could requested support go toward a larger project or event that is already planned?

Yes, proposals may be for projects that have already been planned or are underway. All proposed expenses should be spent within six months of receiving funds.

Open Call Schedule

September 2025: Collective Work
November 2025: Artist-Led Gatherings
January 2026: Accessibility & Translation
March 2026: Artist-Led Gatherings
May 2026: Collective Work
July 2026: Artist-Led Gatherings
September 2026: Documentation & Archiving
November 2026: Artist-Led Gatherings
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Field Funds Partners

In addition to public cycles of Field Funds, ABoG actively partners with artist-led efforts to host closed cycles of Field Funds exclusively for their communities. Past partners include the Lakota artist-run space Racing Magpie in Rapid City, South Dakota and the Detroit festival and public art commissioning organization Sidewalk Detroit.

Field Funds Flex

Using the structure of Field Funds to distribute funds in response to crises, emergencies, and other pressing needs, Field Funds Flex partners with artist-led initiatives to respond to the most urgent conditions facing their communities. In 2024, Field Funds Flex partnered with artist collective Pansy Collective to expand their Hurricane Helene response and offer emergency relief funds to their community in Asheville, North Carolina.