• Next Deadline: Monday, March 18, 2013
  (for opportunities occurring between May 6 and September 8, 2013)
  
• Eligible Applicants: Individual Artists*
• Maximum Grant: $2,500
• Guidelines:  PDF version,  Microsoft Word version
• Application:  PDF version,  Microsoft Word version
  

Greater Pittsburgh Artist Opportunity Grants help advance the careers of individual artists by providing funds to support expenses related to specific, extraordinary opportunities that have the potential to significantly impact an artist's work and professional development. Grants range from $250 to $2,500. 

An opportunity may be one of many things - An invitation to exhibit at a prestigious gallery, to audition for a major dance company, to study with a mentor or renowned teacher. It might be juried in some way or available only through a competitive selection process. In any case, it should not duplicate experiences the artist has had in the course of his or her ongoing work, and it must lead to professional growth in the artist's career in a clear and meaningful way.

This grant does NOT fund art projects or the creation of new works of art. It is intended to fund professional growth opportunities for artists!  If you are unclear about this distinction, feel free to contact GPAC staff to discuss your opportunity before applying.  For examples of opportunities, please view the previously-funded applicants.

Applications are considered three times each year, and upcoming deadlines are as follows.  To see when would be the best time for you to apply, take a look at our chart.  Upcoming deadlines:

• Monday, July 15, 2013 (11:59 pm)
• Tuesday, October 15, 2013 (11:59 pm)

Funding for Artist Opportunity Grants was provided by the Fund for Individual Artists of The Pittsburgh Foundation, supported by The Heinz Endowments, and by the Hillman Family Foundations.

Previously funded grantees, please fill out a Final Report Survey (Survey Monkey). Questions? Contact  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at 412.391.2060 x 238.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply?

When should I apply?

What expenses are eligible?

What expenses are ineligible?

What is the funding criteria, and who makes the decisions?

What is the timeline for this grant?

Straight Talk: Our advice to you as you write this grant! 

Who can apply?
Eligible applicants must...

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a full-time resident of Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Mercer, Lawrence, Somorset, Venango, Washington or Westmoreland counties for at least one year prior to the application deadline
• Have a record of artistic accomplishment that can be documented, including evidence of work that has been publicly performed, exhibited, published, critically reviewed, etc.

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When should I apply?

Applications are considered three times each year, and the most current deadlines are always available on this page.  Please see the following chart for the application deadline that best fits the date of your opportunity. If you would like to apply earlier than the timeframe listed below, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss your options. No applications will be accepted between deadlines.

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What expenses are eligible?
The following are examples of eligible expenses:

• Travel associated with an imminent, concrete opportunity to perform, exhibit or audition, or for a unique opportunity to study with a significant mentor. (Lowest available fares or current IRS mileage rate.) Expenses for materials or for equipment rental needed to complete work for an exhibition, performance, publication, etc. in which the artist has been invited to participate
• Documentation of work that is part of an imminent, concrete opportunity
• Expenses for materials or equipment rental needed to prepare existing work for an exhibition, performance, publication, etc. in which the artist has been invited to participate
• Professional fees and services related to a specific opportunity
• Expenses related to child- or daycare that would allow an artist to take advantage of a specific opportunity
• Reasonably-priced accommodations if opportunity is more than 100 miles from home

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What expenses are ineligible?
Artist Opportunity Grant funds will not be used for the following:

• Curatorial projects
• Creation of new works of art (no matter how impactful on the artist's career)
• Activities that have already taken place
• Ongoing work (this fund exists to help artists take advantage of unique opportunities in their careers)
• Ungraduate or graduate study
• Arts-in-Education programs or teaching opportunities
• Applicant's own artistic fees
• Medical, legal, accounting or administrative expenses
• Commercial activities
• Purchase of equipment costing more than $500 or equipment not realted to a specific, imminent opportunity
• Self-produced publications

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What is the funding criteria, and who makes the decisions?

Decisions are made by a different panel of artists at each deadline, who are chosen by GPAC staff for their knowledge of various artistic genres and communities around the region.  Unlike grant programs that support the creation of new work, this program does not ask panelists to critique the artists' previous work. Instead, reviewers must determine from the application:

• Whether the opportunity is unique, and not a repetition of the artist's similar, previous experiences
• Whether the artist has made the case that this opportunity has true potential to positively impact his or her career

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What is the timeline for this grant?
Applications are considered three times a year, and submission deadlines vary. Opportunities must take place no sooner than eight weeks after the deadline and must be completed within six months. All applicants will be notified of panel decisions within 45 days of the application deadline.  Please call or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it as soon as you submit your application to confirm receipt of your materials.

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Straight Talk: Our advice to you as you write this grant

You should know that we’re not making decisions in an ivory tower—the people who decide how this fund gets distributed are artists like you. So when you write this grant, make sure you’re speaking to them clearly so that they really understand how you would get a lot out of the experience you're describing. Panelists may not be familiar with your work or with the opportunity you present (i.e. its quality, value to you as an artist, reputation of the person or organization offering the opportunity, etc.)  So be sure that you are really making the case for:

• HOW the opportunity is unique and what it offers that isn’t otherwise available to you
• WHY the opportunity is appropriate at this time in your career
• WHAT the impact will be on your career and work and why this is the best way to get you there
• WHO you will be working with and why they are the best one(s) to learn from right now

In an ideal world, we would have enough money to help every artist who asked.  Though we’re always looking for ways to increase this fund, it remains really competitive. Remember, lots of other artists are asking, so you have to make your request stand out! You might also consider asking someone unfamiliar with your work to read both the guidelines and your application and to provide you with objective feedback about whether your application addresses the criteria and considerations above.

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