ELIGIBILITY 

Proposals are welcome from mid-career craft artists who teach. For the purpose of this grant the Center defines a teaching artist as a practicing craft artist and/or maker who utilizes their skill sets and sensibilities to integrate their work and perspectives into a wide range of settings.

For this grant, the Center for Craft understands craft to include 3D work produced primarily by hand.

Craft is commonly recognized as being made of clay, glass, fiber, metal, and wood.  We also welcome craft made from other materials, such as concrete, plastic, gourds, shells, bones, leather, natural, and recycled materials, among others. We look for works in which the artist transformed the materials into something new.

Examples of craft include but are not limited to jewelry, ceramics, basket making, furniture, wood carving, sculpture, weaving, tapestry, knitting, sewing, bookmaking, paper-making, blacksmithing, knife-making, glass blowing, casting, and mask-making, among others.

Proposals must be timely, meaning applicants are in a prime position to benefit from this opportunity. Applicants should demonstrate evidence of a continued practice within the craft field, including a practice as a craft artist and educator.

Artists working in tenured or tenure-track positions may not apply. Funding for the Teaching Artist Cohort is geared toward artists and/ or makers whose practice includes community engagement, experience as adjunct faculty, workshop facilitator/instructors, visiting artists, museum education, community college instructors, and/ or lecturers.

Applicants must be: 

• 21 years of age or older 
• Eligible to receive taxable income in the U.S. 
• Residing and working in the U.S. for the last two years and the duration of the Grant period
• Have a continued full time studio practice for a minimum of five years and work as a teaching artist for a minimum of three years

 Applicants cannot be: 

• Tenured faculty at a college or university
• Tenure-track position at a college or university 
• Collectives, groups, partnerships 
• 2022 Career Advancement Grant recipients 
• Previous Teaching Artist Cohort recipient
• Disqualified persons, such as substantial contributors to the Center for Craft as well as current employees, consultants, or board members of the Center for Craft, or immediate family members of such a person 
  

Priority will be given to applicants who have not been previously awarded a Center for Craft grant or fellowship. 

The Center for Craft prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on sex, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or perceived disability, age, marital status, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected category. The Center encourages applications from historically underrepresented populations. Applying does not constitute a promise or guarantee of being awarded a grant.

TEACHING ARTIST COHORT 

A leading component of the Teaching Artist Cohort is to support a diverse cohort of mid-career artists with varying practices and career aspirations. Ideally, awards will be given to a dynamic group of craft artists whose practice includes working as teaching artists in the schools or community, non-tenured or non-academic educators, adjunct instructors, visiting artists, museum educators, and community and workshop instructors.

REQUIREMENTS OF TEACHING ARTIST COHORT

• The initial 70% of funds will be awarded upon completion of the grant agreement and receipt of the awardee’s W9.
• The final 30% of the grant will be awarded upon completion of the grant cycle and an evaluation interview.
• Grant permission for the Center for Craft to use the language and images from the recipient's application, including high-resolution images that the recipient may want to provide in press releases, social media, and/or reports of work by recipients of the Teaching Artist Cohort.
• Recipients will be required to participate in the 6-month cohort experience by attending 80% of the virtual workshops and convenings. Workshops and convenings will take place virtually from June 2025 - November 2025. More information about the workshops and convenings will be provided upon receipt of the Teaching Artist Cohort award.
• Recipients must acknowledge support from the Center for Craft by:
  • including the tag: “Center for Craft Teaching Artist Cohort” in their email signature, website, and/or social media page for the duration of the Fellowship Period
  • any creation of work resulting from the grant carries the Center for Craft’s logo or credit line: “This was supported by a Center for Craft Teaching Artist Cohort”
• Recipients agree to conduct a follow-up interview and survey about their experience as a Teaching Artist Cohort recipient within four months of the grant period’s end.

CRITERIA/REVIEW PROCESS

The adjudication process will take place virtually. Applications will be reviewed by staff of the Center for Craft for completeness and then evaluated by a selection panel through the SlideRoom online application review portal. The panel will consist of 3-4 people recognized as craft-informed experts working across sectors, such as writers, educators, artists, curators, and creative catalysts, in order to provide great insight into the grant-making process. Panelists free of any conflict of interest will evaluate the applications based on the following criteria:

• Evidence of a continued practice within the craft field includes a practice as an artist and educator
• Timeliness within the artist’s career trajectory and demonstrated financial need or other not specified
• Artistic merit and/or quality of work samples
  

Considerations in final selection:

The Center for Craft respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make each person who they are. We foster open communication of diverse perspectives and bring a broad range of individuals together to enrich and support programming. Ultimately we will ask the Selection Panel to compose a set of recipients prioritizing diversity, representing a range of geographies, materials, practices, and types of artist-educators. Priority will be given to applicants who received a Center for Craft grant.

FAQs 

If I receive a grant will I need to pay taxes on my award?

Yes, all cash funding is taxable income.

May I mail a hard copy of my application materials to the Center for Crafts office?

No, hard copy submissions will not be accepted. The application must be completed and submitted through SlideRoom.

Can I work on my application and return to complete it at a later date?

Yes, creating a login account will enable you to complete the form in several online sessions.

I just submitted my application but I want to return to it and make and edit. Is this possible?

No, once your application is submitted, you will not be able to return to the form or change any submitted information.

I have previously received a Center for Craft grant but did not complete the project or am still in the process of completing the project - am I eligible to apply?

No

I received a 2023 or 2024 Teaching Artist Cohort Grant. Am I eligible to apply?

No

I am a student, am I eligible to apply?

Yes

Are art collectives eligible to apply?

No

Who can I contact with questions?

Program Manager-Community Vitality, Anna Helgeson, ahelgeson@centerforcraft.org, 828.785.1357 x 105