Purpose: What is the intended impact of this program?
The Individual Artist Fellowships program intends to recognize, uplift, and celebrate California artists. Fellowships will support artists from a broad spectrum of artistic practices, backgrounds, geographies and communities, whose work addresses themes including but not limited to race, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. In doing so, the CAC will showcase the centrality of artists’ leadership in generating social impact and the evolution of our traditional and contemporary cultures.
This program will support artists, 18 years of age and older, at key moments in their careers, elevating their capacity for continued contribution to the field and our state. The grant program identifies three career tiers at which artists may benefit from this support:
- CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000 per award (approximately 70 artists to be supported) Artists with between two and four years of artistic practice.
- CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000 per award (approximately 50 artists to be supported) Artists with between four and 10 years of artistic practice.
- CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000 per award (approximately 10 artists to be supported) Well-established artists with 10 or more years of artistic practice.
Individuals may submit an application in one career tier only.
Fellowship grants support individual artistic practice through unrestricted funding. Awards will be funded at the full dollar amount for each tier; partial awards will not be made. This grant is not intended to support artist groups or collectives. Fiscal sponsorships are not allowed.
Application Links:
Online Application Portal: calartscouncil.smartsimple.com
Overview Video
Revised Program Timeline:
| Application Opens | December 18, 2020 |
| Application Deadline | April 1, 2021 11:59:59 PM |
| Panel Review | Approx. May – July 2021 |
| Funding Decision | Approx. August – September 2021 |
| Funding Notification | Approx. August – September 2021 |
| Grant Activity Period | October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022 |
Staff Assistance
IMPORTANT: Please read the grant guidelines, application instructions, and grant applicant FAQs before contacting staff.
CAC staff is available to offer guidance and clarification in preparing your proposal. We recommend that you contact staff well in advance of the deadline to ensure you can be accommodated. Due to a very high volume of inquiries, there may be a delay in our response. Please note: staff assistance is not available after 5:00 p.m. on the day of a grant deadline.
People who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, or have difficulty speaking may dial 711 to reach the California Relay Service (CRS). Large print is available upon request.
Staff Contacts:
