Short Summary

The Artists Helping Artists Grant is an idea launched from Rate My Artist Residency’s subtitle. One of the most difficult obstacles with artist residencies is being able to afford the residency. RMAR utilized fundraising on indiegogo to create a grant for a need-based artists in the United States can apply to unrestricted funding for a residency in 2015.

The artists’ who apply to the grant must provide proof of need-based income and a letter from the residency with their acceptance in 2015. The application for the grant will launch in Fall 2014 and the award will be announced in the new year of 2015.

This year we raised a total of $600.00 which will be awarded towards one artist to attend the residency — we are hoping in subsequent years to raise more for more artists. The grant is unrestricted and used towards the residency as the artist sees fit; this includes residency fees, artist materials, studio space, travel, room, board, food, shipping, a portion of their apartment rent, etc.

What You Get

Artists Helping Artists Grant raised a total of $600.00 this year for one artist that is a citizen of the United States. All of the funds from the fundraising goal will be donated to one unlimited need-based residency grants. The grant is awarded to one artist (this year) that demonstrate a need for financial assistance and have been awarded a residency for the following year. The unrestricted grant allows the artist to attend the residency and be able to pay for residency fees, materials, travel, room, board, shipping of materials, food, etc. The use of the funds are at the discretion of the artist while in residence.

The Impact

It goes without saying that for many years artists have benefited from residency programs around the world. Each program is an individual gem and at times a utopia for artists to temporarily exist. These programs give artists the vital time and space allowing them to work on their projects, ideas, and creation of contemporary culture. RMAR considers artist residency programs as an alternative business conference for the art world; artists attend these spaces as think tanks, social network hubs, and pockets of conversation and dialogue analyzing our current and future position as a society in the world today. Artists are catalysts and act as the epitome representation of freedom in society. By supporting the works of artists, you are supporting progressive thought, change, the right to a free equal society, and an individual working on cultural production.

Rate My Artist Residency was born from the idea of having a social platform for artists to critically and socially engage with each other about their residency experiences. The website launched over a year ago and today has over 2000 followers. This is the first trial initiative of the grant through crowd-sourcing tactics; I hope that it finds great success and is able to continue for years to come.