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Canadian Grants for Artists

Pursuing art as a career choice has been a historically difficult road for prospective artists, as it can take years to gain the notoriety and respect that it takes to earn a living from one's art. However, there is support available in the form of grants, many of which are offered to Canadians through the federal or provincial government. Grants are available to help struggling artists by funding exhibitions, travel expenses, extended education, and a wide variety of other costs.
  1. Canada Council for the Arts

    • The Canada Council for the Arts awards approximately 6,000 art grants to their 15,000 applicants annually. The Council is a Crown corporation, but is operated at an "arm's length" from the Government. Decisions on who the grants and prizes will be awarded to are based on a system of peer assessment, according to Canadacouncil.ca. Professional artists in the fields of dance, inter-arts, media arts, music, theater, visual arts, and writing and publishing are all eligible for grants. Grants range from $500 to $20,000, and are meant to fund a range of activities from artistic production to travel.

    Telus Innovation Fund

    • The Telus Innovation Fund, offered through the Canadian Film Center, is an investment in the production of innovative film, television, new media, or cross-platform content projects, according to Cfccreates.com. The fund is open to Canadian companies who present a media project with an outline, budget and team for application. The fund sponsors up to three projects at a time, with maximum funding of $100,000.

    4Cs Foundation

    • The 4Cs Foundation (Creative Connections between Children and their Communities) provides grants for art projects within the Halifax Regional Municipality. The focus of the prospective project must be bringing children and community members together to work on community art projects, lead by a professional artist or group of artists, according to 4csfoundation.com. The projects can be in the field of visual art, dance, performance, music, film, video, theater or integrated arts. Deadlines for application are October 15, Jaunary 15, and May 15 of each year.

    Conseil des arts et des lettres

    • The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec offers art grants for Canadian artists who have resided in the province of Quebec for 12 months leading up to the application for their grant. The grants are divided into three categories: grants for upcoming artists, developmental grants, and career grants, thus the eligibility for each category depends on where the artist is in their career. The grants are meant to fund a variety of activities including, but not limited to, travel, living costs, research and creation.

Fine Art

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