Material Needs Grants 2026-27
Ends on
Material Needs Grant 2026-27
ArtsWorcester
Worcester, MA
Timeline
Submission deadline: January 27, 2026
Notifications: by late February, 2026
Material Needs Exhibition: Fall, 2027
Click here for an information packet about the Material Needs Grant, or contact alice@artsworcester.org with any questions.
Grant Details
Material Needs Grants, funded by an anonymous donor, support the expenses of supplies and materials for the creation of new art in Worcester County. With this gift, ArtsWorcester is able to distribute grants to local artists between $750 and $2,000. Artists who receive a Material Needs Grant in 2026 will exhibit their work in a group show at ArtsWorcester in 2027.
All eligible proposals are reviewed by a committee of three individuals with experience in the arts.
Proposals are considered for their novelty, innovation, potential impact (on the viewer, your career, and on other artists in the area), and feasibility (can you do it, and can you do it in one calendar year?).
Eligibility
Projects must have some element that can be shown inside ArtsWorcester’s galleries in a fall 2027 group exhibition.
You must have been an artist member of ArtsWorcester for at least one calendar year immediately prior to applying for a Material Needs Grant, and you must reside in Worcester County, Massachusetts. We regret that members residing outside of Worcester County are not eligible.
If you have previously received a Material Needs Grant, you must wait three years from the previous application date before applying again.
If you are unsure of your eligibility, contact alice@artsworcester.org.
Expenses Covered
These grants are restricted to expenses for the supplies, materials, and equipment (purchased or rented) needed to make new art. Proposals for any and all kinds of visual art are welcome, including but not limited to painting, photography, fiber, ceramics, sculpture, video, and digital artwork.
Examples of expenses not covered would be studio rental, framing, publicity and promotional costs, insurance or transportation of artwork.
Artists who receive a Material Needs Grant are given a check with their awarded amount up front, and are responsible for saving and submitting receipts at the end of their cycle.