| THRIVE Grants aim to further support artists’ innovation throughout Oklahoma with project grants of up to $10,000. THRIVE Grants provide support for artist-led initiatives that create a positive impact in their communities. THRIVE Grants provides funding for collaborative artist-led projects across the state of Oklahoma that are open and accessible to the public. This program is in partnership with The Andy Warhol Foundation. |
THE APPLICATIONAPPLICATIONS OPEN APRIL 2025
GRANT APPLICATION RESOURCES Funded projects are ambitious, impactful, innovative, and community driven visual arts projects. The THRIVE Grants Committee will prioritize artist projects that create new collaborations, connections, and partnerships.
THRIVE GRANTS FAQs
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What are Thrive Grants? Thrive Grants are a program of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition in partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts' Regranting Program. Thrive is an annual program that funds multiple artists' projects with grants of $5,000 or $10,000. The projects take place over the course of one year as artists work at their own pace to complete their projects accompanied by periodic group meetings and check ins. What is the timeline? April 1, 2024 - Grant Application Opens Who selects the grant winners? We have a committee that includes local artists, arts administrators, a former Thrive recipient, and someone from the National Regional Regranting family. How are the applications scored? All applications will be scored on the following categories: Career Altering Potential, Artistic Merit, Community Impact, and Ability to Complete. Preference will be shown to projects that: serve under-represented regions of Oklahoma, include Native Peoples/People of Color, and/or utilize collaboration. What types of projects will be funded? This program celebrates risk and artists that are willing to push their own boundaries. What that actually looks like will vary greatly but we are open to innovative and experimental approaches to Visual Art-making, view past awardees here. The focal point of every project should be Visual Art and not firmly rooted in other forms of art like dance, theatre, music, or industry feature filmmaking. What types of projects will NOT be funded? Projects, which have a central focus and a Lead Applicant with a practice firmly rooted in theatrical dance, theatre, music, or industry feature filmmaking. Projects that do NOT meet the basic eligibility requirements will not be funded, review those here. Define the requirement for "public accessibility". The selected projects should be accessible to the public via “process, production, presentation or publication” and this does not imply the “general public.” Thrive Grant Recipients can and should define the community with which they wish to connect, and then design their projects to build relationships with this audience. This community could therefore be large and abstract or small and defined. Can I request funding for my solo exhibition? No, traditional exhibitions will not be funded. Thrive Grants are aiming to support public engagement that goes beyond the passive viewing of finished artwork. With that said, there are certainly exceptions, for example, artists taking an innovative or thought-provoking approach to the exhibition platform. Review previously funded projects here. To seek funding for your art practice, try applying for a quarterly Grants for Artists Grant here. As a student of the Arts, why am I not eligible to apply as a Lead Applicant? Thrive Grants are intended to fund and support independent Artists and does not provide funding for school assignments or projects. Can I include artists outside of Oklahoma? Yes, but the majority of the artists must be current Oklahoma residents. Can the grant funds be used to pay me or other artists? Yes! You can use the funds however you like to accomplish your project. We encourage artists to pay themselves and collaborators for their time in completing the project. How many applications may I submit as a Lead Applicant? Only one application will be accepted for each Lead Applicant, but this individual is NOT prohibited from collaborating on another project. Be intentional with this choice and consider how you frame your participation in the other project. What if we are an artist collective? Sure, we encourage collaboration. You will need to select one artist to be the Lead Applicant. This will be the primary contact that we coordinate with, the person who applies, and who will manage the award funds. I’m an Independent/Freelance Curator; am I eligible to apply for the grant? Yes, Independent Curators may apply. If you identify as both an Artist and Curator, only submit one application; only one application per individual will be accepted. I am an artist with an LLC and profit off of my business as a creator, can I apply? Yes! Independent Artists, even those with an LLC, can apply. 501c3 organizations or for-profit corporations are not eligible to apply. I am submitting video content, and I see there are restrictions on how much watch-time to provide. How strict is this rule? You are technically allowed to submit video content without highlighting a maximum of 3 minutes for review but you must also consider the impact of not meeting the requested parameters. If you do NOT follow the instructions, it tends to make your application look rushed and unprofessional. We strongly encourage you to edit your clips down to the suggested time. I am a recipient of another OVAC program reward, can I still apply? If you are awarded another OVAC grant you are still eligible to apply, however your proposed project may not be the same as your previously awarded project. We will require a year break period after the completion of any successful Thrive projects. This means if applicants were awarded in 2021, their funding period would end in 2022, and they would not be eligible to apply again until 2023. After the waiting period, can I reapply with the same project proposal? No, you may not reapply with an exact copy of past proposals, but you might look for a way to expand upon previous projects. It is difficult to imagine that a new proposal that shifts its focus in such a way would be identical to past iterations. If you have questions regarding your eligibility, just ask! Can I apply if I am NOT a U.S. Citizen? Yes, you can apply but the Lead Applicant must have a social security number and have held residence in Oklahoma for at least 12 months. Do I have to pay taxes on grant funding? Yes, the IRS considers grant funding to be income, which means you could owe taxes. Your filing status—individual or LLC—can change how you report your funding. We recommend doing research at www.irs.gov and viewing the instructions on page 3 of form 990 to learn more on how to properly file the funds that will be used in your project.
Questions? Reach out to OVAC Administrative and Artist Relations Manager, Ariana Weir, at ariana@ovac-ok.org or (405) 879-2400 Ex. 5 | ELIGIBILITY
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THRIVE Project Events
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2024 GRANTEES
Nicole Emmons
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Black Wolf's Legacy: Reimagined Histories will be realized in the Lightwell Gallery, January 13-Feb 21, 2025. The exhibition is an experiential expression of the Trail of Death, a two-month-long forced march of some 850 Potawatomi children, elderly, adults, from the Great Lakes Region down to Kansas in the fall of 1838. At their forefront were 4 Potawatomi leaders captured and thrown in a jail wagon, one of whom would later escape, help found a new community, be recaptured, and taken back to Kansas. This man's name was Black Wolf, and this piece is dedicated to him. | Gabriel Evan Friedman
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TC Cannon Book of Letters is a project that was initiated on request of Gabriel's mother, Rebecca Wheeler. She asked him to publish and distribute this book of letters and art from her very close friend, the late TC Cannon to herself. TC was considered one of great painters, poets and writers of his generation. TC and Rebecca had an extremely close friendship starting the early 1970's connecting through art, life and their shared Okie backgrounds. This book contains about 30 poetically poignant letters and drawings from TC to Rebecca from 1973 until 3 months before his death in 1978. |
Kalup Linzy
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The Queen Rose Art House Experimental Film and Video Art Workshop and Exhibition will bring together a community of Oklahomans who create or appreciate experimental films and video art. Engaging with Oklahoma as a muse or subject, participants will explore its history, the present moment, and/or its imagined future. | Bryanna Mitchell
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Oklahoma Black Fashion Week (OBFW) will revolutionize the fashion industry in the southern region of theUnited States by showcasing Oklahoma's vibrant creativity. Taking place in Oklahoma City, this event aims to elevate emerging Black designers, models, and artists, providing them with greater visibility and opportunities. |
Đan Lynh Phạm
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Southern Ems is an exhibition showcasing three Vietnamese American women artists reflecting on the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon (April 30th, 1975). The Fall of Saigon caused nearly two million Vietnamese refugees to flee the motherland over a twenty-year span. This event led to the Vietnamese diaspora and the establishment of a significant Vietnamese community in the United States. Among them were the families of each participating artist. Through this exhibition, these artists will each explore their family's post-war migration, upbringing as children of refugees in midwest America, and their efforts to archive their family history. | Jennifer Saenz (Ahyoka)
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The Beadtelling the Freedmen of the Five Tribes A Native American Visual Beadwork Art Exhibition showcasing portrait beadwork of the Freedmen and Freedmen descendants of the Five Civilized Tribes. The co-creation process involves Cherokee Beadwork Artists Jennifer Saenz and Vicky Watson. Also, Designer Debbie Franklin Richard and Supporting Designer Jennifer Saenz. Beadwork Artists Vicky Watson and Jennifer Saenz are a Mother-Daughter Artistic collaboration. Their beadwork combines traditional Native American beading techniques with innovative portrait beadwork design. It is a fusion of storytelling and beadwork, both integral parts of Native American culture - called Beadtelling™. This exhibit is about on ongoing part of history and creating a better tribal future. |
Denae Smith
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Bridging Generations is a groundbreaking art initiative designed to spotlight the rich creativity of both adult and youth minority artists in Oklahoma City. This dual exhibition will feature a diverse array of artworks from established and emerging adult artists alongside a dedicated section showcasing the talents of young artists. The project includes an exhibition, engaging panel discussions led by artist, and the publication of a commemorative book to celebrate and document the contributions of all participating artists. | Jordan Wright
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Archive of Loneliness is a multimedia zine which aims to connect and highlight unpublished Oklahoman queer artists, writers, journalists, photographers, etc., who feel like they have no place in Oklahoma's ostensible 2SLGBTQIA+ community. The project is being led by "Astraphoria," a multimedia art duo consisting of Jordan Wright, and Chris West. Selected artists will be encouraged to collaborate with one-another and create new works to be printed. They will also help plan release events/exhibitions for the Zine, featuring music, food, and a roundtable discussion between contributing artists, the lead artists, and other invited guests. |
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PROGRAM PARTNER |
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