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THRIVE Grants aim to further support artists’ innovation throughout Oklahoma with project grants of up to $10,000 for artist-led initiatives. These grants provide support for ambitious, impactful, and innovative visual arts projects that are collaborative and engage the community. All projects occur across the state of Oklahoma and are open and accessible to the public. |
The ApplicationApplications will open for the 2027–2028 season will open April 1, 2027 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 Grant 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' Regional 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 8, 2026 - 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 have outstanding collaboration. What types of projects will be funded? This program celebrates innovation 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. Project must be Visual Arts projects and not firmly rooted in other forms of art like dance, theatre, music, or industry 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 filmmaking. Projects that do NOT meet the basic eligibility requirements will not be funded. Additionally, these grants are intended to support unique artist-led projects, not ongoing or regular programming at a non-profit or for-profit business. 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 neccessarily 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. To seek funding for your art practice, try applying for 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 projects or assigments. 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 businesses are not eligible to apply, and grant awards will only be paid to individuals. 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. The selection committee may not be able to view the full video if you submit clips longer than 3 minutes. We strongly encourage you to edit your clips down to the suggested time. I am a recipient of another OVAC program award, 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 2022, their funding period would end in 2023, and they would not be eligible to apply again until 2024. 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-Temoshok, at Ariana@Ovac-Ok.Org or (405) 879-2400 Ex. 5 | Eligibility
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THRIVE Project Events
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2026-2027 Grantees
Alicia Smith
Tulsa, OK
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Toci is a 7 part video art piece that tells the story of a group of Aztec women who escape the colonization of Mexico by flying a pyramid to Mars and establishing a space colony there, with the help of their Gods, plants, animals, and insects who accompanied them. Chapter 4: The Mushroom bearers is the centerpiece of the project and celebrates Two-Spirit medicine traditions and kinships ties from Oklahoma, to Mexico, and beyond. | Carly Treece
Tulsa, OK
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Roots Run Deep is a new body of work by Mvskoke artist Carly Treece exploring the relationships between southeastern Indigenous peoples and culturally significant plants through contemporary abstract painting. Developed in collaboration with Indigenous plant knowledge holders, elders, and cultural practitioners, the project pairs large scale oil and cold wax paintings with sensory and educational experiences. By bringing together art, research, and community knowledge, Roots Run Deep invites visitors to learn about Indigenous plant relatives, stewardship, and the enduring connections between people, plants, and the land.
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Chase Kahwinhut Earles
Ada, OK
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Digging and creating native Oklahoma clay, this project will connect non-Native participants with Caddo culture through Indigenous Futurism. Across four small workshops, participants will dig and process clay, create ceramic works, and pit-fire them using traditional methods. The resulting pieces—made by Native and non-Native participants—will reflect shared contemporary experiences, respect, and future cooperation, and will be exhibited publicly at an Oklahoma museum. | Danny Sands
Oklahoma City, OK
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Contemporary Indigenous artist and educator Danny Sands, a citizen of the Seminole Nation, will create a vibrant public mural in Seminole, Oklahoma. Through the support of the THRIVE grant, this mural will celebrate Indigenous identity, community pride, and cultural visibility while serving as a welcoming landmark for residents and visitors. Inspired by authentic Seminole community voices and traditions, the project will culminate in a public unveiling and community celebration. As Sands' first independently led large-scale mural, the project marks a significant milestone in his artistic career while transforming a public space through the power of public art and cultural storytelling. |
Elizabeth Feahther Henley
Tulsa, OK
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Elizabeth Feahther Henley will lead the project, Brims of Boley, is a large-scale public art installation that will debut during the Historic Boley Rodeo in May 2027. The project will invite Oklahoma artists to transform blank cowboy hats into original works of art inspired by Black Cowboy Culture, horses, rodeos, western landscapes and the legacy of Boley. The hats, installed at the rodeo, will create an immersive visual experience that bridges contemporary art and cultural heritage. The exhibit will celebrate Oklahoma's Black Western legacy while expanding arts opportunities for emerging artists.
| Laurel Grimes, Graycianne Bennett, Elise Boulanger, Micah Grimes, and Grace Snyder
Norman, OK
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Clay/Bodies explores how living South/Eastern Indigenous communities connect to ancestors, future relatives, and maintain our identities throughout removal and migration by directly and physically interacting with [earth/clay/land] via earthenware ceramics made from local, natural clay bodies. In July of 2026, a group of South/Eastern Indigenous women artists, scholars, and community members traveled to various mounds and sites where our communities ancestrally lived. Back in Oklahoma, we approach ancestral methods and visual languages in processing natural clays in Indian Territory to create ceramic pieces that bridge the gap between homelands, removal experiences, and new land relationships. |
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Program Partner |
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| CONTACT US Phone: (405) 879-2400 Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm (by appointment only) | ADDRESS
Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition |
© 2026 Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition. All rights reserved. Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN: 73-1328072.