Organizer Information:

The Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA) was created in 1993 to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature. The Emergency Grants program is a year-round fund designed to respond to artists' urgent needs in a timely manner.

Title & Description:

The FCA Emergency Grants provide immediate, project-based assistance to artists who make innovative, experimental work. The fund is specifically designed for artists who either:

  1. Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public with insufficient time to seek traditional funding.
  2. Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects that are close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates.

Category:

Multidisciplinary & Experimental Art.

(Visual arts, performing arts, and poetry. Must push against, expand upon, or break from established artistic practices).

Eligibility:

  • Who: Individual artists or collectives making experimental work.
  • Residency: Applicants must live in the United States or U.S. territories and have a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, etc.). Projects, however, can occur in the U.S. or abroad.
  • Project Status: Applicants must have committed public presentation dates at the time of application.
  • Exclusions: Students in degree-granting programs, curators, producers, organizations, and arts presenters are not eligible. Projects at commercial galleries, art fairs, or works-in-progress are ineligible.

Program Benefits & Awards:

  • Funding: Grants range from $500 to $3,000 USD (the average grant is currently $2,200).
  • Special Travel Funds: Dedicated support is available for unexpected travel-related expenses for cultural exchanges between the U.S. and specific Eastern European and Central Asian countries (e.g., Ukraine, Georgia, Poland, Mongolia, etc.).

Application Fee:

Free.

Application Requirements:

Artists must submit via Submittable and demonstrate the experimental nature of their practice. Applications require work samples, a description of the proposed project, venue details, and an explanation of the urgent financial need (e.g., materials, shipping, fabrication, artist fees). Note: Funds cannot be used for non-project life expenses like food, rent, or medical bills.

Key Dates:

  • Deadline: Rolling. * Timing: Artists should apply 8–10 weeks before their project’s public presentation date. (Applications are reviewed monthly by an artist panel).

Location:

United States / U.S. Territories.

Contact Information:

Email: grants@contemporary-arts.org

Website: FCA Emergency Grants