Organizer Information
Foundwork is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization supporting access, visibility, and recognition for contemporary artists internationally. Its digital platform enables emerging and mid-career artists working across media to present their practices to curators, gallerists, writers, and other art professionals. Foundwork also runs programmes including Guest Curators and Dialogues, creating opportunities for professional visibility and critical engagement.
Title & Description
Foundwork Artist Prize
Foundwork Artist Prize 2026 is Foundwork’s annual juried award recognizing outstanding contemporary artistic practices by emerging and mid-career artists working in any medium. The 2026 Prize will select one Honoree and three Short-Listed Artists. The Honoree will receive an unrestricted $10,000 USD grant, studio visits with all five jurors, and an interview for Foundwork’s Dialogues programme. Each of the three Short-Listed Artists will receive a $1,000 USD micro-grant.
The 2026 jury consists of five internationally active figures from the contemporary art field: Stefan Benchoam, François Ghebaly, Manuela Moscoso, Gabi Ngcobo, and Esther Schipper. Foundwork staff will first identify 50 finalists, after which the jury will select the Honoree and three Short-Listed Artists.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Contemporary Art
- Multidisciplinary Art
- Painting
- Sculptur
- Installation
- Photography
- Video/Moving Image
- Performance
- Drawing; and other media.
Eligibility
The opportunity is open internationally to individual artists aged 18 or older, with limited geographic and regulatory restrictions. Applicants must maintain a published Foundwork artist profile containing at least six published artworks and an artist statement throughout the entire selection period.
Artists are not eligible if they reside in certain restricted jurisdictions, including Iran, Russia, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, North Korea, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and several other listed locations. Past Honorees are permanently ineligible for future selection, while previous Short-Listed Artists must wait three years before becoming eligible again.
Program Benefits & Awards
- 1 Honoree: unrestricted $10,000 USD grant.
- Studio visits with each of the five 2026 jurors.
- Interview for Foundwork’s Dialogues programme.
- 3 Short-Listed Artists: $1,000 USD micro-grant each.
- Recognition by an international jury of curators, gallerists, artists, and other leading art professionals.
- Continued visibility through Foundwork’s digital platform.
Application Fee
There is no separate Prize submission fee, but participation requires a Foundwork artist membership/profile. Current external listings report the artist membership at approximately $6 USD per month, with a free trial available for new members; applicants should verify the current membership price directly with Foundwork before registering.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 25 September 2026
- Selection Period: September 25–December 31, 2026
- Public Announcement: Expected by December 31, 2026
- Confirmation: Selected artists must respond to Foundwork’s provisional notification within 7 calendar days.
Location
Online
Additional Details
Artists should ensure that their profile contains at least six published artworks and a current artist statement before the selection period begins. A CV is not required for consideration. Foundwork states that artists retain their intellectual-property rights, although selected artists grant Foundwork certain non-exclusive permissions to use their submitted profile content for Prize and promotional purposes.
Important: Although the Prize is described as international, artists residing in Iran are explicitly excluded under the 2026 geographic restrictions.