Organizer Information
Pratt Fine Arts Center is a non-profit arts education and resource center located in the Squire Park area of Seattle's Central District. Pratt was founded in 1976 by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and named in honor of slain civil rights leader Edwin T. Pratt, and in 1982 it was turned over to a newly created 501(c)(3) non-profit, City Art Works. The center employs 155 teaching artists, conducts more than 600 classes annually, and includes facilities for glassblowing, lampworking, glass beadmaking, metal sculpture, bronze casting, stone carving, jewelry and metalsmithing, woodworking, printmaking, and painting and drawing across 14 studios in three buildings.
Pratt's mission centers on making art education accessible to people of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds, and the organization has named racial equity a core value, dedicating resources to breaking down systemic barriers to arts access. Pratt's scholarship program reflects this mission, distributing donor- and partner-funded awards across multiple media and artist populations each year.
Title & Description
Pratt Fine Arts Center 2026–2027 Scholarships
Pratt Fine Arts Center is offering its 2026–2027 scholarship cycle, distributing over $38,100 in support across 14 awards. Scholarship support may include cash funds, class credit, studio access, professional development stipends, and/or year-long Pratt membership benefits, depending on the specific award. Applicants may apply to multiple scholarships through a single application, though only one award will be granted per selected applicant. The opportunity is designed primarily for artists in the Pacific Northwest region who are positioned to make use of Pratt's studios, classes, and creative community in Seattle. Each selected scholarship requires a separate statement of intent explaining why the applicant is applying for that specific award. Recipients are expected to be active participants in the Pratt community throughout the scholarship year, including a mandatory group orientation, and to complete a reflection survey and share documentation of their work at the close of the year.
The nine named scholarships covered in this cycle are:
- Bernie Funk Artist Explorations Scholarship — for one adult artist working in two- or three-dimensional media, excluding glass
- Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship — for three artists of color, open to any medium
- Jon and Mary Shirley Scholarship in Glass — for two emerging glass artists
- Lillian Yeh Scholarship for Lifelong Artists — for young adults (18–25) in drawing/painting or jewelry/metalsmithing
- Mary & Gary Molyneaux Scholarship for Women — for women 50+ with 20+ years of professional art experience
- Professional Artist-in-Residence: Woodworking — a month-long residency in Pratt's Wood Studio
- Pratt/Seattle Print Arts Partners Scholarship — for three printmakers who are active Seattle Print Arts members
- Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths Scholarship — for one emerging artist from a historically marginalized group, in blacksmithing or welding
- Webber/Tompkins Scholarship in Glass — for emerging glass artists
Categories
- Scholarship
- Visual Arts
- Glass
- Printmaking
- Craft
- Jewelry
- Sculpture
- Painting
- Drawing
- Multiple Disciplines
Eligibility
- General: applicants must be 18 years of age or older; Pratt staff, board members, and instructors are not eligible; 2025–2026 Pratt scholarship recipients are not eligible
- Artists who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and/or living with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply
- Bernie Funk Artist Explorations Scholarship: open to visual artists at any career stage working in metal, wood, stone, drawing, painting, or printmaking (excludes glass)
- Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship: open to visual artists of color at any career stage, any medium
- Jon and Mary Shirley Scholarship in Glass: open to emerging glass artists who have completed a glass class/workshop at Pratt or accessed Pratt's glass facilities independently within the past calendar year; may not be used to fund production work
- Lillian Yeh Scholarship for Lifelong Artists: open to young adults aged 18–25 pursuing or recently completed higher education, with interest in art as a lifelong passion; limited to painting/drawing or jewelry/metalsmithing
- Mary & Gary Molyneaux Scholarship for Women: open to professional, practicing artists who identify as women, aged 50 or older, with 20+ years of professional art experience
- Professional Artist-in-Residence: Woodworking: open to professional working visual artists, any career stage, suited to hand tool woodworking, woodcarving, woodturning, furniture making, chair making, or sculpture
- Pratt/Seattle Print Arts Partners Scholarship: open to printmakers of all levels who are active Seattle Print Arts (SPA) members; no prior Pratt experience required
- Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths Scholarship: open to emerging visual artists currently residing in Washington State who are members of a historically marginalized group (BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, female, or disabled)
- Webber/Tompkins Scholarship in Glass: open to emerging glass artists who have completed a glass class/workshop at Pratt or accessed Pratt's glass facilities independently within the past calendar year; may not be used to fund production work
Program Benefits & Awards
- Bernie Funk Artist Explorations Scholarship: $3,000 Pratt class/studio credit; $1,000 materials stipend; up to $500 reimbursed for professional development workshops (e.g. through Artist Trust); complimentary Collaborator level Pratt membership ($200 value); public promotion of recipient's work
- Edwin T. Pratt Scholarship (3 awards): $2,500 Pratt class/studio credit each; $500 materials stipend each; complimentary Collaborator level Pratt membership ($200 value) each; public promotion and possible culminating exhibition venue
- Jon and Mary Shirley Scholarship in Glass (2 awards): $3,750 credit each toward glass arts classes/workshops and studio access (Hot Shop, Warm Shop, Cold Shop, Mold Making Studio, sandblaster); annual Collaborator level Pratt membership ($200 value) each
- Lillian Yeh Scholarship for Lifelong Artists: $800 credit toward Drawing/Painting or Jewelry/Metalsmithing classes and studio access; Collaborator level Pratt membership ($200 value)
- Mary & Gary Molyneaux Scholarship for Women: $2,200 credit toward Pratt classes/workshops and studio access; $500 materials stipend; complimentary Collaborator level Pratt membership ($200 value)
- Professional Artist-in-Residence: Woodworking: $2,500 stipend paid directly to the artist; $500 credit toward instruction and/or studio access outside the Wood Studio; one month of Wood Studio access ($300 value); venue, reception, and publicity for a public lecture and in-studio exhibition (to be completed by May 31, 2027)
- Pratt/Seattle Print Arts Partners Scholarship (3 awards): $1,000 credit each toward printmaking classes/workshops and supply fees; $700 materials stipend each; one-year SPA membership renewal; one-year Collaborator level Pratt membership ($200 value); access to Pratt's Printmaking Studio for the full award year (valued at $2,688)
- Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths Scholarship: $1,500 credit toward blacksmithing/welding classes and studio/equipment access; $500 materials stipend; Collaborator level Pratt membership ($200 value); basic PPE (earplugs, safety glasses, one pair of leather gloves)
- Webber/Tompkins Scholarship in Glass: $3,500 credit toward glass classes/workshops and studio access (Hot Shop, Warm Shop, Cold Shop, Mold Making Studio, sandblaster); $500 artist stipend; annual Collaborator level Pratt membership ($200 value)
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Artist bio
- Artist statement
- Work samples (up to 5) and an accompanying image list
- A general statement about how the applicant hopes to use Pratt's resources
- A separate statement of intent for each individual scholarship selected
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 12 July 2026
- Award Announcements: Mid-August 2026
- Group Orientation + Scholarship Year Begins: 1 September 2026
- Scholarship/Award Year Period (for most awards): September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027
- Professional Artist-in-Residence (Woodworking) exhibition/lecture deadline: by May 31, 2027
Location
Pratt Fine Arts Center, 1902 S Main Street, Seattle, WA, United States
Additional Details
- Recipients are expected to be active participants in the Pratt community during the scholarship year, including a mandatory group orientation in early September, with potential opportunities such as an awards party, midpoint check-in, art market vending, a final group exhibition, and jurying the next scholarship cohort
- At the close of the scholarship year, recipients must complete a reflection survey and share photos of work, experiments, or process for donor and grant reporting purposes
- Applications are reviewed by juries of local artists and arts professionals, with composition varying by award (e.g. Pratt/SPA Partners Scholarship reviewed by Pratt staff, SPA board members, and printmaking-expert arts professionals; SIBS Scholarship reviewed by representatives from all partnering organizations)
- The Jon and Mary Shirley Scholarship in Glass and the Webber/Tompkins Scholarship in Glass may not be used to fund production work in Pratt's glass facilities
- Professional Artist-in-Residence (Woodworking): stationary tool access may be limited during scheduled evening classes; access to other Pratt studios may be possible depending on availability and project needs