Organizer Information
Queer|Art is a non-profit arts organization founded to support, connect, and empower LGBTQ+ artists across generations and creative disciplines. Launched in partnership with lifestyle brand UGG®, the inaugural Queer|Art Design Grant stands as the largest direct cash grant dedicated specifically to LGBTQ+ designers in the United States. The initiative is further shaped by award-winning creative strategist Fran Tirado, serving as Community Curator to deepen engagement across queer and trans creative networks.
Title & Description
The Queer|Art Design Grant 2026: Inaugural Call for LGBTQ+ Designers
The Queer|Art Design Grant is a new national initiative designed to fund emerging creative projects that critically explore queer histories, legacies, and futures. Built to provide visibility, mentorship, and critical funding to emerging LGBTQ+ designers, the grant awards two substantial $10,000 cash prizes to accelerate projects that challenge, transform, or enrich public culture, spatial environments, and material life. In its inaugural cycle, the program welcomes visionary proposals across the full spectrum of contemporary design practices, evaluated by a distinguished panel of leading curators, architects, educators, and design leaders.
Categories
The open call accepts submissions across All Design Disciplines, including
- Graphic Design,
- Architecture & Landscape Architecture,
- Industrial & Product Design,
- Fashion, Textiles & Wearables,
- Digital & Interactive Design,
- Service Design,
- Furniture & Home Decor,
- Materials Research,
- Interior Design.
Eligibility
- Identity Context: Open to emerging LGBTQ+ / Queer and Trans creative practitioners.
- Geographic Scope: Applicants must be based in the United States.
- Career Benchmark: Explicitly designed for emerging designers looking to advance a new or ongoing project.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Financial Grants: Two selected designers will each receive a $10,000 USD cash grant to support project realization.
- Institutional Showcase: Winners will be officially announced and celebrated during Queer|Art’s Annual Party in Fall 2026.
- Community Network: Grantees gain visibility across Queer|Art and UGG® digital platforms, events, and cultural network initiatives.
Application Fee
This application cycle is free to enter (processed through SlideRoom).
How to Apply?
All applications, portfolio files, and proposal text must be uploaded directly to the authorized SlideRoom portal.
- Official Entry Link: Queer|Art Design Grant Application Portal
Key Dates
- Application Submission Deadline: August 14, 2026 (Strict)
- Winners Announcement: Fall 2026 (At Queer|Art’s Annual Party)
Location
Application intake, review, and public announcements take place Online, with the final awards celebration held live in New York, NY.
Additional Details
The inaugural 2026 judging panel includes prominent design leaders: Bex McCharen (Founder of Chromat, National Design Award recipient), Salome Asega (Director of NEW INC at the New Museum), Cristina Grajales (Pioneering design gallerist and founder of Cristina Grajales Gallery), Jaffer Kolb (Co-founder of N/A Architecture and MIT educator), and Paul Soulellis (Founder of Queer.Archive.Work and RISD Professor).