SOLA Awards (Support Old Lady Artists) are five unrestricted awards of $5,000 given annually to Washington State female-identified visual artists, age 60 or over, who have dedicated 25 years or more to creating art.
Short Description
Founded in 2016 by Seattle artist Ginny Ruffner, the SOLA Award seeks to encourage and celebrate women’s achievements in the arts. Ginny and friends’ generous contributions to this award seek to honor, encourage and celebrate the lifetime contributions of women whose artwork has not been sufficiently or widely recognized.
One of the five SOLA Awards will specifically honor a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) artist. This funding is part of an overall strategy by SOLA and Artist Trust to reverse historic inequities in arts funding programs and move resources to Washington State communities with more limited access to other funding for individual artists.
We define BIPOC artists as individuals identifying as one or more of the following ethnicities:
Alaskan Native, Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander or Hawaiian, Black/African/African American, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Native American or Indigenous, or South Asian
Eligibility
The 2025 SOLA (Support Old Lady Artists) Awards is open to female-identified visual artists living in Washington State, age 60 or over, who have dedicated 25 years or more to creating art.
APPLICANTS MUST BE:
- A female-identified visual artist; 60 years of age or older by March 24, 2025;
- Washington State residents at the time of application and payment;
- A practicing artist who has dedicated 25 years or more to creating art.
APPLICANTS MUST NOT BE: Graduate or undergraduate matriculated students enrolled in any degree program at the deadline date of March 24, 2025;
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- Recipients of another Artist Trust grant in 2025;
- Applying on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, or community group.
- Current Artist Trust staff, Board of Trustees, honorary committee, consultants, contractors, current Twining Humber / SOLA panelists, or their immediate family.
Submission Requirements
- Biography -150 words or less or up to 1.5 minutes of video/audio
- Artist Statement – 350 words or less or up to 3 minutes of video/audio
- Work Samples – 20 work samples total (details below)
- Artist Résumé – 8 pages or less
How to Apply
The SOLA Awards 2025 application is available online starting February 28, 2025. Visit artisttrust.submittable.com/submit to submit.
Program Benefits & Awards:
The SOLA (Support Old Lady Artists) Awards are five unrestricted awards of $5,000 given annually to Washington State female-identified visual artists, age 60 or over, who have dedicated 25 years or more to creating art.
Selection & Notification:
All applications are reviewed by one panel consisting of three artists with expertise in the visual arts. Panelists review all eligible applications online through Submittable and meet online via Zoom to discuss applications and recommend recipients. Panelists are asked to review all applicants through a lens of racial equity and consider geographic diversity. The panel selects the recipients based on:
- Artistic excellence
- The background & accomplishments of the artist
- Evidence of continuing dedication to artistic practice
Date & Deadline
- Application open: 28 February 2025
- Application Deadline: 24 March 2025
- Notification Date: May 2025
Website link: SOLA Awards
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