Supporting collaborative, visual arts projects
In the spirit of embracing contemporary culture at its core and edges, the Flourish Fund supports artist organized projects in Southeast Michigan that are experimental and risk-taking, shared with the public, and embrace contemporary, creative possibilities for the future of arts and culture. Annually, the Flourish Fund offers six grants of $10,000 each to support artists for these innovative, public-facing projects across the seven counties of Southeast Michigan.
A partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Eligibility & Requirements
What type of projects are eligible?
- Collaborative projects led by independent, unincorporated artists at all career stages based in the seven counties of Southeast Michigan (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Monroe, Livingston, and St. Clair.) The lead organizer of the project must reside in one of those counties.
- Projects that are publicly shared through their presentation, production, creation process, or publication, online or in-person.
- Projects that, at their core, are rooted in a visual arts practice. Projects can be interdisciplinary, but must have a strong foundation in the visual arts.
- Proposed projects may include works across mediums and disciplines, from sculpture to projection mapping, printmaking to immersive technology, and beyond.
- A group of artists or collectives may apply. Collaboration is a key component of this funding program, and each application will have one lead applicant, who is leading the collaboration.
What type of projects are ineligible?
- Projects that are not based in one of the seven counties of Southeast Michigan.
- Projects that do not have a public component. Lead applicants must reside and work in one of the counties, and projects must take place and be publicly-shared in one of those counties.
- Projects organized by existing incorporated entities (includes LLC’s; B Corps or any other corporation; 501(c)(3) organizations; 501(c)(4) organizations), universities or schools (private, public, charter), religious institutions, or municipalities.
- Projects led by students currently enrolled in high school, college, and/or university programs.
- Projects seeking support retroactively or seeking reimbursement for a past project.
Need more information? Check out our frequently asked questions document below to get answers.
Process
Learn More About Selection Criteria
Selection Criteria
- Overall artistic vision of proposed project
- Demonstration of affinity for artistic exploration, experimentation, and risk taking
- Accessibility of the project to the public and collaborative nature of the project
- Capacity of the applicant to realize the project on time and within budget
- Relevance to the local community, the arts and culture sector, and/or the artist’s professional growth
Grantee Reporting Requirements
Grantee Responsibilities
- At the beginning of the one-year grant period, Flourish Fund grantees will receive 100% of their grant funds upon return of a signed contract and W-9.
- Share key dates for their project with CultureSource so that we can publish information about your work to our audiences and the Warhol Foundation.
- Maintain contact with CultureSource throughout the grant period to share project updates.
- Grantees are legally responsible for all events, materials, insurance, outcomes, etc. connected with their projects.
- Grantees may be asked to contribute short write-ups, visuals, and any additional materials about their artistic work for Flourish Fund communications and CultureSource archives
Apply
Applications open on Monday, August 7. Deadline to apply is Friday, September 22, 2023.
Artists may apply as individuals, as well as artists groups or collectives. A group of artists should submit only one application, including the names of all involved artists. The lead artist on the application will receive the funds for the proposed project. Application includes basic artist information, project information, work samples, proposed budget, and responses to several short answer questions.
Previous Grantees
2022
- Ajara Alghali
- Benjamin Gaydos
- Danielle Eliska-Lyle
- Lindsay McCaw
- Nathaniel Mullen
- Eleanor Oakes
Read the announcement.
2021
- bree gant
- Chaz Miller
- Hadassah GreenSky
- jennifer harge
- Karilú Alarcon Forshee
- Taraneh Fazeli
Read the announcement.
2020
Programmatic Focus
The 2020 iteration of the Flourish Fund functioned as an emergency relief program is meant to provide support to visual artists who need funds for basic living expenses (bills) due to the impact of COVID-19.
More Information
Questions? Contact us at [email protected] for more information about the program, application process, and eligibility.
Need help creating a project budget? Download our free template.
Wondering where to start? Review a sample application.
The Flourish Fund is a collaboration between CultureSource and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. It annually awards grants to individual artists in Southeast Michigan. The program began in 2020 as an emergency relief grant program and has since evolved to support public facing, visual arts projects.
In Collaboration With
