The Artist Growth and Development Grant Program is a funding initiative managed by the North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA), designed to support individual artists or groups of artists based in North Dakota. This program provides financial assistance to practicing artists who wish to create new work or engage in a year-long project that will help enhance their artistic skills. The program specifically focuses on the creation of artwork in the disciplines of literature and music for the fiscal year 2026 (from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026). Two grants of $5,000 are awarded annually to artists to support the development of their projects.

The grant funds are intended for projects or series that will promote artistic growth through the creation of new work. A significant component of the grant is the requirement that each applicant include a community component in their project, such as a public performance, exhibition, reading, or workshop. NDCA encourages applicants to integrate more community engagement opportunities when possible, as these activities are intended to promote the visibility of the artist’s work and foster meaningful interaction with diverse audiences in North Dakota. This aspect underscores the importance of public outreach in conjunction with the artist’s creative process.

To be eligible for this grant, applicants must meet specific criteria, including being 18 years or older, a United States citizen or permanent resident, and a resident of North Dakota as of January 1, 2025. Artists must have an ongoing career in the arts and demonstrate a record of publicly presenting, exhibiting, or publishing work in their respective discipline, either literature or music. Applicants must also not be full-time students at any academic institution. Notably, artists who have previously received an Artist Growth and Development Grant in the past ten years are ineligible to apply.

The application process requires submission of an online application, which includes several essential components: an artist statement, a resume, and a detailed project proposal. Work samples are also a critical part of the application, as they are used to evaluate the applicant’s artistic quality and potential for growth. In terms of eligible project expenses, the grant covers costs associated with the creation and presentation of the artwork, but it excludes certain costs such as fundraising activities, entertainment, and travel outside North Dakota.

Once applications are submitted, they are reviewed by a panel of experts who evaluate the proposals based on four criteria: the quality of the work, professional achievement, the merit and feasibility of the proposed project, and the potential impact of the grant on the artist’s career and the North Dakota community. Applicants are required to receive a minimum score of 60 out of 100 to be recommended for an award. Final approval for grant awards is made by the NDCA’s Board of Directors.

The grant award amount is fixed at $5,000, with no matching funds required. The funds will be disbursed in full by August 2025, and recipients are required to submit a final report on the project by June 30, 2026. The NDCA will also require the acknowledgment of their support on all promotional materials related to the funded activities.