Twining Humber Award 2025

The Twining Humber Award is an annual unrestricted grant of $10,000 awarded to a female-identified visual artist residing in Washington State. This award is intended for artists aged 60 or older who have dedicated at least 25 years to creating art. The award is made possible through the generosity of painter Yvonne Twining Humber (1907-2004), who established the Irving Foundation and the Yvonne Twining Humber Fund for Artistic Excellence. This initiative recognizes the contributions of female-identified artists who may have had to pause or adjust their artistic careers due to family obligations. The grant honors artistic excellence, professional accomplishments, and a long-term commitment to the visual arts.

The selection process for the Twining Humber Award involves a panel of three artists or arts professionals from across Washington State who have expertise in visual arts disciplines. Panelists, who may include painters, installation artists, and sculptors, review applications through Submittable over several weeks. They assess applicants based on artistic excellence, professional background, and demonstrated dedication to their artistic discipline. Panelists are instructed to apply a lens of racial equity during the selection process. The panel discusses and ranks the highest-scoring applicants before selecting the final award recipient. The panel review sessions for 2025 will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

The application process for the 2025 Twining Humber Award opens on February 28, 2025, and closes on March 24, 2025, at 11:59 AM. Applicants must submit their materials through Submittable, as emailed or physical submissions will not be accepted. Support resources such as an info session, office hours, and study hall sessions are available to help applicants with their submissions. The award panel will review applications in April and May, followed by a board vote. Final notifications regarding award status will be sent out in May, and the public announcement of the award winner will take place in June.

To be eligible for the Twining Humber Award, applicants must be female-identified visual artists who will be at least 60 years old by March 24, 2025. They must be residents of Washington State at the time of application and at the time of payment. Applicants must also demonstrate a sustained 25-year or longer dedication to creating art. The award is not open to undergraduate or graduate students currently enrolled in a degree program as of the application deadline. Additionally, recipients of other Artist Trust grants in 2025 are ineligible, as are applicants applying on behalf of organizations, nonprofits, or groups. Staff, board members, honorary committee members, and panelists of Artist Trust, as well as their immediate family members, are also not eligible to apply.

The Twining Humber Award and the SOLA Awards can only be received once. Past recipients of the Twining Humber Award are not eligible to apply for the SOLA Awards, and vice versa. Teams of two or more artists may apply if they have a documented history of working together, but they must meet all eligibility criteria and contact Artist Trust before submitting an application. If selected, a team would receive the $10,000 award as a single payment.

For additional information, applicants can refer to the award guidelines and reference guides, which include examples of successful past applications. Questions regarding the application process can be directed to Artist Trust's Program Director, Lydia Boss, at lydia@artisttrust.org. General inquiries can be sent to info@artisttrust.org or by calling (206) 467-8734. The physical address of Artist Trust is 1835 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122, with a mailing address at 1211 E Denny Way #A25, Seattle, WA 98122.