The 2025 Teaching Artist Cohort (TAC) Grant, administered by the Center for Craft, aims to support mid-career craft artists who also work as educators. This grant provides 30 selected artists with a $10,000 award along with a six-month professional development experience. The cohort-based program fosters artistic and teaching career growth through mentorship, peer learning, and specialized programming, ultimately enhancing the impact these artists have on their communities and developing a connected network of craft educators.

The goals of the TAC Grant are to provide resources for sustaining a craft-based practice, support artists in continuing their teaching work, and strengthen networks of teaching artists through shared learning experiences. The grant is specifically designed for artists whose work integrates traditional craft methods and education, ensuring they are in a position to maximize the benefits of this opportunity. Priority is given to artists who have not previously received a Center for Craft grant or fellowship.

Eligible applicants must be mid-career craft artists who are 21 years or older, have resided and worked in the U.S. for at least two years, and maintain both an active studio practice (minimum five years) and a teaching artist practice (minimum three years). Applicants must not hold tenured or tenure-track positions at a university, and past recipients of the TAC Grant or the 2022 Career Advancement Grant are ineligible. The Center for Craft defines craft as 3D work primarily made by hand, using materials such as clay, glass, fiber, metal, wood, and other transformed materials.

The application process is conducted online through SlideRoom and includes personal and artistic background details, career trajectory, teaching methodology, and work samples. Submissions must be completed by March 17, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET. Notifications of selection will be sent in May 2025, with the grant period running from mid-June to November 2025. A mandatory virtual cohort experience is required, with recipients expected to attend at least 80% of scheduled workshops.

Award recipients will receive 70% of the grant upon signing the agreement and submitting a W9, with the remaining 30% provided upon successful completion of the grant term and an evaluation interview. Participants must acknowledge support from the Center for Craft in their communications and artworks. They must also participate in a post-grant survey and interview within four months of the program’s end.

The selection process is conducted by a panel of craft-informed professionals who evaluate applicants based on artistic merit, teaching impact, and career trajectory. Considerations include financial need, diversity, geographic representation, and different types of craft practices. The Center for Craft encourages applications from underrepresented groups and prohibits discrimination. Questions regarding the application can be directed to Program Manager-Community Vitality, Anna Helgeson, via email at ahelgeson@centerforcraft.org or by phone at 828.785.1357 x105.