SOLA (Support Old Lady Artists) Awards

The SOLA (Support Old Lady Artists) Awards are annual grants administered by Artist Trust to recognize and support female-identified visual artists aged 60 and older residing in Washington State. Established in 2016 by Seattle-based artist Ginny Ruffner, the SOLA Awards provide five unrestricted grants of $5,000 each to artists who have dedicated 25 years or more to their craft. This initiative seeks to honor and celebrate women whose contributions to the arts have not been widely recognized, with a special focus on reversing historical inequities in arts funding.

One of the five SOLA Awards is specifically designated for a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artist. This targeted funding aligns with Artist Trust’s commitment to racial equity by supporting communities with limited access to other funding opportunities. Eligible BIPOC artists include those identifying as Alaskan Native, Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander or Hawaiian, Black/African/African American, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Native American or Indigenous, or South Asian.

The application process for the 2025 SOLA Awards opens on February 28, 2025, and closes on March 24, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Applications must be submitted through Submittable, as emailed or physical applications will not be accepted. Artist Trust provides several support services, including an information session, office hours, and study halls, to assist applicants in preparing their submissions. The selection process involves a panel of three arts professionals from Washington State who review applications over several weeks and apply a lens of racial equity to their evaluations. The panelists then meet virtually to finalize the recipients. The award decisions are subject to approval by the Artist Trust Board, with notifications sent to applicants in May 2025, followed by a public announcement in June 2025.

To be eligible for the SOLA Awards, applicants must be female-identified visual artists, at least 60 years old by the application deadline, and current residents of Washington State. They must also demonstrate a professional commitment of at least 25 years to creating art. Applicants who are graduate or undergraduate students in a degree program as of the deadline, previous SOLA Award recipients, or those who have received an Artist Trust grant in 2025 are ineligible. Additionally, individuals affiliated with Artist Trust as staff, board members, honorary committee members, consultants, contractors, or current SOLA panelists, along with their immediate family members, may not apply.

The selection criteria focus on three key aspects: artistic excellence, the artist’s professional background, and evidence of ongoing dedication to their discipline. Applicants are encouraged to submit high-quality work samples as these are the most critical components of the evaluation. The SOLA Awards accept applications from artist teams that have a documented history of collaboration, though the total grant amount remains $5,000 per team.

For further information or inquiries about the SOLA Awards, applicants can contact Lydia Boss, Program Director, via email at lydia@artisttrust.org. Additional details, including guidelines and reference materials, are available on the Artist Trust website.