Loading
Submit proposals for community-engaged arts projects or arts-led research and creative work for seed funding.
Does this fit your work? 5 questions score every call to your medium, location and budget. Free.
Get matched →Arts Creation and Spark Grants provide seed funding for community-engaged arts projects and arts-led research and creative work. Funded by the Mellon Foundation, Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme (GAHDT), and the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts.
Spark Grants provide seed funding for community-engaged arts projects. Open to Ohio State University faculty, students, and staff for projects that center the arts and are done in partnership with community organizations. Proposals involving communities served by regional campuses receive priority consideration.
Arts Creation Grants are jointly sponsored by Global Arts + Humanities and the Office of the Vice Provost for the Arts. Designed to foster new, impactful arts-led research and creative work. Priority consideration given to projects aligned with GA+H's current Society of Fellows theme, though open proposals are welcome.
For Spark Grants: faculty, students, and staff on any Ohio State University campus. For Arts Creation Grants: faculty (including lecturers) and staff may apply. Proposals must be submitted by teams of two or more collaborators. A tenure-track faculty leader or PI from an arts or arts-affiliated unit in the College of Arts and Sciences (Art; Arts Administration, Education and Policy; Dance; Design; History of Art; Music; or Theatre, Film and Media Arts) must be identified.
Spark Grants: up to $25,000. Arts Creation Grants: $5,000-$50,000.
Applications will be judged on: (i) the innovative and cross-disciplinary nature of the proposal, (ii) its intended impact on a well-defined community or demographic, (iii) the geographic scope of the project and (iv) its potential for scalability or sustainability with outside funding. For Arts Creation Grants, priority consideration is given to individuals and projects that align with GA+H's current Society of Fellows theme. Proposal teams whose composition reflects interdisciplinary breadth will be prioritized, as will those who have previously not been supported by GA+H or prior Spark Grants.
Applications must be submitted online. If the project involves human subject research, all collaborators should have PI status through the Office of Research, and the proposal must include verification that IRB approval has been secured (or is being sought).
Proposals for funding will be accepted every spring through 2026.
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.