Collective Futures Fund: New Projects Grants

The Collective Futures Fund provides $7,500 grants for collaborative projects by visual artists, curators, or collectives in Greater Boston. Eligible applicants must reside in specific counties and engage communities through their work. Projects should focus on visual arts, with opportunities for innovation and public engagement. The application process includes narrative descriptions, budgets, and work samples. Notably, the fund prioritizes independent artist-driven initiatives over organizational funding.

Grants of $7,500 each to support the creation and public presentation of new projects by visual artists, curators, or collectives. These projects must be collaborative and have some component that engages the contexts and communities of Greater Boston, whether in process or presentation.
The application includes a project narrative, timeline, budget, work samples, collaborator information, and description of intended audience and outcomes. When considering work samples, please choose representative images/media that are aligned in method, ethos, or scale to the new project proposed.
Applicants will be evaluated based on project description, feasibility, and representative work.

Eligibility

At the time of applying and completion of research/project, applicants must be residents of the Greater Boston area residing in either Plymouth, Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex, or Suffolk counties.Visual artists, curators, arts writers, cultural organizers, collectives, collaborators at all career stages who reside in Norfolk, Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk counties are encouraged to apply.Examples:New artist-driven and run spaces, organizations, micro-cinemas, community centers, and collaborations for presenting and experiencing art, performance, old and new media, and community projectsPublications, online or in print, that highlights and amplifies local artist communities and critical discourse   Public art projects such as murals, outdoor sculptures, or installations with a temporary or permanent physical presenceCuratorial projects by independent curators and/or visual artists  Socially-responsive and engagement projects such as artist gardens, mutual aid arts initiatives, community storytelling, grassroots archives and history-keeping, and more.
Independent and alternative artist-driven education projects such as lecture series, workshops, programmingWhile we take an expansive view toward the visual arts, the project must have visual arts and visual impact as a strong component. We welcome film, performance, dance, music, and education as part of that expansive definition, but a project’s relationship to the visual arts must be explained.Artists operating in more traditional or craft disciplines are also eligible to apply. We ask that all applications describe their risk taking and experimentation within their particular discipline.All projects must engage or be shared with the public in Greater Boston via process, presentation, production, or publication.If applying as a group, a collaboration or collective can be longstanding or newly formed specifically for this project. Please identify one participant to serve as the lead contact. The lead applicant will the main contact and financially responsible for the grant, including taxes.  Tufts University alumni are welcome to apply.

Ineligibility

Projects organized by existing incorporated businesses (including LLCs, B Corps, state non-profits, 501(c)(3) organizations, and 501(c)(4) organizations), universities or schools (private, public, charter), religious institutions, or LLCs established for commercial enterprise are not eligible. This grant is oriented toward independent projects driven by artists and cannot be used as supplemental organizational funding. Applicants can be working with nonprofit organizations as venues or partners, but the project must be driven primarily by the artists and be distinct from an organization’s regular programming.Projects that are in support of or present individual artists and their solo practice are not eligible. Projects must be based in collaboration in either process or implementation.Students enrolled in a degree program as well as current students, faculty, post-graduate fellows, and staff of Tufts Univeristy are not eligible.Applicants can not propose projects to be sited at Tufts University Art Galleries.