GKFF Tulsa Artist Fellowship Grant

The GKFF Tulsa Artist Fellowship, established in 2015 by the George Kaiser Family Foundation, supports visionary artists and arts workers in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Awardees receive substantial financial support, including a $150,000 stipend over three years, housing and health stipends, and access to studio space. This fellowship encourages community engagement and aims to enhance Tulsa's cultural landscape. With a focus on groundbreaking art practices, it fosters a thriving environment for creative professionals.

About George Kaiser Family Foundation
George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is a charitable organization dedicated to providing equal opportunity for young children through investments in early childhood education, community health, social services, and civic enhancement. GKFF believes that Tulsa is a land of opportunity. A generous and welcoming community, this city is not bound by traditional conventions. GKFF is dedicated to making Tulsa the best city for children to be born, grow and succeed.
Established in 2015, Tulsa Artist Fellowship was created as a place-based initiative by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) that addresses pressing challenges faced by contemporary artists and arts workers living in and joining Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Tulsa Artist Fellowship believes the arts are critical to advancing cultural citizenship and supports community-invested practitioners who intentionally engage with our city.
Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a place-based, durational award dedicated to supporting visionary arts practitioners.
Annually, Tulsa Artist Fellowship opens applications for artists and arts workers of any medium or discipline with at least five years of experience in the field. Ten selected awardees will each receive a $150,000 stipend over three years, along with a $12,000 annual housing stipend, $1,200 yearly health stipend, $1,200 yearly studio assistant stipend, a $1,500 relocation stipend, fully subsidized studio spaces, and access to shared art-making facilities. In total, the cohort will receive over $2.35 million in support and resources.
Tulsa Artist Fellowship recognizes that groundbreaking art practices thrive within an intention-setting framework. Awardees commit to actualizing a project during the three-year program term.
Our studios and programming space are integrated into a vibrant downtown cultural district with museums, galleries, performance venues, green space, independent bookstores and retailers, restaurants, and more. 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.
Realizing George Kaiser Family Foundation’s vision, grounded in social change, Tulsa Artist Fellowship is committed to fostering an environment where community-invested artists and arts workers have the opportunity to thrive.
Award Structure
$150,000 stipend paid over three-years for awarded project deliverables and general artistic practice costs$36,000 housing stipend over three-years$1,500 one-time studio move-in stipendFully subsidized independent studio space with access to shared facilities including a ceramics studio with kilns, woodshop, metal shop, media lab, roof terrace, performance rehearsal space, podcast recording studio, and meeting rooms with video/audio capabilities - estimated resource value of $36,000 over 3 years$3,600 studio assistant stipend over three years$3,600 health and wellness stipend over three yearsYMCA memberships to access fitness facilitiesFacilitated cohort gatherings & mealsOpen studio eventsChildcare reimbursements coinciding with key Fellowship activities

Eligibility

Qualifications:National and local artists and/or arts workers of any medium and/or discipline with a minimum of five years of arts field experience.During the three-year award term, awardees must commit to residing and working in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Extended time living outside of Tulsa for personal and field-related reasons must be proposed in advance to allow time for approval consideration.Recognizing that groundbreaking art practices thrive within an intention-setting framework, awardees will commit to actualizing a proposed project during the three-year program term. Competitive project submissions will draw from the applicants’ artistic practice, be forward-thinking, demonstrate impactful community engagement, and make a significant contribution to Tulsa’s arts identity.Applicants must be at least 25 years old and a U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, O-1 Visa holder, or Tribal ID holder.

Ineligibility

Previous Tulsa Artist Fellowship awardees are ineligible to reapply for additional award terms.
Employees of the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF), Tulsa Community Foundation (TCF), and GKFF Operating LLC are ineligible for this award.