McMillen Artist Community Reverse Scholarship Program Grant

McMillen Artist Community Reverse Scholarship Program Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Robert B Mcmillen Foundation
Amount: Up to US $25,000
Last Updated: January 22, 2026

Summary

The McMillen Artist Community Reverse Scholarship Program supports visual artists in Washington State by offering competitive grants aimed at fostering artistic excellence and community engagement. This program encourages artists to share their involvement in community initiatives, thereby enhancing cultural understanding and addressing social justice issues. With a focus on debt relief, the program helps artists achieve their creative career goals while building a vibrant artistic community.

Overview

McMillen Artist Community Reverse Scholarship Program Program Overview: The McMillen Artist Community (MAC) Reverse Scholarship Program is designed to award competitive grants to support artistic excellence in the visual arts for artists living and working in Washington State. The program recognizes creative talent and community impact and provides an opportunity for debt relief so that artists can achieve specific and creative career and life goals. We are looking to support those artists whose values align with the Foundation’s vision for the MAC and building community in and through the arts. Applicants will be asked to share how they are involved in community engagement – things like workshops or artist talks, arts advocacy, issues of social justice, deepening cultural understanding, creative placemaking or community development. Selection Criteria: Artistic ExcellenceEvidence of mastery of skills and techniques, professional approaches to process and presentation, and/or communication of unique vision or perspective.Artistic Merit Evidence of some/all of the following: Potential impact on the artistic and/or cultural development of a community or individuals; and/or potential to broaden access to, expand and diversify the audiences for, and/or strengthen communities through the arts.Community Involvement/EngagementWill participate in the MAC – mentor up and coming artists; give a presentation.Demonstrated interest and experience in community engagement.Funding Impact Gives clear evidence of how the funding will further the artist’s career and impact community. This program exists to help ensure artists thrive. We seek to foster personal connections with individual artists for the purposes of impacting and building community. We welcome artists who push boundaries, provoke and compel, are changemakers, mentors, teachers, champions of issues of social justice, messengers, community builders, etc.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. These are the types of artists we are looking to support:Visual artists who live and work in Washington State ONLY.Visual artists who view the arts as a primary vocation, not as a hobby or sideline gig.Visual artists looking to challenge the ideas of ‘western institutionalized art’ and conventional ways of thinking.Visual artists who use their practice to address inequities and social justice issues.Visual artists who have clear career goals and can present a cohesive body of work.MAC Reverse Scholarships will be awarded without regard to gender, race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, religious or political affiliation.Eligibility to Apply – Awards Subject to Verification:You must be at least 25 years of age or older at the time of application. Verified by Valid WA State DL or ID Card.You must be a current legal resident of Washington for a minimum of one (1) year at the time of application. Verified by Valid WA State DL or ID Card and Utility Bill/Other Documentation as proof of residency.You must have an art degree. Verified by Official Transcript(s).You must have more than $10,000 in student loan debt accumulated in pursuit of your art degree. Verified by Statement from the Lender.You must have a gross annual income of $75,000 or less if filing as an individual/$125,000 if filing jointly. Verified by Most Recent Tax Return.Prior MAC Scholarship & Fellowship recipients are eligible to apply

Ineligibility

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.We do not make grants to: Religious, fraternal or other organizations primarily benefiting their own membersOther private foundations nor political organizations For-profit entitiesOther than scholarships, the foundation will not make multi-year grantsWe are not interested in naming opportunities or being included on public lists.