SCAC: Individual Artist Fellowships Grant

The SCAC Individual Artist Fellowships aim to honor the artistic accomplishments of South Carolina's individual artists. With awards of $10,000, these fellowships are competitive and based on artistic merit, achievements, and dedication to the discipline. Eligible applicants must be legal residents of South Carolina, over 18 years old, and not degree-seeking students during the award period. Up to five fellowships are awarded annually, with specific artistic disciplines rotating each year.

Purpose
These fellowships recognize and reward the artistic achievements of South Carolina’s exceptional individual artists. Fellowship awards are made through a highly competitive process and are based on artistic merit, achievements, and commitment to discipline. The fellowship awards bring recognition that may open doors to other resources and employment opportunities. To recognize and reward the artistic achievements of South Carolina's exceptional individual artists.

Eligibility

The applicant must be a practicing individual artist (duos, collaborative works, and other ensembles are not eligible), working in one (1) or more of the disciplines eligible for the application year. Up to five (5) fellowships are awarded each year (maximum of one in each discipline), with artistic disciplines rotating from year to year. The next eligible disciplines will be:FY27 (this cycle; apply winter 2026): Prose; Spoken word/Slam poetry; Performance (dance, music, opera, musical theatre, media arts [film or television], or theatre,); Playwriting/Screenwriting/Libretto Writing; Folklife/Traditional Arts (e.g., quilting, embroidery, sewing, beading, weaving, pottery, basketmaking, woodcarving, folk music, dance, or oral literature); Media Arts (producer or director for film, television, animation, or commercials).
FY28 (apply fall 2026): Visual Art (painting, drawing, mixed-media, sculpture, printmaking, or photography); Craft (ceramics, fiber, glass, leather, metal, paper, plastic, or wood); Interdisciplinary (installation, sound, video art, computer-generated art, or performance art); Music Composition, Media Arts (music production).The applicant must also be:A legal resident of the U.S. and S.C. with a permanent residence in the state for two (2) years prior to the application date and throughout the fellowship period; and
18 years of age or older at the time of application.Purpose:To recognize and reward the artistic achievements of South Carolina's exceptional individual artistsThe applicant must not be a degree-seeking student during the award period.
Commissioners and staff of the S.C. Arts Commission and members of their immediate families are not eligible to apply for any individual SCAC programs, grants, fellowships, or services that provide financial support or career recognition.

Ineligibility

The applicant must not be a degree-seeking student during the award period.There is a period of ineligibility of 10 years after the first fellowship is awarded.Fellows may not receive any other SCAC grant awards during their fellowship year.
There is a limit of two (2) SCAC Fellowships in an artist’s career.
There is a period of ineligibility of 10 years after the first fellowship is awarded. Artists who received fellowships prior to FY17 (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017) are eligible to apply for the FY27 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027) fellowships.
Fellows may not receive any other SCAC grant awards during their fellowship year.
An artist may apply in more than one category but is only eligible to receive one fellowship. If applying in more than one category, a different body of work must be submitted for each category.