The Spark Award for Oregon Artists Grant

The Spark Award for Oregon Artists Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation
Amount: US $25,000
Last Updated: June 24, 2025

Summary

The Spark Award for Oregon Artists, launched by the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, is a three-year pilot program offering direct support to 60 midcareer artists across various disciplines each year. This initiative invests in the creative development of artists, acknowledging their essential role in enriching Oregon's cultural landscape. The program particularly focuses on individual artists creating original work in media and literary arts, fostering growth during a pivotal phase in their careers.

Overview

The Spark Award for Oregon Artists The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation believes that the arts connect us to each other in powerful and surprising ways and help us make sense of our world. By celebrating the vital role artists play in enriching the lives of all Oregonians, we recognize that artists are essential to our state’s vitality. The Foundation has funded the arts throughout Oregon for over two decades, primarily by supporting the work of arts organizations.In 2024 we launched the Spark Award for Oregon Artists, a three-year pilot program that provides direct support to 60 midcareer individual artists across artistic disciplines. About the award This program supports individual artists in Oregon as a valuable investment in both the artists themselves and the communities enriched by their work. This three-year pilot program will support 60 individual Oregon artists (20 per year) in various artistic fields.The program invests in the overall creative development of artists rather than focusing on particular projects.This funding is to support midcareer artists during a crucial phase of their artistic growth. Disciplinary Focus by Year Each year of the three-year pilot program supports working artists in a particular set of disciplines:2025 Focus*: Individual midcareer artists creating original work in the fields of media and literary arts: MEDIA: animation, experimental, narrative, and documentary media;LITERARY: fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels*;and interdisciplinary artists whose work includes the media or literary arts as the primary form of expression. *Future 2026 deadline will focus on Visual Arts.

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Application Details

Last updated: April 23, 2025
THE SPARK AWARD FOR OREGON ARTISTS
James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation
2025 PROGRAM GUIDELINES
1. PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation has funded the arts in Oregon for over two decades, primarily by
supporting arts organizations. In 2024 we launched the Spark Award for Oregon Artists, a three-year pilot program that
provides direct support to individual working artists. Over the pilot’s three years, the Foundation will support 60
individual artists (20 artists per year) across artistic disciplines with grants of $25,000 each.
We see the Spark Award as an investment in both artists and the organizations and communities statewide that are
enriched by artists’ work. We are proud that this funding aims to support artists’ overall creative development instead of
a specific project. This approach takes into consideration the entirety of an artist’s needs, from personal expenses to
research to material support.
DEADLINE: Wednesday, July 2, 2025 by 5pm PDT
1.1 WHO THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO SUPPORT
This program is intended to sustain Oregon working artists who are entering or are at a midcareer stage: applicants
should be 30 years or older and able to demonstrate at least seven years (not including schooling) of a sustained art
practice in their chosen discipline(s), with likely future contributions to the field. This funding is intended to be
catalytic—to support artists during a crucial phase of their creative development and help address a range of barriers
that might get in the way of sustaining and advancing their practice beyond its current stage. Applicants will be
expected to provide samples from 3 different bodies of work in their primary discipline.
with an individual artistic practice that is current and ongoing, who regularly and
actively shares their work with public audiences.
We define a working
artist as someone:
Participation in or completion of a creative or other degree program is not a prerequisite
for applying.
This program is not focused on supporting artists who are in an emerging or an advanced stage of their careers. The
Foundation defines ‘advanced’ as a well-established artist who has experienced significant regional and national
recognition and achievements over an extended period.
This program is for individual artists rather than artistic teams. If you work within a collaborative, you must be able to
represent your ongoing individual and original contributions in your application narrative and work samples.
See Sections 1.4 and 1.5 for eligibility criteria.
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1.2 FLEXIBLE FUNDING
The Foundation recognizes that working artists have a wide variety of needs in pursuing their creative and career
development, from the creation of an art object or performance to covering living expenses that allow them to pursue
professional arts opportunities. This funding is intended to provide a flexible source of funding that can advance an
artist’s creative practice in any number of ways. The funding may be used to support any activities that will remove
barriers to creative development and to sustain artistic practice in the future. The funding does not need to be used in
support of a specific project.
Some artists might use the funding for living expenses such as housing, utilities, food, transportation, childcare, or
healthcare, for example. Others might choose to cover the costs of studio space, travel, materials and equipment,
development of their skills as a teaching artist, or professional services.
Please note: Award recipients will receive a 1099-MISC form (i.e. the award is considered taxable income).
There are two types of expenses that these funds cannot support:
Tuition toward a college degree program (creative or non-creative); and
Compensation for creative work an artist is doing as an employee of a nonprofit organization with an arts-based
mission (excluding contract workers or employees of higher ed institutions). We would like to ensure that
organizations who receive funding from the Miller Foundation to support their staff and operations are not receiving
duplicate support through this program (i.e. supporting an artist through Miller organizational support AND a Spark
Award). Read more below in the Application Preview section of these guidelines.
1.3 DISCIPLINARY FOCUS BY YEAR
Each year of the three-year pilot program supports working artists in a particular set of disciplines:
Applicants will be asked to select their primary discipline and up to two sub-discipline categories, and provide a
short discipline description that summarizes their practice.
2024 2025 2026
Performing Arts Media and Literary Arts Visual Arts
This deadline has passed Current deadline Future 2026 deadline
Individual midcareer artists creating Individual midcareer artists Individual midcareer artists creating
original work in the performing arts: creating original work in the fields original work in the visual arts: 2D
dance, music, theater, and other of media and literary arts: and 3D art (i.e. drawing, painting,
performance practices, traditional and MEDIA: animation, experimental, printmaking, craft, installation,
folk performance, Culture Bearers and narrative, and documentary sculpture etc.), non-commercial
interdisciplinary artists whose work media*; photography, social practice, Bio Art,
includes the performing arts as the LITERARY: fiction, creative technology (i.e. data art, games,
primary form of expression. nonfiction, poetry, graphic digital media, XR, etc), sound art,
novels**; non-narrative/experimental video that
and interdisciplinary artists is presented in an
whose work includes the media exhibition/installation context,
or literary arts as the primary traditional and folk visual arts, Culture
form of expression. Bearers, and interdisciplinary artists
Additional eligibility and discipline whose work includes the visual arts
requirements are listed below. as the primary form of expression.
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* Applications from media artists creating non-narrative and experimental video art made primarily for an
exhibition/installation context will not be considered this year. They are eligible to apply in 2026 (Visual arts cycle).
Technology artists, including XR, games, data art, web-based visual art projects, etc. should also apply in 2026.
Screenwriters should apply in the Media category. Playwrights were eligible to apply in the 2024 performing arts cycle
(the deadline has passed).
** If applying as a graphic novelist you must be the author of the work.
Interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary artists should apply in the year where they think they would be most
competitive based on the primary discipline represented in their practice (e.g. if you are a musician who
sometimes creates music videos, your application would be most competitive in the performing arts cycle). Keep
in mind that your application will be assigned to expert panels based on the primary discipline category you
select.
If you have questions about whether your work is eligible or which year you should apply, please reach out to
us at: artists@millerfound.org
1.4 ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for this grant program, applicants should be individual literary or media artists who meet the
following criteria:
Age: 30 years or older (as of 12/31/2025, no exceptions).
Residency: a resident in the state of Oregon for the last five years (since 2020 or earlier) and at the time of
application, and anticipate staying in residence in Oregon for the next year. This includes enrolled members of
tribal communities situated in the state. A “resident of Oregon” is defined here as a person who would be required
to file a resident Oregon income tax return.
Practice: 7+ years of active artistic practice in their primary discipline (not including schooling). Miller Foundation
defines “active artistic practice" as presenting their work to the public on a regular basis. This could be via
readings, distribution, public screenings, exhibitions, residencies, talks, etc.
Career stage: at a midcareer stage of their professional practice. “Midcareer” is defined here as an artist able to
demonstrate a sustained artistic practice of 7+ years in their discipline, with likely future contributions to the field.
This program is not focused on supporting artists who are in an emerging stage nor those who are in an advanced
stage of their careers.
Originality: ongoing practice involves creating new original work (rather than interpreting, translating, arranging,
reviving, remounting or copying the work of others/ previously existing material).
not currently enrolled in a creative degree program (Associate, low residency, undergraduate or graduate)
not a former recipient of a Spark Award from the Miller Foundation.
not be a family member of an employee or board member of the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, or
the Foundation's namesakes (Family member is defined as a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child or sibling.)
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1.5 DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: 2025
FOR LITERARY APPLICANTS:
This award is intended for midcareer literary artists, defined as writers who have published multiple completed works
over the last 7 years or more in publications with a competitive selection and editorial process*. This includes one or
more of the following:
A novel or novella, or
At least five different short stories, excerpts from novels or memoirs, or creative essays (or any combination
thereof) in two or more publications, or
A volume of short fiction or a collection of short stories, or
A volume of creative nonfiction, or
A volume of poetry, or
Twenty or more different poems or pages of poetry in two or more publications.
For online publications, a page of poetry is considered to be twenty lines or less.
If you are a writer who has published primarily in periodicals or on websites that do not fall within the above guidelines,
your application for the Spark Award may not be competitive.
*Self-published authors or those who do not go through a critical publishing review process must be able to
demonstrate significant sustained reader engagement with their work.
Eligible: Literary artists creating new original works of fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and/or graphic novels; and
interdisciplinary artists whose work includes literary arts as the primary form of expression.
Ineligible: Arts critics; Journalists; Authors of scholarly/ academic work; Editors; Publishers; Technical writers; AI-
generated work, work that is interpreting, translating, arranging, or copying the work of others/ previously existing
material; Playwrights (eligible in the 2024 Performing Arts cycle); Screenwriting (eligible to apply in the Media category).
This is not an exhaustive list. If your practice doesn’t fall within the eligible genres listed above, contact us at
artists@millerfound.org to determine eligibility.
FOR MEDIA APPLICANTS:
This award is intended for midcareer media artists, defined as artists who have presented multiple completed media
projects over the last 7 years or more through screening and/or distribution on platforms or establishments with a
competitive selection process*. This includes one or more of the following:
One feature-length film (over 40 minutes), or
Three short films (under 40 minutes), or
One series of episodic video (TV series, web series, digital series etc.), or
One series of episodic narrative audio.
If you are a media artist who has primarily self-presented or has presented your work through passive distribution (i.e.
an upload to a platform like YouTube or social media), your application for the Spark Award may not be competitive.
* Media artists who self-present their work outside of platforms with a competitive selection process must be able to
demonstrate significant sustained viewer/listener engagement with their work.
Eligible: Media artists creating new original works of animation, experimental, narrative, and documentary video/audio;
and interdisciplinary artists whose work includes media arts as the primary form of expression.
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Ineligible: work designed for promotional/commercial purposes; producers/actors/cinematographers who are not also
writers and/or directors; work that is interpreting, translating, arranging, reviving, remounting or copying the work of
others/ previously existing material; Technology arts: XR, games, digital art, data and web art, etc. (eligible in the 2026
cycle); media artists who make work primarily for an installation context; journalistic content.
This is not an exhaustive list. If your practice doesn’t fall within the eligible genres listed above, contact us at
artists@millerfound.org to determine eligibility.
FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY MEDIA/LITERARY APPLICANTS:
This award is intended for midcareer interdisciplinary media/ literary artists, defined as artists who have presented
multiple completed bodies of work in a combination of the literary and media genres and forms listed above over
the last 7 years or more via publications, platforms or establishments with a competitive selection process. The
projects must include one or more of the forms listed under the media and literary sections [for example, an artist who
has completed and presented one feature-length film/three short films, etc. and/or one novel/a volume of poetry etc.,
and able to demonstrate additional publicly shared works in either discipline].
The Miller Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender
identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other
status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
2. APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS
A panel of artists and arts professionals will review applications and make recommendations to the Miller Foundation
Board of Directors for final approval each year. The Foundation will distribute 20 awards of $25,000 annually. The
one-time, $25,000 award can be paid in either a single installment or in multiple installments within 12 months of the
first payment.
2.1 PROGRAM TIMELINE: 2025
Guidelines available: April 23, 2025
Application period opens: May 14, 2025
Info session and grant writing tips (pre-recorded): available by May 14, 2025
1:1 Spark Support: June 4, June 11-12, June 17-18, 2025 (For more info visit our website.)
Open Support Session: June 25, 2025 (For more info visit our website.)
Application deadline: July 2, 2025 by 5pm PDT
Award announcements: Mid-November 2025
Awardee Report: Approximately a year after the awardees are announced, recipients will be asked to provide a
narrative report, in written form or through an interview with Foundation staff, describing how this funding has
supported their creative development and/or advanced their artistic career to date. We will not require a
presentation of new artistic work created as a result of Spark Award funds.
Please note: The award is considered taxable income - recipients will receive a 1099-MISC form. Payments for this
award must be made to individuals and cannot be made out to fiscal sponsors.
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2.2 EVALUATION CRITERIA
Following an initial screening for eligibility, applications will be reviewed by a panel of regional and national
experts in the applicant’s selected discipline categories. Panelists will consider the following criteria when
evaluating applications:
Originality: Artist’s work demonstrates a distinctive vision and voice, communicates unique perspective/s (Artist
statement, Work samples)
Skill: Artist demonstrates strong technical skills and craft in the execution of their work and shows an ongoing
commitment to working in this form (Work samples)
Audience: Application demonstrates sustained audience engagement with applicant’s artistic work (Resume/CV,
Work samples)
Timing and Potential: Application provides compelling evidence that funding will have a significant impact on the
artist’s creative development at this juncture in their career and will support their artistic potential. This could be by
removing barriers to sustaining and advancing the artist’s practice or serving as a catalyst to a new stage of artistic
development (Narrative questions, Resume/CV)
Text in parentheses indicates which application materials are most relevant to the evaluation of the particular criteria.
3. WE ARE HERE TO HELP!
The Spark program offers several avenues of support to ensure accessibility. The following will be available via our
website after May 14 (MillerFound.org/artists):
Info Session & Grant Writing Tips (recording): a short overview by Miller team members of what to expect when
applying for the Spark Award and how to best represent your work in the application.
Tips & Resources & FAQs on preparing your application materials are available on our website.
1:1 Spark Support: On June 4, June 11-12, June 17 - 18, 2025 we will offer 15-minute, one-on-one meetings with
prospective applicants on Zoom or over the phone to provide individualized application support. Register in
advance on our website. Potential applicants should thoroughly review all application documents and
requirements prior to scheduling and prepare for the session with specific questions. We cannot review
application drafts.
Open Support Session: During this two-hour open Zoom work session on June 25, 2025, Miller Foundation
program staff will be available to support applicants by answering questions about the application and facilitate a
shared virtual workspace where applicants can gather to work on their applications in community. Register in
advance on our website. Potential applicants should thoroughly review all application requirements prior to
attending.
Access: The Miller Foundation is committed to making this application accessible to everyone. Please get in touch
with us at artists@millerfound.org to request translation, interpretation, or other assistance you might require in
completing this application.
Contact us: We are happy to answer your additional questions about the application (technical, eligibility,
assistance). Do not wait until the day of the deadline to get in touch as we may not be able to address your
question in a timely manner: artists@millerfound.org
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4. APPLICATION PREVIEW & GUIDANCE
IMPORTANT:
The questions provided here are for reference only.
Individuals must submit their application through the Grants Portal.
Applications submitted by email will not be considered.
If the written format is a barrier to applying for this award, we recommend using dictation software
available on most devices and platforms. You can find a list of various options at this link.
4.1 Profile Questions:
Name
Pronouns
Email
Phone number
Mailing address
Residence address (if different than mailing address)
4.2 Eligibility Questions:
1. Minimum age: Are you 30 years of age or older (by 12/31/25)?
2. Artistic discipline: Are you an artist currently creating original literary or media art that align with this
year’s eligible genres?
3. Oregon resident: Have you been a resident of Oregon for the last 5+ years (i.e. since 2020 or
earlier), and do you anticipate remaining a resident for the next year?
4. Student status: Are you currently enrolled in a creative degree program, or will you be within the
next year (Associate, low residency, undergraduate, graduate)?
[If YES, you are ineligible]
5. Former Spark Award Have you previously received a Spark Award from the Miller Foundation?
recipient: [If YES, you are ineligible]
6. Career stage: Applicants should be individual midcareer artists, able to demonstrate the following:
a. Have been a practicing artist for 7+ years (not including schooling) consistently
creating and publicly distributing work in your chosen artistic discipline/s;
b. Have a practice that involves creating new original work (rather than
interpreting, translating, arranging, reviving, remounting or copying the work of
others/ previously existing material);
c. Have been actively presenting and/or distributing your projects to audiences on
a regular basis;
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Career stage - d. Literary applicants: Writers who have published multiple completed projects
Continued over the last 7 years or more in publications with a competitive selection and
editorial process. This includes one or more of the following:
A novel or novella, or
At least five different short stories, excerpts from novels or memoirs, or creative
essays (or any combination thereof) in two or more publications, or
A volume of short fiction or a collection of short stories, or
A volume of creative nonfiction, or
A volume of poetry, or
Twenty or more different poems or pages of poetry in two or more publications.
For online publications, a page of poetry is considered to be twenty lines or less.
Authors who are self-published or publish in publications that do not go through a
critical review process must be able to demonstrate significant sustained reader
engagement with their work.
Media applicants: Artists who have presented multiple completed media
projects over the last 7 years or more through screening and/or distribution on
platforms or establishments with a competitive selection process. This includes one
or more of the following:
One feature-length film (over 40 minutes), or
Three short films (under 40 minutes), or
One series of episodic video (TV series, web series, digital series etc.), or
One series of episodic narrative audio (podcast, etc.).
Media artists who self-present their work outside of platforms with a competitive
selection process must be able to demonstrate significant sustained viewer/listener
engagement with their work.
Interdisciplinary Media/Literary applicants: a combination of the above criteria
for media and literary – i.e. an artist who has completed and presented one feature-
length film/three short films, etc. and/or one novel/volume of poetry etc., and able to
demonstrate additional publicly shared works in either discipline.
>> Do your resume/CV and work samples demonstrate that you are a midcareer
artist as defined by the above criteria (a, b, c & d)?
7. Employee of an Are you a working artist who is currently an employee of an Oregon arts nonprofit
Oregon arts nonprofit organization (excluding short-term contract work or employees of higher ed
organization: institutions)? Answering ‘Yes’ does not necessarily make one ineligible to apply. If
yes, you will be asked a follow up question:
>> Is the majority of your individual artistic practice independent of the work of
the organization by which you are employed?
The Spark Award for Oregon Artists is intended for artists who have an individual
artistic practice independent from the work of their employer.
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8. Conflict of Interest: Are you a family member of an employee or board member of the James F. and
Marion L. Miller Foundation, or the Foundation’s namesakes? (Family member is
defined as a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child or sibling.)
4.3 Application Questions:
Once the applicant has completed the eligibility questions and it has been determined that they are eligible to
apply, the application questions will be available to them to fill out.
Applicant details: Preferred name
Pronouns
Preferred name pronunciation
Artist website and/or social media handles (if
applicable)
If you include links here, only include links to accounts
that are focused exclusively on your work as an artist.
Demographics (this information is collected solely for
data and reporting purposes and will not be visible
to panelists)
Employee of an Oregon arts nonprofit Is your role artistic or administrative?
organization:
Does the majority of your artistic practice exist
1. The Spark Award for Oregon Artists provides independent from the work of your employer?
grant funds to support the work of individual
artists rather than the work of arts organizations. What is the name of the organization?
Arts organizations are eligible to receive
operating support through other Miller grant What is your job title?
programs.
2. We would like to ensure that organizations
who are eligible to receive funding from the Please note: If you are employed at an Oregon arts
Miller Foundation to support their staff and nonprofit, only apply for the Spark Award if the majority
operations are not potentially receiving of your individual artistic practice is independent of the
duplicate support through this program (i.e. work of the nonprofit organization by which you are
supporting an artist through Miller organizational employed.
support AND a Spark Award).
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Application Questions - continued
Artistic discipline: Primary Discipline Category: (select one) REQUIRED
Media
Select one primary discipline category and Literary
one sub-discipline category from the list Interdisciplinary media/literary
below. You have the option of selecting an
additional sub-discipline category. You will Sub-discipline category: (select one) REQUIRED
then be asked to provide a short description Media – animation
that details your practice. Media – experimental film
Media – documentary film
Examples: Media – narrative film
Media – episodic content
Media applicant example: Media – narrative audio
Primary category: Media Media – other*
Sub-discipline: Media-Narrative film
Description: I write and direct horror film. Literary – fiction
Literary – creative nonfiction
Literary applicant example: Literary – poetry
Primary category: Literary Literary – graphic novel
Sub-discipline: Literary – Poetry Literary – other*
Sub-Discipline: Literary – Creative nonfiction
Description: I am a poet and creative Sub-discipline category: (select one) OPTIONAL
nonfiction writer. Media – animation
Media – experimental film
Interdisciplinary applicant examples: Media – documentary film
Primary category: Interdisciplinary Media – narrative film
Sub-discipline 1: Media – experimental film; Media – episodic content
Sub-discipline 2: Literary – poetry Media – narrative audio
Description: I create experimental films to Media – other*
accompany my poetry.
Literary – fiction
Primary category: Interdisciplinary Literary – creative nonfiction
Sub-discipline 1: Media – Narrative audio; Literary – poetry
Sub-discipline 2: Literary – fiction Literary – graphic novel
Description: I write and direct historical fiction Literary – other*
podcasts
* Please only select ‘other’ if your work doesn’t fall
Keep in mind that your application will be broadly into one of the named categories.
assigned to expert review panels based on
the primary discipline and sub-discipline Discipline Description:
categories you select. Within the discipline you selected above, please
provide a short description of your artistic practice.
Begin the description with “I am a…” and include your
genre/s and main role(s)/ creative activity as succinctly
as possible. This will assist with panel placement (limit
to 100 characters with spaces).
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Narrative questions:
We strongly advise that applicants compose their answers in first person.
Bio: Tell us a bit about yourself, such as where you grew
up, what led you to become an artist, or any other
Limit to 2000 characters with spaces information that might not be included in other parts of
your application.
Artist statement: Please share your journey as an artist. Tell us about
your original artistic practice and how it has developed
Limit to 3500 characters with spaces over time: you may include information about your
influences, process, values, emphasis, main interests,
and more. What are your current investigations or
curiosities?
Impact on creative development: How would this funding provide momentum for your
creative development at this particular stage in your
Limit to 3500 characters with spaces artistic career? How would this funding help address
barriers or enhance your ability to sustain and
Reminder: This funding is intended to support advance your practice in the future?
you as an artist. As such, the funding may be
used to support any activities that sustain
your practice, including - but not limited to -
living costs such as rent, healthcare,
childcare, and/or trainings, materials,
equipment, research costs, etc.
This funding does not need to be used in
support of a specific project. However, the
application should describe how the funding
can serve as a catalyst to advancing your
creative development and artistic career.
Audience: The Spark Award aims to support artists who directly
engage audiences: tell us about the specific
Limit to 3000 characters with spaces audience/s you have reached with your work.
Examples include screenings, readings, distribution,
and other programs (rather than self-presented or
passive distribution that have had minimal
reader/viewer/listener engagement).
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Required supplemental materials:
Resume/CV [PDF]: Upload a resume/CV in a single document.
This document is a tool that should help tell the story of the
5 pages maximum evolution of your artistic career to date—it will be carefully
reviewed to fully assess eligibility, career stage, commitment to
Visit “Tools & Resources” on our your discipline, audience/s, and future potential. As such, the
website for additional tips on creating document should provide a comprehensive overview of any
a professional resume/CV (linked from background and professional experience related to your
the Spark homepage). current, original artistic practice. Special emphasis should be put
on the production and presentation of original work.
Depending on your discipline(s), this could include an overview
of past and upcoming publications, productions, screenings,
readings, presentations, grants/awards, residencies, or other
relevant activities. Clearly state the year in which the activity
occurred. Do not include general employment history or other
information unless it is pertinent to your artistic practice. Details
in the resume/CV are subject to verification.
Work Samples: The work samples you submit are the most important part of
your application:
3 samples required from 3 different
LITERARY: 3 samples = 30 pages total of prose or 15 pages of
bodies of work (see specifications on
poetry:
the right)
Each sample must represent a different body of work.
Upload instructions: The applicant must be the original artist for the samples.
For audio and video files: provide links Two publicly shared or distributed works from the last
to hosted media. Provide links to media decade, and the third should be a recent or in-progress work
posted on platforms that don’t require a from the last 3 years.
subscription (i.e. YouTube, Vimeo, and No more than one poem or story per page
SoundCloud). When providing links, be To submit a combination of prose and poetry: a total of 3
sure to include any necessary different bodies of work: up to 5 pages of poetry per sample
passwords. If you choose to share a and 10 pages of prose per sample.
Google folder or Dropbox, it is the
MEDIA: 3 samples = 15 minutes total of video/audio or 30 pages
applicant’s sole responsibility to ensure
of script:
that they are accessible to anyone with
Each sample must represent a different body of work.
a link for the duration of the application
The applicant must be the original artist for the samples.
process (until November 2025). Miller
Two publicly shared or distributed works from the last
team members are not able to verify
decade, and the third should be a recent or in-progress work
links.
from the last 3 years.
For text/script samples: upload a PDF
One work per sample, no trailers or reels accepted.
file; Minimum 11-point standard font, 1.5
spacing with page numbers (single- To submit a combination of script/text and media: a total of 3
spaced for poetry); Each sample should different bodies of work: 20 pages total and up to 5 minutes of
be a separate PDF. video/audio or 10 pages total and up to 10 minutes of
Scans from publications will not be video/audio. Two publicly shared or distributed from the last
accepted. decade and the third recent or in-progress from the last 3 years.
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Work samples: Additional Requirements and Guidance
Work sample descriptions: Each work sample description must include the title of the work, date completed,
your role in the making of the work, and cue points (if applicable). You may also use this space to provide the
panelists with context for the sample in 1-3 sentences. Do not paste links to more information in this space
(up to 700 characters with spaces).
Examples of a “publicly shared” or “publicly distributed” body of work for media artists include work
shared at presenting venues or organizations, film festivals, or online platforms with a juried selection
process; and for literary artists: work published on platforms and in publications that have a critical review
process. If a writer or media artist is self-published/ self-presented, they must be able to demonstrate
ongoing reader/viewer engagement with their work.
Provide work samples that you consider the best examples of your original creative practice.
When possible, upload or link the entire work and designate cue points or page numbers. Panelists may
choose to review more than the cues suggested by the applicant.
Cue points must be continuous minutes or pages within each sample. Visit Tips & Resources on our
website for guidance on how to set cue points in video.
For text samples: PDF only, minimum 11-point standard font with page numbers, 1.5 line spacing for prose
(single spaced for poetry).
While we recognize that many works are created collaboratively, the Spark Award is an opportunity intended
to support individual artists. Accordingly, your work samples should reflect your original, individual practice.
If your work samples include other people, specify your role in the creation of the work.
If you are a multi-disciplinary artist, only provide work samples within the eligible discipline categories you
are applying for this year.
Materials created for commercial or promotional purposes will not be accepted (e.g. trailers, reels,
compilations, interviews, press, etc.)
Because panelists will be reviewing a high volume of applications:
Select work samples that will leave a strong impression within the first few minutes of review.
Unless specific cue points or page numbers are indicated, panelists will review the first 5 minutes of each
video/audio sample and the first 10 pages of text. Panelists will review a maximum of 15 minutes of video
or audio in total or read up to 30 pages for each applicant. Additional material will be reviewed solely at the
panelists’ discretion.
Please submit no more than a combined total of 15 minutes video/audio OR 30 pages of text.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2025 BY 5PM PDT
Questions? Reach out! artists@millerfound.org
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