Each application cycle, we find that the need for arts funding and career advisory services continues to grow. The importance of those opportunities is only emphasized further in the wake of the lengthy government shutdown this winter, which affected so many people—including artists—who could little afford it.

This shutdown was a good reminder to us of why Creative Capital began in the first place. In the late ‘90s, when the NEA stopped issuing most individual artist grants, and its continued existence was very much in question, a handful of people wanted to ensure that funding for the arts wasn’t under constant threat. The result was the birth of Creative Capital. Our mission—to fund bold, experimental, adventurous projects—remains relevant 20 years later, as does our goal of providing stability to artists in a world where that is all too rare.

Now that this latest cycle has closed, we are beginning our nearly year-long journey to find the next cohort of artists and projects to carry on the mission we began in 1999. We don’t know yet who these artists will be—only that their work will be exciting, provocative, and ambitious, each one a step down the road to a better future.

And while we look ahead to the cohort to come, I also want to recognize the achievements of past Awardees. The Whitney Museum recently announced their list of artists included in this year’s Biennial, an important milestone in any artist’s career. Among them are seven Creative Capital Awardees, some of whose projects were funded in our first years of existence. It’s an impressive number that only furthers our commitment to continuing to keep our application process free and open to artists in all disciplines. Imagine how many artists who receive the Creative Capital Award next year will be in the Biennials of the future!

We invite you to be a part of the process: even a small donation will help us in this work, and will count as your commitment to the artists of the future.