Creative Capital Announces the 2026 Open Call for the Creative Capital Award and the Launch of the State of the Art Prize
Creative Capital expands grants for individual artists with the launch of the new State of the Art Prize designed to support regional artists across all 50 U.S. states and territories.
February 6, 2025 (New York, NY)—Marking 25 years of groundbreaking artist support, Creative Capital is pleased to announce the 2026 Open Call for the Creative Capital Award and the launch of a new two-year initiative, the State of the Art Prize, to expand grants and services to uplift more regional and rural artists, to invest in grassroots creative economies, and to foster a vibrant cultural landscape across America. Over the years, the Creative Capital Award’s democratic, open, external review process has been a powerful gateway for artists working across disciplines to receive national recognition, industry validation for new works and projects-in-progress, and additional accolades and financial support from patrons, corporate sponsors, and philanthropic organizations.
“Creative Capital champions freedom of expression at a grassroots level across the nation. The State of the Art Prize will catalyze creativity and innovation, providing much-needed funding to artists working across regional communities. Our goal is to invest in the fresh ideas of artists, who enrich our cultural tapestry and contribute more than $1 trillion each year to the U.S. economy.” —Christine Kuan, President and Executive Director, Creative Capital
“Celebrating the art makers and creators in our local communities across our nation and territories illustrates the strength and diversity of this great nation. The State of the Art Prize is fitting as the country celebrates its 250th year of independence next year.” —Reginald Browne, Board Chair, Creative Capital
The Creative Capital Award is a one-time distinction and grant that provides individual artists with unrestricted project grants up to $50,000 for the creation of original, imaginative, impactful new artistic works. The Award includes funding, bespoke professional development services, and community-building opportunities. Through the 2026 Open Call applicant pool and review process for the Creative Capital Award, recipients will be selected for the new State of the Art Prize, which aims to recognize one artist from each U.S. state and inhabited territory with an unrestricted artist grant of $10,000.
For the 2026 grant cycle, Creative Capital invites professional artists to propose experimental, original, bold new works in Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. Multidisciplinary, technology, and/or socially engaged projects are welcome in all disciplinary categories. Creative Capital seeks project proposals for formally and/or conceptually innovative works in all disciplines, including, but not limited to: painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video and multimedia, dance, theater, playwriting, jazz, opera, music, experimental film, documentary and narrative film, poetry, and fiction.
Creative Capital welcomes a full range of artistic approaches and thematic inquiries, including boundary-pushing formal explorations, as well as projects that engage urgent social issues of our time. Creative Capital also seeks new projects or works addressing subjects that have not been previously funded. For example, for this grant cycle, Creative Capital is also seeking strong visual arts projects dealing with fentanyl, veterans/military, or wealth inequality.
The goal of the 2026 Open Call for the Creative Capital Award and the State of the Art Prize is to support a total of 100 or more individual artists across a range of disciplines, themes and ideas, identities, ages, and career stages.
As Creative Capital embarks on a new grantmaking chapter rooted in greater accessibility, inclusivity, and diversity, the organization aims to widen its circle of regional partners to conduct outreach and to fundraise $12 million to support these programs. These funds will significantly expand the number of grants and the new, free online Creative Capital Curriculum to serve thousands of artists in every region, state, and inhabited territory of the United States. The 2026 Creative Capital Awardees and the inaugural cohort of State of the Art Prize recipients are scheduled to be announced in 2026 coinciding with the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The application portal opens on Monday, March 3, 2025. The deadline for submission is Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 3PM ET.
For more info: https://creative-capital.org/award
ABOUT CREATIVE CAPITAL
Founded in 1999, Creative Capital Foundation is a nonprofit organization that defends freedom of expression by uplifting risk-taking, underinvested artists with a transformative wraparound award that comprises unrestricted project grants, professional development services, and community-building opportunities. The Creative Capital Award is designed to help artists realize ambitious new work, to connect their work with new audiences, and to build sustainable practices. Creative Capital Awardees have received prestigious honors and accolades, including: 160 Guggenheim Fellowships, 21 MacArthur “Genius” Fellowships, and 3 Academy Awards and 15 nominations. Marking 25 years of groundbreaking artist support, Creative Capital has provided $55 million in grants and services to more than 1,000 visionary artists, and professional services to 250,000 artists across the country. Creative Capital fundraises every dollar for its grants and programs.
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