Congratulations to the 2020 Craft Research Fund Exhibition Awardees!

View recipients

Center for Craft 25th anniversary logo in red

for Curators

Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant

Grants up to $15,000 awarded to support exhibition research that encourages, expands, and supports scholarly craft research in the United States.

Diedrick Brackens, heaven is a muddy riverbed, 2018. 50 x 34 inches. Woven cotton and cubic zirconia earrings. Image courtesy of Various Small Fires, Los Angeles, and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York

The Craft Research Fund - Exhibition grant is one of three categories that make up the Craft Research Fund, a visionary program dedicated to supporting scholarly craft research in the United States. Since 2005 the Center has supported academic and artist researchers, independent scholars, curators, and graduate students writing, revising, and reclaiming the history of craft.

Grant goals

Encourage

To encourage innovative research on critical issues in craft theory and history

Expand

To investigate neglected questions on craft history and criticism

Support

To support new cross-disciplinary approaches to scholarship in craft

Overview

2024 Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant

The Craft Research Fund was created to encourage, expand and support scholarly craft research in the United States.

Details

  • Award Amount:
  • Up to $15,000
  • Grant Period:
  • 18 months
View most recent recipients
Grant application is closed.

Timeline

  • Application Open:
  • June 20, 2023
  • Information Session:
  • August 8, 2023
  • Application Deadline:
  • October 5, 2023
  • Award Notification:
  • End of December 2023
  • Grant Period Begins:
  • January 1, 2024
  • Status Report Due:
  • September 30, 2024
  • Grant Period Ends:
  • August 30, 2025
  • Final Report Due:
  • August 30, 2025

2023 Craft Research Fund Exhibition - Eligibility

Proposals are welcome from museum, non-profit gallery, and independent curators.  

  • This grant is intended to support scholarly research and is not for the creation of artwork
  • This grant is not for the dissemination of already completed research

Applicants must be: 

  • Applicants must be able to receive taxable income in the U.S. for the duration of the grant and report this grant as income
  • Applicants must be 18 years of age or older

Applicants cannot be: 

  • Applicants cannot be disqualified persons, such as substantial contributors to the Center for Craft as well as current employees, consultants, or board members of the Center for Craft, or immediate family members of such a person.

If an applicant has been previously awarded a Center for Craft grant but did not complete the project or is still in the progress of completing the project they are not eligible to apply. 

Applicants may either apply for the Craft Research Fund Project Grant or the Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant, but may not apply for both grants in the same year. 

The Center for Craft prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on sex, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or perceived disability, age, marital status, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected category. The Center encourages applications from historically underrepresented populations. Applying does not constitute a promise or guarantee of being awarded a grant.

Examples of craft research might include:

  • Research providing new insight into work by historical or contemporary craft artists in the United States 
  • Presenting a new understanding of the relationship between hand-made production and digital technologies
  • Providing a new contribution to the history of craft in the United States
  • Projects that place American craft in a global context
  • Or other topics that offer fresh perspectives within the craft field

USE OF FUNDS 

  • Grant funds may be used to support research activities including travel and living expenses, commissioning essays for contributors, documentation such as images or rights to use images or text, photocopies or other reproductions, and other incidental research expenses.
  • The grant awards are not for exhibition production, installation, exhibition travel or management.
  • This award does not cover publication printing costs or distribution 
  • For museums, galleries, universities, and organizations who are applying to the grant, please limit staffing and overhead costs to 15% of your total budget ask, i.e. if applying for $15,000 in support, total personnel and overhead costs should be a maximum of $2,250.
  • For individuals who are applying to the grant, please provide your rationale for your stipend or honorarium in the budget narrative.
  • No capital equipment purchases are eligible for support. Capital equipment is defined: laptops, recorders, printers, or other items not listed. 
  • For the purpose of this grant, the Center for Craft requires that all grant recipients provide financial remuneration to working artists for their time, labor, and services rendered towards the awarded project scope and goals. For remuneration estimates, we recommend consulting the floor wages listed on the Working Artists and the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E.) fee calculator website at https://wageforwork.com/feecalculator#top
  • When working with community members, the Center for Craft requires that all grant recipients provide financial remuneration for their time, labor, and services rendered toward the awarded project scope and goals
  • For travel purposes, the Center for Craft recommends recipients follow the Federal Travel Regulation and Reimbursement Rates.

2023 Craft Research Fund Exhibition - Requirements

  • Seventy percent of the grant will be awarded upon execution of the grant agreement and receipt of the awardee’s W9.
  • Recipients will provide a status report on the project halfway through the grant period (September 30, 2023).
  • Recipients must provide content for at least one blog post.
  • The final thirty percent of the grant will be awarded upon receipt of a final report to include a project narrative, a budget report and two copies of any publication produced as a result of the research grant. The project and final report must be completed in 18 months, with a deadline of July 31, 2024. If there is no publication, then provide a copy of the completed research in full.
  • The Center for Craft recognizes that some projects that include publications may take longer than the designated timeframe of the grant award to publish finalized research. The Center will work with the grant recipient to disburse funds at the date of the Center’s receipt of final, published material, even as that date furthers from the original timeline of the grant period.
  • Recipients will acknowledge support from the “Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant administered by the Center for Craft” in any publications or presentations resulting from the grant.
  • The Center for Craft reserves the right to limit support of a project to a particular portion(s) or cost(s).

2023 Craft Research Fund Exhibition - Review Process

Proposals will be reviewed by staff of the Center for Craft for completeness and evaluated by a Selection Panel of jurors through the SlideRoom online application review portal. The Selection Panel consists of recognized craft scholars, faculty and/or curators, free of any conflict of interest, based on the following criteria:

  • If completed properly, the proposal will advance scholarship and knowledge on craft in the United States
  • The plan for dissemination identifies the audience, is reasonable, and has supporting documentation as appropriate
  • The project is feasible based on the timeline, expertise, and budget reflected in the application
  • The project addresses the goals of the Craft Research Fund
  • The project is consistent with and furthers the mission of the Center for Craft.

Considerations in final selection:

The Center for Craft respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics and perspectives that make each person who they are. We foster open communication of diverse perspectives and bring a broad range of individuals together to enrich and support programming. Ultimately we will ask the Selection Panel to compose a set of recipients deserving of further recognition while prioritizing diversity, both in and outside of academia, and representing a range of geographies, materials, and communities served.

The Center for Craft reserves the right to limit support of a project to a particular portion(s) or cost(s).

2023 Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant - How to Apply

GRANT ORIENTATION: A virtual application information session will be held on Thursday, September 8, from 3 - 4 pm ET. The information session recording will be made available on the Center for Craft website.

DEADLINE: Application for the 2023 Craft Research Fund Project Grant must be submitted via SlideRoom no later than 11:59 pm ET on October 21, 2022.

NOTIFICATION: Notification of the results will be sent via email in December 2022 for a start date of January 1, 2023. The email address listed on the application form will be used to send out notifications. Please be sure that it is a valid account that you check regularly.

HOW TO APPLY: Applicants must apply using the online application program SlideRoom at http://www.centerforcraft.slideroom.com. Please review the sample application below before beginning your application. Please note there is a separate application for each Craft Research Fund category.

All applicants should create a login to be able to partially complete the form and return to finish it at a later date. Before submitting your application, you will be directed to a confirmation page where you will be able to review your form and return to edit or delete your uploaded files as needed. Once you submit your application, you will not be able to access your form again. Applicants will receive a confirmation email once the application form has been successfully submitted.

SAMPLE APPLICATION

2023 Craft Research Fund – Exhibition Grant

This is only a sample application, all applications much be completed in SlideRoom.

Demographic Survey

Please note that the data from the demographics section will only be used anonymously for grant writing and reporting to provide an overall understanding of who the Center for Craft serves. Center for Craft has and upholds an organizational nondiscrimination policy. Completion of this survey will in no way affect your application. You must complete the form, however, you may answer each question with the "prefer not to answer" option. Thank you.

  1. What is your age?
  2. What is your gender identity?
  3. Do you identify as LGBTQ?
  4. Do you identify as Latinx/Hispanic?
  5. What category best describes your race?
  6. What is your current household income in US dollars?
  7. If you are applying as an Organization or Institution, what is your annual operating budget? Organizations or institutions can provide annual operating budgets based on an average or for the current fiscal year.
  8. If you are applying as an Organization or Institution, how many full-time staff members do you currently employ? Please only provide a numerical answer
  9. Would you like to receive the Center for Craft newsletters?
  10. How did you learn about this opportunity?
  11. Have you previously applied for a Center for Craft grant/fellowship?

Cover Sheet 

  1. Name (applicant/s and/or organization)
  2. Your Title
  3. Your personal or project-specific website
  4. Grant amount requested (up to $15,000)
  5. Are you over 18 years old (yes or no)
  6. Are you able to receive taxable income in the U.S. for the duration of the project period (yes or no)
  7. Please provide a project title (up to 15 words, 85 character limit)
  8. Please provide a summary of your research proposal (no more than 50 words, 300 character limit)

Application

1. Please summarize the following (500 words/ 3,000 character limit):

  • Focus of exhibition and relevance to the advancement of craft in the United States
  • Goals and objectives of the exhibition
  • Curatorial research methodology
  • Dissemination plan (exhibition dates, catalogue, online presence, etc.)

2. Please provide a historiography for the ideas central to this exhibition. Identify three other scholars who have written significant works on/around your topic, and describe how your work parallels and pushes the topic forward (500 words or less/ 3,000 character limit).

3. Timeline (form provided in SlideRoom).Please provide a timeline for completing the project. All projects must be complete by June 30, 2024 (18 months from start date).

4.Budget Income Form (form provided in SlideRoom). The budget income form is to note if you have additional sources of secured or anticipated (prospected) income. In addition, please list the total amount requested from the Craft Research Fund here. Please list no more than 10 items. 

Examples for Income: 

  • other grants secured/prospected; 
  • support from institutions (school or university support); 
  • in-kind support (for example percentages of salaries or hourly rates for time commitments)

4. Budget Expense Form for your proposal (form provided in SlideRoom). Please list no more than 20 items. The minimum budget request should be $5,000; the maximum budget request should be $15,000. Projects may exceed $15,000 if other support is listed in the budget.

Examples for Expenses:

  • Support Stipends/Honoraria (List research assistants with names)
  • Travel/Expenses (include lodging and meals, itemized per destination)
  • Contracted Services (such as photography)
  • Support documentation such as images or rights to use images or text, photocopies or other reproductions, purchase of primary source materials, and other incidental research expenses

6. Budget Narrative. Please provide a narrative for any budget items that require further explanation. (3,000 character limit)

7. Attachment: Resume or CV of relevant education and experience (no more than 2 pages).

8. Attachment: Please provide the exhibition description (no more than 5 pages, in no less than 12-point type).

9. Please provide a bibliography with at least ten sources. (10,000 character limit)

10. Requested through SlideRoom: One letter of support from the hosting institution that includes why this exhibition is supported.

11. Attachment: Optional page (PDF or JPEG) for image/s that compliment or add clarity to the proposal.

Allowed Media Types: 

  • Images (up to 5MB each) 
  • Video (up to 250MB each) 
  • Audio (up to 30MB each) 
  • PDFs (up to 10MB each)
  • 3D Models via Sketchfab 
  • External media from YouTube, Vimeo, and SoundCloud Only

You have the option of uploading any combination of images or video links (from hosting sites such as Vimeo, Flickr, or YouTube.) During the review process, only the first 2 minutes of each video sample, so please edit your materials accordingly. Images should be in a JPEG format no larger than 1600 pixels on any side @ 300 dpi. Name each jpeg file with “Last NameImageTitleNumber.jpg,” i.e., “SmithUntitled1.jpg”, “SmithUnititled2.jpg” etc. Each uploaded image or video link must be accompanied by a corresponding image description (up to 50 words). Please include title, date, medium, size, and a short description of each uploaded image or media file.

2023 Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant - FAQ

What is the final deadline for submitting my online application form?

The application for 2023 Craft Research Fund - Exhibition grants must be submitted via SlideRoom no later than 11:59 pm EST on October 21, 2021.

Where can I find information about previous recipients of the Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant?

Check out our online Grant Recipient Archive here. You can sort by grant opportunity by clicking on “Grant” or search “Exhibition” in the search Filter.

May I mail a hard copy of my application materials to the Center for Craft’s office?

No, hard copy submissions will not be accepted. The application must be completed and submitted through SlideRoom.

Can I work on my application and return to complete it at a later date?

Yes, creating a login account will enable you to complete the form in several online sessions.

I just submitted my application but I want to return to it and make an edit. Is this possible?

No, once your application is submitted, you will not be able to return to the form or change any submitted information.

I have previously received a Center for Craft grant. Am I eligible to apply? 

Yes 

I have previously received a Center for Craft grant but did not complete the project or am still in the progress of completing the project I was funded for. Am I eligible to apply? 

No

Are applicants responsible for obtaining copyrights to documents, images, and manuscripts included in their research? 

Yes

Are collaboratives allowed to apply?

Collaboratives are welcome to apply. There must be one fiduciary agent for the group or one person who will receive the award funds as this person will be responsible for paying taxes on the award amount funded.

I have a question that wasn’t answered. How can I reach the Center for Craft?

If you have any further questions, please contact grants@centerforcraft.org.

recipients

Meet the 2020
Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant Recipients

The Center for Craft is pleased to announce the recipients of 2020 Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grants.

Museum of Arts and Design

-

-

Materials that Make a Difference

$15,000

Support for Materials that Make a Difference (opening February 2020), a multi-year exhibition featuring the Museum’s permanent collection that highlights the multiple historical, cultural, and aesthetic contexts for craft in the post-World War II era.

Learn more

Milwaukee Art Museum

-

-

Currents 38: Christy Matson

$5,000

Support of a publication and the production of educational materials related to the exhibition, Currents 38: Christy Matson, presenting the work of the highly skilled weaver, Christy Matson.

Learn more

Cranbrook Art Museum

-

-

Olga de Amaral: To Weave a Rock

$8,000

Craft Research Fund Grant to present a retrospective exhibition, monograph, and short film documenting the work of Olga de Amaral. Olga de Amaral, one of the most recognized names in Latin American art, lives and works in her native Bogotá, Colombia. Tracing the artist’s career over five decades, Olga de Amaral: To Weave a Rock is the artist’s first major museum retrospective in the United States, consisting of some 60 works that elucidate her seminal influence and technical innovations. The artist was first introduced to the medium of fiber during her studies with Marianne Strengell at Cranbrook Academy of Art from 1954-1955. Since that time her work has prolifically evolved beyond the functional qualities of weaving into more experimental and sculptural woven forms.

Learn more

Shannon Stratton

-

-

$6,000

Support for SOFTWARE, an exhibition that overlays histories of weaving, technology, and women's labor with modern and contemporary artworks drawn from the digital and fiber studio disciplines at The Mint Museum and Arizona State University Art Museum.

Learn more

recipients

Meet the 2023 
Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grant Recipients

The Center for Craft is pleased to announce the recipients of 2023 Craft Research Fund Exhibition Grants. This year four institutions will receive a total of $31,500 to support craft-centered exhibitions in the United States.

Radha Pandey Jaali, 2022, Image courtesy of the Artist

Minnesota Center for Book Arts

Paper Is People: Challenging Colonial Definitions of Paper

$13,500

"Paper Is People: Challenging Colonial Definitions of Paper" is an exhibition that opens a conversation around what paper is across cultures, through indigenous and oral traditions in the U.S. and in a global context. This is the first exhibition of its kind to reimagine and decolonize the practice of papermaking.

LEARN MORE

Toshiko Takaezu Foundation

The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum

Toshiko Takaezu Exhibition and Monograph

$5,000

Support for the exhibition and monograph on artist Toshiko Takaezu. Over the course of a seven-decade-long career, Takaezu created work in ceramic, painting, and weaving, and is best known today for her innovative ceramic closed forms. This will be the first nationally touring retrospective of Takaezu’s work in 20 years.

LEARN MORE

Proposal for "My Neighbor’s Garden" in Madison Square Park 2023, 2021.

Madison Square Park Conservancy

"My Neighbor's Garden" by Sheila Pepe

$5,000

In "My Neighbor’s Garden," Sheila Pepe's first outdoor exhibition, Pepe will drape vibrant and optimistic web-like structures across the walkways, revitalizing Madison Square Park’s nineteenth-century design. The webs will be made out of domestic and industrial materials including string, shoelaces, outsize sustainable rubber bands, and more. Parkgoers will gaze up at the playful canopies as they stroll through the park.

LEARN MORE

Sarah Rosalena, CMB RGB, 2022 glass beads, gourds, pine sap, beeswax, Cosmic Microwave Background visualization dimensions variable Photo: Ian Byers Gamber

Columbus Museum of Art

Sarah Rosalena: In All Directions

$8,000

"Sarah Rosalena: In All Directions" is the first solo museum exhibition for Sarah Rosalena [née Brady], a Wixárika artist whose interdisciplinary work brings traditional Indigenous craft practices into contact with state-of-the-art digital technologies, such as AI and machine learning, remote sensing, 3D printing and digital fabrication.

LEARN MORE
No items found.

Field Building

Selection Panelists

  • Nicole Archer,  Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Art and Design, Montclair State University, and Editor-in-Chief of Art Journal Open, for the College Art Association
  • John Chaich, Curator and Designer
  • Ellen Huang, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Humanities & Science, Art Center College of Design
  • Jason Young, Ph.D. Associate Professor of History, University of Michigan

The Craft Research Fund program is administered by the Center for Craft and supported by the Windgate Foundation.

The

Craft

Research

Fund

is

administered

by

the

Center

for

Craft

and

supported

by

the

Windgate

Foundation.

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina is a trusted partner in philanthropy.  We help donors and nonprofits achieve their charitable goals, now and forever.

ACTIVATING RESOURCES