Individual Artists in Virginia

The Individual Artists Support Grants are administered by the Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department, which uses art and culture as tools for community revitalization, pride, and creativity. The program reflects the city’s commitment to fostering a thriving and inclusive arts environment, supported by the sustainable funding mechanism established in July 2024 when City Council dedicated 20% of admission tax revenues to arts and culture. This grant is part of the city’s Arts Plan 2030 initiative and is one of two pilot programs designed to directly support individual artists and neighborhood arts projects. The purpose of the Individual Artists Support Grants is to provide financial resources for artists to enhance their practice, achieve professional growth, develop original work, and engage with the community. It seeks to encourage artistic innovation, expand professional development opportunities, and contribute to the cultural vibrancy of Virginia Beach through a flexible and accessible funding program. Eligible art forms include visual arts, performing arts such as dance, music, theatre (including playwriting), digital media, film and video, folk, world, and traditional arts, native and indigenous arts, and literature. Funding may be used for the completion or presentation of new work, career promotion activities, skill-enhancing training, and professional documentation. Examples include purchasing supplies, shipping works to exhibitions, creating or updating a professional portfolio or website, attending workshops, or hiring professional photographers or videographers. The maximum award amount is $4,800, with no matching funds required. The program prohibits using funds for personal living expenses, unrelated equipment, fundraising, tuition for formal education, unapproved travel, political activities, or any project not directly tied to the applicant’s own work. Recipients must return unspent funds and cannot receive funding from this program for activities already supported by the City in the same fiscal year. Eligible applicants must be individual artists who are residents of Virginia Beach, at least 18 years old, and able to provide proof of a physical street address within city limits for their home or permanent studio/rehearsal space. They must have, within the past three years, created and publicly presented original works or performed for the public, maintain a professional portfolio, and demonstrate a clear investment of time and resources into new work. Artists cannot have received this grant in the past two years. All projects must be completed within twelve months of award, and only one application per artist or artist coalition is allowed per funding cycle. Applications must be submitted through the Cultural Affairs Department’s Foundant grant software. Multiple grant preparation workshops will be offered virtually to guide applicants through the process. Applications will be evaluated based on artistic quality, professional growth potential, project viability, career impact, and community impact. An advisory panel of arts and community leaders will review applications and make funding recommendations, with final approval by the Cultural Affairs Director. Awards are competitive, and funding availability may limit the number of recipients. The timeline for the FY26 cycle is as follows: applications close at 5:00 p.m. on September 12, 2025; award notifications will be issued by approximately October 20, 2025. Project start dates may begin once the grant agreement is signed, and projects must be completed within twelve months of the award. Recipients must sign a grant agreement, complete vendor registration with the City of Virginia Beach (including submission of a W-9 form), and may wait up to eight weeks for payment processing. Major changes to project scope or budget require prior written approval. Recipients must submit a final report within one month of project completion and may be required to present their work publicly. The Cultural Affairs Department reserves the right to monitor funded projects and requires advance notification of CAD-supported events.

Attend one of the Cultural Affairs virtual grant preparation workshops for guidance on completing the application.