Artist Opportunity Grants 2026

The Artist Opportunity Grant, administered by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, is a state-funded program designed to support Arizona-based artists in pursuing unique opportunities that have the potential to significantly advance their careers. The Arizona Commission on the Arts is a 58-year-old state agency and one of 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies in the United States, dedicated to strengthening Arizona communities through arts-based partnerships, research, and grantmaking. This grant program reflects the agency’s mission to imagine an Arizona where everyone can participate in and experience the arts. The Artist Opportunity Grant is open to individual artists of all disciplines and career stages. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside in Arizona, and may not apply as an organization. Artists can apply once per cycle and may receive only one Artist Opportunity Grant every two fiscal years. The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Additionally, artists cannot receive both an Artist Opportunity Grant and a Research & Development Grant in the same fiscal year. Funding supports activities that introduce an artist’s work to new audiences, develop new artistic skills, or build the artist’s career through business and professional development. Eligible uses of funds include purchasing or renting equipment or materials, renting space, paying for registration or professional fees, covering shipping or documentation expenses, and funding travel necessary to participate in the opportunity. However, expenses must occur within the funding period for the cycle in which the grant is awarded. Ineligible expenses include opportunities eligible under other Arizona Commission on the Arts grants, ongoing studio rentals, unrelated equipment, academic degrees, fundraising activities, and certain restricted costs. Applications are submitted through the SurveyMonkey Apply platform. Applicants must describe their proposed opportunity and its relevance to their career, explain how it aligns with one or more eligible categories, and outline the next steps it will enable. A detailed timeline, work samples from the past ten years, an experience list, and a budget with eligible expenses are required. Narrative responses may be typed or submitted as audio recordings. Work samples must be relevant and in appropriate formats for review, and a description explaining their connection to the proposed opportunity must be included. Evaluation is based on four main criteria: quality of the proposed opportunity, potential impact to the artist, feasibility of the plan, and integrity of the proposal. Reviewers assess clarity, alignment with goals, and the appropriateness of expenses and experiences. Artistic skill is not evaluated, but the connection between the work and the opportunity is considered. Successful applications will demonstrate thoughtful planning, relevance, and realistic execution within the funding timeline. The grant is offered in two cycles for FY2026. Cycle A applications were due June 20, 2025, with a funding period from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Cycle B applications are due October 16, 2025, with a funding period from December 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Award notifications for Cycle B are expected the week of December 16, 2025, and funds are typically disbursed 8–10 weeks after required paperwork is completed. For Cycle B, the earliest possible funding date is March 9, 2026. The primary contact for the Artist Opportunity Grant is Delia Ibañez, Artist Programs Coordinator, reachable at dibanez@azarts.gov or (602) 771-6531. For accommodation requests, applicants may contact Kesha Bruce, Director of Artist Programs, at kbruce@azarts.gov or (602) 771-6530. Additional resources, including Spanish-language guidelines and information session schedules, are available on the Arizona Commission on the Arts website.