1. What are Thrive Grants?

Through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts' Regranting Program, Thrive Grants is an annual award program that funds 8 artists' projects with grants of up to $10,000. The projects take place over the course of one year and the program culminates in a celebratory event that includes a Pecha Kucha/TED Talk-style presentation of each project. At this event, the next year's award winners and committee members will be announced. 

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2. What is the timeline? 

April 1, 2023 - Grant Application Opens​

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April 13, 2023 - Virtual Info Session 

We are offering a free info session where we will go into detail about the program, what projects qualify, how to write a winning application, and answer any questions.

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May 15-18, 2023 - Office Hours by Appointment

Email the Administrative and Artist Relations Manager at ariana@ovac-ok.org to schedule an appointment during this window to get feedback on your application and add finishing touches before submitting your application by the June 1st deadline!​

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June 1, 2023 - Application Deadline is at 11:59 pm CST

All applications must be submitted through the Submittable portal. If you have any issues using this portal, please contact us to make other accommodations.

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July 31, 2023 - Thrive Grant Recipients Notified!

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August 2023 - June 2024 - Grant Funding Period 

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June 2024 - Thrive Reception

2023 Grant recipient public presentation and celebration

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3. Who selects the grant winners?

We have a committee that includes local artists, arts administrators, a former Thrive recipient, and someone from the National Regional Regranting family.

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4. How are the applications scored?

All applications will be scored on the following categories: Career Altering Potential, Artistic Merit, Community Impact, and Ability to Complete. Preference will be shown to projects that: serve under-represented regions of Oklahoma, include Native Peoples/People of Color, and/or utilize collaboration. View the full rubric here.

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5. What types of projects will be funded?

This program celebrates risk and artists that are willing to push their own boundaries. What that actually looks like will vary greatly but we are open to innovative and experimental approaches to Visual Art-making, view 2021 awardees here. The focal point of every project should be Visual Art and not firmly rooted in other forms of art like dance, theatre, music, or industry feature filmmaking. 

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6. What types of projects will NOT be funded?

Projects, which have a central focus and a Lead Applicant with a practice firmly rooted in theatrical dance, theatre, music, or industry feature filmmaking. Projects that do NOT meet the basic eligibility requirements will not be funded, review those here. 

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7. Define the requirement for "public accessibility". 

The selected projects should be accessible to the public via “process, production, presentation or publication” and this does not imply the “general public.” Thrive Grant Recipients can and should define the community with which they wish to connect, and then design their projects to build relationships with this audience. This community could therefore be large and abstract or small and defined.

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8. Can I request funding for my solo exhibition? 

No, traditional exhibitions will not be funded. Thrive Grants are aiming to support public engagement that goes beyond the passive viewing of finished artwork. With that said, there are certainly exceptions, for example, artists taking an innovative or thought-provoking approach to the exhibition platform. Review previously funded projects here. To seek funding for your art practice, try applying for a quarterly Grants for Artists Grant here. 

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9. As a student of the Arts, why am I not eligible to apply as a Lead Applicant? 

Thrive Grants are intended to fund independent and experienced Artists. As a student, the potential is too high for their work to be heavily influenced by their university.  

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10. Can I include artists outside of Oklahoma?

Yes, but the majority of the artists must be current Oklahoma residents. 

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11. Can the grant funds be used to pay me or other artists?

Yes! You can use the funds however you like to accomplish your project. We encourage artists to pay themselves for their time in completing the project. This usually makes up approximately 25% of the budget. 

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12. How many applications may I submit as a Lead Applicant?

Only one application will be accepted for each Lead Applicant, but this individual is NOT prohibited from collaborating on another project. Be intentional with this choice and consider how you frame your participation in the other project. 

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13. What if we are an artist collective?

Sure, we encourage collaboration. You will need to select one artist to be the Lead Applicant. This will be the primary contact that we coordinate with, the person who applies, and who will manage the award funds.

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14. I’m an Independent/Freelance Curator; am I eligible to apply for the grant?
Yes, Independent Curators may apply. If you identify as both an Artist and Curator, only submit one application; only one application per individual will be accepted.

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15. I am an artist with an LLC and profit off of my business as a creator, can I apply?

Yes! Independent Artists, even those with an LLC, can apply. 501c3 organizations or for-profit corporations are not eligible to apply.

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16. I am submitting video content, and I see there are restrictions on how much watch-time to provide. How strict is this rule?

You are technically allowed to submit video content without highlighting a maximum of 3 minutes for review but you must also consider the impact of not meeting the requested parameters. If you do NOT follow the instructions, it tends to make your application look rushed and unprofessional. We strongly encourage you to edit your clips down to the suggested time. 

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17. I am a recipient of another OVAC program reward, can I still apply?

At this time, we will not require any stipulations on who can apply, even for those who have won awards from OVAC in the past year. We will require a two-year break period for any successful Thrive applicants. Which will mean if applicants are awarded in 2021, they will not be eligible to apply again until 2023.

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18. After the waiting period, can I reapply with the same project proposal?

No, you may not reapply with an exact copy of past proposals, but you might look for a way to expand upon previous projects. It is difficult to imagine that a new proposal that shifts its focus in such a way would be identical to past iterations. If you have questions regarding your eligibility, just ask!

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19. Can I apply if I am NOT a U.S. Citizen?

Yes, you can apply but the Lead Applicant must have a social security number and have held residence in Oklahoma for at least 12 months. 

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20. Do I have to pay taxes on grant funding?

Yes, the IRS considers grant funding to be income, which means you could owe taxes. Your filing status—individual or LLC—can change how you report your funding. We recommend doing research at www.irs.gov and viewing the instructions on page 3 of form 990 to learn more on how to properly file the funds that will be used in your project.

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