​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Artists to Work Program​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Applying is a one-step process. Applicants apply through the MARGO grants portal. The application will be open from August 3, 2026, through September 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (Arizona Time).

The application consists of Narrative Questions, Budget, and Work Samples. Download a Word Version of the Application and an Excel Version of the Budget from.

Artists under the following areas are eligible to apply for an individual project. Applicants will select Primary Discipline, category, and subdiscipline (for visual). The selected subdiscipline must reflect both the Project Proposal and Work Samples (e.g. if you select “Ceramics” as a Subdiscipline, your Project Proposal and Work Samples must be ceramics).

Visual Arts

Categories: 2D and 3D

2D Subdisciplines: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Comics/Illustration

3D Subdisciplines: Ceramics, Sculpture, Textiles, Metalwork, Glasswork

Film

Film Categories: Narrative (fiction), Documentary, Experimental, Animation

Media Arts

Media Categories: Digital, Interactive, Sound (excluding music and performing arts), Audiovisual, Installation, Technology-based

You are eligible for this grant if you meet these criteria:

• You are a permanent City of Phoenix resident. You must provide two documents as evidence of permanent Phoenix residency when applying.
  • One of the documents must be an Arizona Driver’s License or Arizona ID with your current address
  • The second supporting document must have the same address as the Arizona Driver’s license or Arizona ID.
  • We do not accept PO Box addresses as proof of residency.
• You are at least 18 years or older by the application due date.
• You are a practicing visual artist, filmmaker, or media artist who is currently generating original, new or in-process work.
• You are proposing a project that has visual, film, or digital and electronic media art as the primary discipline.
• You are proposing a project that will be completed by December 31, 2027. *
• You must be able to complete W9 and an affidavit of lawful presence.

*Note for filmmakers: a project could be interpreted as a specific stage of the film (i.e.: film development, pre-production, production, or post-production).

You are not eligible for this grant if:

• You reside outside the Phoenix city limits.
• You are temporarily living within Phoenix city limits.
• You reside outside the Phoenix city limits but have a post office box, temporary rehearsal space or a studio in Phoenix.
• You are applying for a project that’s directly related to a degree-granting program, thesis, or dissertation.
• You are an immediate family member of Arts and Culture staff or a currently serving Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission member.
• You are applying as an LLC, sole proprietorship, or on behalf of an artist team/collective, company, nonprofit, organization, fiscal sponsorship, or community group.
• Your project proposal overlaps any other program that’s already being funded by the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture General or Project Support.
• A recent Artists to Work grantee (awarded in either fall 2024 or fall 2025)​

Projects that are not eligible

• Projects whose main purpose is promotional
• Projects whose purpose is to fund ongoing operations of an existing business
• Murals and permanent public art
• Curation or documentation of existing work
• Projects that use AI-generated or augmented art (see AI value statement for more information and exceptions)
• Projects whose purpose is to present or showcase the work of others (e.g., curatorial, festival, or educational projects)

Eligible Use of Grant Funds

• Direct project expenses (including research costs and awardee/subcontractor artist fees)
• Supplies and materials
• Equipment or equipment rental
• Event space rental
• Insurance, licenses, permits
• Publicity/marketing
• Reasonable transportation as described in recommended proposal
• Documentation
• Technology (non-equipment)

Ineligible Use of Grant Funds

• Organizations
• Capital equipment
• Studio space or office space rental
• Costs of selling, marketing, or distribution of any products or services of the recipient
• Any division of local, state or federal government.
• Religious projects or projects within a larger religious or proselytizing event/organization
• Debt reduction
• Re-granting
• Lobbying expenses
• Expenses related to the construction of facilities
• Entertainment costs, including food, beverages, alcohol, staffing, etc.
• Fundraising projects
• Political projects
• Academic-related projects (e.g., theses, applied projects, etc.)
• Literary agents or editors
• Curation of other artists’ work
• AI-generated art is not considered original work (refer to our AI Value Statement)

Application and Support

Panel Review & Notifications

Panel Review & Notifications

Applications are first reviewed by staff for eligibility and completeness. Staff may determine that an application has overwhelmingly been unresponsive to the questions and evaluation criteria, and in rare cases, may not move an application forward for panelist review and will be automatically declined.

Eligible applications are assigned to a panel of up to five panelists with knowledge and expertise in the primary discipline under review. We ensure that all our panels are free of conflicts of interest.

We provide our panelists with online access to the applications approximately a month in advance of the panel meeting. At this stage, the panelists read the applications and review work samples, enter their preliminary comments, and assign initial scores. All applications must be evaluated according to the review criteria listed in the application guidelines. Panelists later meet as a group in a closed session to discuss highest-scored applications. Informed by the panel discussion, panelists may change their initial scores.

If you are using AI in any part of your application, you will need to answer a few additional questions included in the Word version. Only POAC staff will review responses to the AI questions; these will not be reviewed by panelists.

Evaluation Criteria

Artistic Excellence (Up to 24 points)

Artistic Excellence refers to the quality of the artist’s and other key individuals, works of art, arts education providers, artistic partners, and/or services involved in the project.

1. Artist Statement communicates the applicant’s artistic formation and evolution.
2. Work Samples showcase the applicant’s significant contribution to the field and are aligned with the applicant’s discipline and artistic statement.

Artistic Merit (Up to 36 points)

Artistic Merit refers to :

• The value and appropriateness of the project to the artistic field, artists, audience, community, and/or constituency.
• The ability to carry out the project based on such factors as the appropriateness of the budget, clarity of the project activities, resources involved, and the qualifications of the project's personnel and/or partnerships.
• Clearly defined goals and/or proposed outcomes and an appropriate plan to determine if those goals and/or outcomes are met. This includes, where relevant, measures to assess student and/or teacher learning in arts education.
• Evidence of direct compensation to artists, makers, art collectives, and/or art workers.

As applicable: Engagement with individuals whose opportunities to experience and participate in the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economic status, or disability.

Artistic Merit will be evaluated through the response to the sections below:

1. Proposal successfully shows the artist’s ability to complete the project, based on alignment with applicant’s artistic practice and trajectory, clarity of explored themes or ideas, and awareness of components needed to complete the project.
2. Project plan demonstrates the applicant’s understanding of what it takes to complete the project, and plan defines that understanding.
   
3. Impact reveals applicant’s thoughtfulness and critical engagement with their own work, is aligned with the applicant’s trajectory and goals, and communicates the intrinsic necessity of the project.
4. Budget reflects the entirety of project expenses. Budget is clear and organized.

Refer to the Scoring Rubric by following this link.

Applicants will be recommended for funding by the panel to complete new in-progress or completed work between January 1, 2027, and December 31, 2027. After they are recommended for funding, they will need to complete the following:

• Register as a City of Phoenix vendor or confirm previous registration. New vendors are required to complete a W9 and an Affidavit of Lawful Presence.
• Attend a “You’ve Been Funded! What’s Next” new grantee meeting facilitated by Arts and Culture grants staff.
• Sign a grants conditions form that agrees to the following:
  • Participate in a public presentation of completed grant-funded work within city of Phoenix boundaries by January 15, 2028, either:
    • Coordinated and sponsored by Phoenix Arts and Culture, or
    • Coordinated and sponsored by the awardee
• To use the Arts and the Phoenix Arts and Culture logos when promoting the public presentation of the grant-funded work.
• Attend five Artists to Work cohort meetings that will be held from March – November 2027 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm. Specific dates are TBD.
• Payments are made in two installments:
  • 1. Upon submission of the grant conditions and completion of vendor registration
  • 2. Completion of the public benefit event and upon receipt of the final report.

Grantees agree to complete a final report by January 21, 2028, detailing how the grant award was used for the creation and presentation of new work. While this is not a reimbursement grant, by agreeing to the grant conditions, grantees will keep a log of purchases with details as it relates to use of grant funds. Grantees are required to keep documentation of their project expenses until January 21, 2031. We may ask the grantee to provide that information at a later date, if needed or required through City of Federal government audits. ​​