Grants of up to $150,000 support public-facing contemporary visual art projects by US-based curators. Single project grants may fund group exhibitions, single-artist surveys, participatory or community-engaged art projects, digital exhibitions, curated series of live or virtual performances, and more. Projects must open to the public between September 1, 2025, and August 31, 2027.
This grant category supports projects in the implementation phase, which can include auxiliaries such as live events and publications in a range of media. (For projects at an earlier stage, consider applying for a curatorial research and development grant.) Projects can be led by one curator at one institution or can be collaborative efforts linking different curators and organizations. If the latter, please identify one partner as the lead applicant.
Teiger Foundation is dedicated to supporting curatorial learning and experimentation. Successful proposals will demonstrate not just the merit of the artists involved, but a clearly defined and compelling curatorial vision. What guiding principles shape your approach to working with artists and partners? How do you engage with communities and contexts in your curatorial practice? What urgent curatorial issues do you seek to address, and how do you approach them?
Please consult our FAQ for more information on how applications are evaluated, and our past grantee list for examples of the range of initiatives we support.
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Here are the five parts of the single project application, followed by some questions and answers about this category.
1. Curator’s voice
The following questions should be answered by the curator(s) in their own words, in 350 words or less. Please address all questions; this section helps Teiger Foundation understand the thinking behind your proposed project. For collaborative proposals, each curator should respond individually.
+ What led you to pursue curating, and what have you learned along the way? Please provide concrete examples.
+ Who do you do this work for? Has that changed or evolved?
+ Which curatorial projects have you witnessed or researched that influence your thinking, and/or which pressing dialogues do you wish to engage with?
Optional links
You may provide up to five links with captions up to 100 words per link to provide context for your answer. These links can direct us to dedicated project websites or related digital content; visual materials such as installation shots, floorplans, digital walkthroughs, or videos; text documentation including publications, brochures, or reviews; or personal or organizational websites if they are relevant. Use the caption fields to identify the links and why you included them. If any link requires a password for access, please include it.
2. Proposed project
Description
In 750 words or less, describe your project. While you may structure your writing in any way you like, please make sure to address each of the following questions.
In your submission, please differentiate between confirmed and pending artists and partners. “Confirmed” refers to those with whom you have formal agreements. “Pending” means that you have had a conversation with the artist or partner, and they have agreed to be included in the application, but have not yet finalized their participation.
+ For single-artist projects: Why have you chosen to spotlight this particular artist? What is your new viewpoint on their work(s)? What is the nature of your collaboration with the artist, and how does it inform and shape the project? What are the specific curatorial decisions or strategies you've employed to support and extend the artist’s vision, learning, and your own?
+ For group projects or thematic exhibitions: How and why did you select these particular artists or works? What is the organizing principle behind the presentation of the works you’ve selected? Are you pursuing a format new to you or to the artists?
+ Who is this project for? Who does the artist(s) want to connect with through this project? Please identify the specific communities, audiences, or stakeholders this project aims to engage. Examples include (but are not limited to) local communities, artists, artistic and cultural workers, scholars, students, and/or activist and advocacy communities. How will the project engage these groups?
+ If your project is co-organized with partners, or structured around collaborations, why have you chosen to work together? What are your collective working methods, and how do they support your and your colleagues’ curatorial growth, and/or the development of your organizations(s)?
Images
Please provide up to ten images with captions up to 100 words per image to illustrate your proposed project. Include the artist's name, the title of the work, the materials used, and the date of creation. Additional context on the images and why you included them is encouraged. Images should be in .jpg format, at least 72 dpi DPI, and do not exceed 5 MB each.
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3. Project budget
Submit a project budget including pending and confirmed income and expenses. Samples of single project budgets are available here. Please note:
+ You may request $50,000, $75,000 or $150,000.
+ A single project grant can cover no more than 50% of a project’s budgeted expenses.
+ Up to 30% of the grant can be used for indirect costs (sometimes known as overhead or administrative costs).
+ Robust fees for artists, whether producing new work or contributing existing work, are highly recommended. Please refer to W.A.G.E. standards for guidance. We also encourage robust compensation for all outside consultants, partners, and advisors, as well as other collaborators such as writers, designers, photographers, web developers, etc.
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4. Organization budget
Submit your organization's operating budgets for the past and current fiscal years. Your organization budget for the future fiscal year is optional. If your project involves a partnership, submit the operating budgets for the lead partner's organization only.
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5. Proof of 501(c)(3) status
If you are applying as a partnership, please submit proof of 501(c)(3) status for the lead partner’s organization only.
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Questions you may have
I work at an institution with a budget of less than $3.5 million, but I’m planning a big show. Can I apply for the single project grant?
Yes. We recognize that smaller organizations may undertake larger-scale projects, especially when collaborating or forming partnerships. International partners are welcome.
I need support to mount my exhibition for the first time, and I am also already organizing a tour. Should I apply for a single project grant or a hosting grant?
You should apply for a single project grant. In the project description, please tell us about touring venues that are already confirmed or likely to be confirmed. You may include your own organization’s administrative costs related to the coordination of the tour as part of your project budget. You may also indicate that, if awarded, you'd like to be considered for additional funds for your touring partners.
I received an invitation from another organization to partner on a project. Should I apply for a single project grant or a hosting grant?
If your organizations are collaborating equally in the planning and organization of the project, you should apply together for a single project grant, with one organization serving as the lead applicant. This implies shared responsibility for the project's development and implementation.
If you've been invited to join a project that has already been organized and developed by another institution, please apply for a hosting grant. These grants support your work to adapt and present the project within the context of your own institution and community.
In both cases, international partners are welcome; the US partner must serve as lead applicant.
How does the single project grant differ from the research and development grant?
The curatorial research and development grant is intended for the early stages of a curatorial project, allowing grantees to explore initial concepts, conduct research, and develop a strong curatorial vision. This grant can support a range of needs, including travel funding and financial support for contributors such as artists, programmatic partners, and catalogue contributors.
In contrast, the single project grant aids curators in the actual manifestation of these plans in a tangible, public-facing exhibition or program. While the research and development grant provides the resources to lay a strong foundation for a project, the single project grant is designed to bring the curator’s vision to life for a public audience. To be competitive in the single project category, proposals must be well-developed, specific, and thoroughly argued. Projects that are still too general or lack clarity are unlikely to be successful. If your project is not yet at this stage, we recommend applying for a curatorial research and development grant instead.
In all cases, if your project involves an exhibition opening on or after September 1, 2027, you should apply to the curatorial research and development category, not the single project category.
Do you fund triennials, biennials, internationals, or other large-scale exhibitions of that kind, including their research or presentation?
No. Stay tuned for future opportunities.
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Here are the guidelines above as a PDF.