Indigenous Visual Artists' Materials

Indigenous Visual Artists' Materials is sponsored by Ontario Arts Council (OAC). This program provides support for Indigenous visual artists to purchase materials for their artistic practice.

Ontario Arts Council - Indigenous Visual Artists' Materials expand to view child pages of 4 expand to view child pages of 3301 Building Audiences and Markets Engaging Communities and Schools Developing Careers and Arts Services expand to view child pages of 3302 expand to view child pages of 3027 Deaf Artists and Artists with Disabilities Artists Living in Regions Outside Toronto General Granting Information expand to view child pages of 3303 Grant Program Deadlines and Important Dates Guide to Operating Grants Guide to Project Programs Information in sign language expand to view child pages of 5 Ontario Arts Council Awards Government of Ontario Awards expand to view child pages of 4065 Premier's Awards for Excellence in the Arts Ontario Arts Foundation Awards and Funds expand to view child pages of 3033 expand to view child pages of 2945 Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2023-2028 Alternative Services and Application Processes expand to view child pages of 3756 Deaf Artists and Artists with Disabilities Artists Living in Regions Outside Toronto Public Feedback Form / Complaints Guide to Providing Application Support Would you like to be an OAC peer assessor?

expand to view child pages of 6 expand to view child pages of 18 2026 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards presented to Jennifer Maruno, Miki Sato and Kat Ashley Naomi Skye honoured with 2026 Pauline McGibbon Award expand to view child pages of 6791 Read our February newsletter expand to view child pages of 2956 Share your photos with OAC expand to view child pages of 7 How does the Ontario Arts Council track its work and impact?

Program Evaluation at OAC Impact of the Arts in Ontario expand to view child pages of 3 expand to view child pages of 2761 Public Feedback Form / Complaints Accountability and Governance Building Audiences and Markets Engaging Communities and Schools Developing Careers and Arts Services Deaf Artists and Artists with Disabilities Artists Living in Regions Outside Toronto General Granting Information Grant Program Deadlines and Important Dates Guide to Operating Grants Guide to Project Programs Information in sign language Earl Lee receives the 2018 Heinz Unger Award.

(Photo: Jag Gundu/Toronto Symphony Orchestra) Ontario Arts Council Awards Government of Ontario Awards Premier's Awards for Excellence in the Arts Ontario Arts Foundation Awards and Funds Circus artist Erin Ball delivers an aerial performance during a workshop hosted by the Kingston Arts Council at the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning in Kingston.

(Photo: Liz Cooper) Multi-Year Accessibility Plan 2023-2028 Alternative Services and Application Processes Deaf Artists and Artists with Disabilities Artists Living in Regions Outside Toronto Public Feedback Form / Complaints Guide to Providing Application Support Would you like to be an OAC peer assessor? A drum circle recording session that was part of the Ancestral Call to Balance project led by Sandra Desjardins.

(Photo: Sandra Desjardins) 2026 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Awards presented to Jennifer Maruno, Miki Sato and Kat Ashley Naomi Skye honoured with 2026 Pauline McGibbon Award Read our February newsletter Share your photos with OAC A large audience watches a film screening during the Christie Pits Film Festival, part of Toronto Outdoor Picture Show’s Cinematic Cities program.

(Photo: Diana Maclean) How does the Ontario Arts Council track its work and impact? Program Evaluation at OAC Impact of the Arts in Ontario Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue perform during the Ottawa Jazz Festival at Confederation Park.

(Photo: Chris Parker) Public Feedback Form / Complaints Accountability and Governance Winter Holidays 2023-2024 | Vacances d'hiver 2023-2024  Grants Advanced Search Box Home  Grants  Indigenous Visual Artists' Materials Toll-free in Ontario: ​​​​​​​​​​1-800-387-0058  Guide to OAC Project Programs  Guide to OAC Assessment  Guide to OAC Support Material  Grant Program Deadlines and Important Dates  Recognition Requirements for Project Grant Recipients  Showcase your photos on our website and publications  OAC Geographic Regions Maps (PDF) Indigenous Visual Artists' Materials Until this program opens in Nova , the Ontario Arts Council’s online granting system, program information may change.

This includes deadline dates and specific information on eligibility. Be sure to visit this page after the program opens in Nova , but before starting your application. The Ontario Arts Council supports Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) creativity and celebrates the vitality of diverse cultural and artistic expression.

This program is for Indigenous applicants only. In the application you will be required to state your Indigenous nation and community and clearly speak to your lived experience. Indigenous OAC staff members administer the program, and applications are assessed by Indigenous organizations.

The program supports Ontario-based First Nations, Inuit, and Métis artists working in the visual arts, crafts or traditional/customary Indigenous art forms to create artwork or facilitate workshops. Grants of $500 or $1,000 help cover the cost of buying art materials and supplies only. This is a third-party recommender program.

Using Nova, OAC’s online grant application system, an artist applies to an Indigenous organization designated as a recommender for the program. These recommenders assess applications and submit grant recommendations to OAC. See About recommender grants below for more information on the grant application process.

The 2026-2027 program is open from September 2026 until January 29, 2027, 1 p. m. ET .

Each recommender either sets its own deadlines or assesses applications on an ongoing basis until their budget is spent. See the Recommenders for Indigenous Visual Artists' Materials web page for deadline information. Note that the list is subject to updates and changes during the program year.

OAC can arrange offline submissions for persons with limited internet access and oral applications for Indigenous persons. For additional information, read the Alternative Services and Application Processes page or call the program administrator. Recommenders with set deadlines : You will be notified up to two months after the recommender’s deadline date.

Recommenders that assess applications on an ongoing basis : You will be notified up to two months after the date you submit your application. Important : Due to the number of applications received and the limited funds available, grants awarded may be smaller than the amount requested. A grant awarded in this program year (September 2026 – March 2027) counts towards your three-grant limit for 2026.

You can only receive one grant from this program per program year. However, you can submit applications to multiple recommenders. You may only submit one application per recommender per program year.

If you receive a grant of over $500, OAC will issue you a T4A. artists and Culture Carriers who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis (see definition below) applicants must be Ontario residents Read the Guide to OAC Project Programs for more eligibility information.

non-Indigenous applicants ad hoc groups and collectives The grant can be used for the following expenses: materials and art supplies, such as wood, fabric, thread, stone, leather hides, sinew, beads, needles, photographic printing, inks, metals, paint, canvas, paper, pencils, etc. small tools for making artwork or for harvesting or gathering materials, such as blades, carving tools, awls, scissors, etc. materials or tools required to run or participate in workshops cost of transporting or shipping materials and supplies individual travel costs for gathering materials, such as to collect beading/sewing supplies or to gather natural materials on the land See the Eligible art forms list under Definitions for examples of visual art and craft practices supported through this program.

Projects can involve more than one eligible art form.

What this program does not fund artist fees and honorariums workshop registration fees large equipment purchases (such as a table saw or computer), studio set-up or renovations materials and supplies for student projects in all education levels business and promotional expenses, such as websites and business cards cost of producing a commercial production line (that is, to have your designs manufactured by someone else) creation of food products and beverages creation of body care products such as soaps and home products such as candles and floral arrangements The activities for which you are requesting funding: must finish after you receive your grant results must be completed within two years after you receive your grant results Final report requirements If you receive a grant, you must complete the project and submit a final report in Nova .

See Terms and Conditions – receipt of OAC project grant funds for more information on reporting obligations. Note: Your project is considered complete once you have bought or collected the proposed materials and have begun to use them.

In your final report, you will need to provide: a short description of what you created with the support of this grant, including details on any minor or approved changes to what had been outlined in the application three images of artwork (finished or in progress) you created using the materials purchased documentation and/or an explanation of how you followed or will follow OAC’s Recognition Requirements for Project Grant Recipients Complete and submit an application in Nova , OAC’s online grant application system.

Before applying, you must create or update your profile in Nova . Your application will include: your answers to application questions the name of the recommender you are applying to artistic examples – images or video documentation of your own work: artist résumé (optional but recommended) Complete instructions and requirements are in the application in Nova .

For details on creating a profile or submitting an application, see the Nova User Guide . Program-specific definitions Indigenous : This term refers to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples in Canada.

Indigenous Culture Carrier : Someone whose role within First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities is to preserve, maintain and transfer the knowledge of specific Indigenous worldviews, cultural practices and traditions through art and creative practice. Indigenous Culture Carriers include Elders, knowledge keepers, traditional educators and language holders.

They have developed skills through training or practice, are recognized by their community as a significant contributor to Indigenous cultural practice, have engaged in community-based cultural activity on a regular basis.

Eligible art forms include, but are not limited to: basketry (birch bark, black ash, willow, etc.) drums, rattles and instruments hide tanning and fur processing textile art (embroidery, quilts, weaving, etc.) woodworking (snowshoe making, tamarack goose making, etc.) Recommenders are organizations authorized by OAC to receive applications, review them and make grant recommendations.

OAC allocates a budget to each of the participating recommenders. Recommenders submit their grant recommendations to OAC, which are then reviewed by OAC for applicant and project eligibility. OAC then sends you an email letting you know that your notification letter is available online in Nova.

See the Guide to Project Programs for more information about grant decisions, grant payments and what you need to do if you get a grant. Artists who have a conflict of interest with a particular recommender may not apply to that recommender.

An artist is in a conflict of interest if they are: an employee or board member of the recommender organization a member of a committee or jury reviewing applications for the recommender immediate family members of those described above How recommenders assess applications Recommenders establish their own processes for assessing applications and making grant recommendations.

Staff, board or committee members, or other arts professionals in the community may take on this role for the recommender.

The link below will direct you to a list of the recommenders and their application deadlines: Recommenders for Indigenous Visual Artists' Materials  Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming 121 Bloor Street East, 7th Floor For more than 60 years, the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) has played a vital role in promoting and assisting the development of the arts for the enjoyment and benefit of Ontarians.

The OAC reached 27. 4 million people through events and arts education activities across the province in 2021-22. In 2024-25 , OAC invested its grant program budget of $52.

2 million in 204 communities across 123 Ontario ridings, providing 1,969 grants to individual artists and 1,030 grants to organizations.