Spark Award for Oregon Artists is sponsored by James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation.

Direct grants to individual artists in Oregon, focusing on literary and media arts. The application period is anticipated to open in May 2026, with a deadline in June 2026.

The Spark Award for Oregon Artists Individual Artist Grants Portal Organization Grants Portal The Spark Award for Oregon Artists The James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation believes that the arts connect us to each other in powerful and surprising ways and help us make sense of our world.

By celebrating the vital role artists play in enriching the lives of all Oregonians, we recognize that artists are essential to our state’s vitality. The Foundation has funded the arts throughout Oregon for over two decades, primarily by supporting the work of arts organizations.

In 2024 we launched the Spark Award for Oregon Artists , a three-year pilot program that provides direct support to 60 midcareer individual artists across artistic disciplines . This program supports individual artists in Oregon as a valuable investment in both the artists themselves and the communities enriched by their work .

This three-year pilot program will support 60 individual Oregon artists (20 per year) in various artistic fields. The program invests in the overall creative development of artists rather than focusing on particular projects. ‍ This funding is to support midcareer artists during a crucial phase of their artistic growth.

Photo credit: Darien Attridge ‍ Guidelines for the 2026 Spark Award for Oregon Visual Artists are now available [PDF] . We are currently accepting applications in our Grants Portal. Applications are due on June 3, 2026 by 5pm PDT .

The Miller Foundation will grant $25,000 to each selected artist. Recipients can receive the award in a single payment shortly after award announcements or in multiple installments. Awardees will receive a 1099-MISC form.

Supporting you as an artist Funds can address any barriers to sustaining and advancing your artistic practice, offering time to explore, reflect, connect, or create work at a particularly important moment in your creative development. Meeting a wide range of needs You determine how to use the funds, from living expenses such as rent, childcare or healthcare, to research or material support.

This funding does not need to be used in support of a specific project. Disciplinary focus by year Each year the Spark Award pilot program supports working artists in a limited set of disciplines. The application will be open to specific discipline/s each year.

photo credit: Jonathan Chng Individual artists creating original work in the performing arts: dance, music, theater, and other performance practices, traditional and folk performance, Culture Bearers and interdisciplinary artists whose work includes the performing arts as one of the primary forms of expression.

photo credit: Jakob Owens Individual artists creating original work in the fields of literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels) and media arts (animation, experimental, narrative and documentary media), and interdisciplinary artists whose work includes the literary or media arts as the primary forms of expression.

Individual artists and Culture Bearers creating original works of visual art in the following categories, and presenting in an exhibition/installation context: Book arts, Collage, Ceramics, Drawing, Ecological Art, Fiber, Glass, Installation, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Social Practice, Sound Art, Video/Digital Art, and interdisciplinary practices where visual arts is an ongoing primary form of expression.

Eligibility requirements and full application preview can be found in the 2026 Guidelines [PDF].

Eligible applicants will be individual midcareer artists who meet these basic criteria : Photo credit: Simon Takatomi 30 years of age or older with 7+ years of active art practice (not including schooling) Regularly creating and presenting new work to public audiences Producing original work in eligible disciplines Oregon resident for last 5 years To be eligible for this grant program, applicants should be an individual visual artist or Culture Bearer who meet the following criteria: 30 years or older (as of 12/31/2026, no exceptions).

have been a full-time resident in the state of Oregon for the last five years at the time of application (since 2021 or earlier) and anticipate staying in residence in Oregon for the next year. This includes enrolled members of tribal communities that share this geography. A “resident of Oregon” is defined here as a person who would be required to file a resident Oregon income tax return.

an artist able to demonstrate (through work samples and CV) a dedicated artistic practice of 7+ years in the discipline in which they are applying, with a steady growth in professional opportunities and public engagement throughout their career to date, and likely future contributions to their discipline. Competitive applicants can describe this current catalytic phase oftheir creative career in the application.

This program is not focused on supporting artists who are in an emerging or an advanced stage of their careers. 7+ years of a sustained and active public artistic practice in their primary discipline (not including schooling) that reaches beyond their studio.

This could be via curated exhibitions, competitive residencies, talks, readings, distribution, publications, public screenings, etc. ongoing practice involves creating new original work , rather than interpreting, translating, arranging, reviving, remounting or copying the work of others/ previously existing material.

Eligible visual arts categories : Book arts, Collage, Ceramics, Drawing, Ecological Art, Fiber, Glass, Installation, Painting, non-commercial Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Digital Art/Sound Art/ Social Practice Art/Video Art that is presented in an exhibition/installation context, and interdisciplinary practices where visual arts is a primary form of expression.

Applicant cannot currently be enrolled in a creative degree program (associates, low residency, undergraduate, graduate). Applicant cannot be an emerging artist (less than seven years of professional visual arts practice outside of schooling) and cannot be at an 'advanced' artist in the later stages of an artistic career.

The Foundation defines ‘ advanced’ as a well-established artist who has experienced significant recognition and achievements over an extended period, i.e. major national awards, a retrospective, multiple solo museum exhibitions, etc.. Artists working in the performing, literary and media arts are not eligible to apply in 2026 .

‍ Applicants employed by an arts organization in an artistic or leadership capacity are only eligible if they have an individual artistic practice independent from the work of that organization. ‍ This funding is to support individual artists rather than artistic teams. If you work within a collaborative, you must be able to represent your ongoing individual and original contributions in your application narrative and work samples.

‍ ‍ Former recipients of a Spark Award from the Miller Foundation are not eligible to apply. Applicant cannot be a family member of an employee or board member of the James F. and Marion L.

Miller Foundation, or the Foundation's namesakes (Family member is defined as a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child or sibling).

Ineligible visual arts categories : Architecture, commercial art (photography, illustration and other forms made-for-hire), curatorial practice, design (game/graphic/interior/industrial/furniture etc.), and work that is intended primarily for online viewing, a theatrical setting, or other non-exhibition/installation settings.

View FULL Eligibility Criteria The Miller Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Panelists will consider the following criteria when reviewing applications: Artist’s creative practice demonstrates a distinctive vision and voice, and communicates unique perspective/s that contribute to the evolution of their discipline Artist demonstrates strong technical skills and craft in the execution of their work, and an ongoing commitment to workingin this form Applicant demonstrates efforts in growing an audience, and impactful public engagement with their artistic work that extends beyond their studio Applicant demonstrates sustained growth in professional opportunities and provides compelling evidence that that they are in a catalytic period of their creative career, with likely significant future contributions to their field.

They clearly articulate the impact funding can have in this crucial phase of their artistic practice Following a screening for eligibility, applications will be reviewed by a panel of regional and national experts. Guidelines posted March 31, 2026 Application period opened April 15, 2026 Applications due June 3, 2026 by 5pm PDT Submit an application through the Artist Grants Portal starting April 15, 2026.

The 2026 deadline is June 3 by 5pm PDT. Application screening, panel review and selection . Funding awarded!

The one-time, $25,000 awards for individual artists announced in mid-November 2026. Artists report back about a year after receiving the award, sharing how the funding supported their creative growth and furthered their artistic career. photo credit: Sara Sjol.

Artists: ERAS and Never Satisfied | Portland Street Art Alliance Our Artist Grants Portal will guide artists through the application process. Applicants will create a profile, complete the eligibility quiz, and provide the following information: Biographical Narrative & Artist statement Tell us who you are and share your background, influences, and journey as an artist.

Tell us a bit about yourself, such as where you grew up, what led you to become an artist, or any other information that might not be included in other parts of your application. [2,000 characters maximum including spaces] Tell us about your original artistic practiceand how it has developed over time: you may include information about your influences, process, values, emphasis, main interests, and more.

What underlying concepts or ideas connect your work over time? What are your current investigations or curiosities? [3,500 characters maximum, including spaces] Tips and Resources on preparing your biographical narrative and artist statement available HERE .

Audience Reach & Creative Impact Tell us about your engagement with audiences. Explain how this funding would provide momentum for your creative development in this particular period of your career and what comes next. The Spark Award aims to support artists who directly engage audiences beyond their studio practice.

Tell us about the specific audience/s and public you wish to reach and impact with your work: In what ways do you engage with these audiences? What interactions or experiences have you had with those who have engaged with your work? [3,000 characters maximum, including spaces] Impact on Creative Development The Spark Award is intended to support artists at a pivotal juncture of their career.

Tell us inwhat way is this a catalytic phase in your creative career? How would this funding provide momentum for your creative development in this particular period? What comes next?

While this funding does not need to be used in support of a specific project, the application should describe how the funding can serve as a catalyst to advance your creative development and artistic career. [3,500 characters maximum, including spaces] Reminder: This funding is intended to support you as an artist.

As such, the funding may be used to support any activities that sustain your practice, including – but not limited to – living costs such as rent, healthcare, childcare, trainings, materials, equipment, research costs, etc . Resume/CV & Career Spotlights Provide details of the presentation of your work to date and experience related to your current artistic practice.

Artist Resume/CV & Career Spotlights * Career Spotlights : In this section we ask that you list what you regard as 5 achievements in your creative career to date. This might include particular exhibitions, completion of a major project, the inclusion of your work in a collection, a commission, a presentation, an honor or award you have received, a publication, a teaching position, or other professional opportunity.

We realize these same accomplishments are likely to appear on your resume/CV. Our intention is not to duplicate your efforts, but rather to provide the reviewers with a sense of what you regard as your greatest career accomplishments. For each one-line entry, include a brief description of the opportunity and when/where it took place (if relevant).

These do not need to be listed in a particular order. * Artist Resume/CV : Upload a resume/CV in a single document. This document is a tool that helps reviewers understand the evolution of your artistic career to date—it will be carefully reviewed to fully assess eligibility, career stage, commitment to your discipline, audience engagement, and future potential.

As such, the document should provide a comprehensive overview of the presentation of your work. tracking the growth in scope and caliber of the opportunities you have had over time. The CV should list your exhibition history (separate out group from solo), commissions, acquisitions, grants or awards, residencies, teaching or program opportunities, and/or other relevant activities.

Clearly state the year and location in which the activity occurred. Do not include general employment history or other information unless it is relevant to your artistic practice. [Five pages maximum in PDF format] Tips and Resources on Selecting the Career Spotlights and preparing an artist CV HERE .

Share samples created in the last decade that you consider the best examples of your creative practice. Provide samples representing works created in the last 10 years that show a range of your visual arts practice, half of the samples must have been completed in the last 3 years (this can include works in progress): You may submit either 10 image files or 6 media files (video/audio) of up to 3 minutes each (~18 minutes total).

To submit a combination of image and media, you may provide 5 images and 3 media files (~9 minutes total). Provide context in the designated ‘ Work sample information ’ field. ‍ The work samples you submit are the most important part of your application.

Upload image files or video/audio links for each work. Follow the specifications in the guidelines when selecting samples for your application. Tips and Resources on preparing your work samples for application available HERE .

Sessions and resources to support applicants Carefully review the 2026 Grant Guidelines [PDF] ( Plain-text version ). They include detailed eligibility criteria, preview the application questions and required materials, and give an overview of the review process. More information is available on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

‍ We held a Virtual Info Session on April 22, 2026. You can view a recording of the session on Youtube. A transcript of the meeting is also available [PDF ] .

Read our updated grant writing tips and guidance on preparing your application materials. Access 1:1 Spark Support: Leading up to the deadline we will offer 15-minute, one-on-one meetings with prospective applicants on Zoom or the phone, to provide application support. We cannot offer draft reviews .

Grab a time slot HERE . Open Support Session : On May 27, 2026 at 4pm , Miller staff will facilitate a 90-minute shared virtual workspace for applicants to ask questions and work on their applications in community. Register for link HERE .

Request assistance : We are committed to making this application accessible. Please contact us at artists@millerfound. org to request translation, interpretation, or other assistance you might require in completing the application.

Applications must be completed in our Grants Portal by 5:00pm PDT on June 3, 2026. Awards will be announced in mid-November 2026. Photo credit: Rapha Wilde