Travel Grants to Professionals in the Visual Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to equity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from diverse Aboriginal, cultural and regional communities, including people with disabilities.
Deadlines
1 April, 1 June, 1 September, 1 November and 1 February
If any of these dates fall on a weekend or statutory holiday, that deadline moves to the next business day. Your completed application form and all required support material must be postmarked on or before the deadline date.
Please refer to the Program Guidelines for detailed information.
Program Description
This program provides assistance to professional visual and fine craft artists, independent critics and curators, and architecture professionals. Grants are for travel to attend or participate in activities related to their practice, in Canada or abroad.
Visual and fine craft artists may apply for either travel for exhibition OR travel to artists’ residency.
Independent critics and curators, and architecture professionals may apply for either travel for presentation OR travel for research.
Applicant Eligibility
General eligibility criteria
To apply to the Canada Council for the Arts, you must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You do not need to be living in Canada when you apply.
Only individuals can apply to this program. If you are travelling as part of a group or collaboration, each member must apply separately.
You must also meet the Canada Council’s definition of a professional artist, which is someone who:
- has specialized training in the artistic field (not necessarily in academic institutions)
- is recognized as a professional by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition)
- is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if possible financially.
Visual and fine craft artists, independent critics and curators, and architecture professionals must also have:
- produced an independent body of work
- maintained an independent professional practice for at least three years following the completion of specialized training in the field.
Specific eligibility criteria
In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria outlined above, you must have a history of public presentation or publication. This is defined below.
Visual and fine craft artists
You must have had at least three public exhibitions of your work in a professional visual arts or fine craft context, over a three-year period following basic training.
Independent critics and curators
Critics: You must have had at least three independent critical texts or reviews published in a professional visual arts context, over a three-year period following basic training.
Curators: You must have created at least three independent public exhibition/presentations in a professional visual arts context and have had three independent critical texts or reviews published in a professional context, over a three-year period following basic training.
Architecture professionals
Practitioners of architecture (architect, landscape architect, or architectural or urban designer): You must have had at least three published articles, publications, exhibitions or other public presentations of your works of architecture in a professional context.
Critics and curators of architecture: You must have had at least three published articles, publications, exhibitions, or other public presentations on works of architecture in a professional context.
Professional context
Artists’ public presentations and exhibitions, both in Canada and abroad, must be in a professional visual arts organization or context where the artist’s work is recognized by a professional curator, gallery owner/art dealer, or collective of professional artists.
Note that meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee that you will receive a grant.
Project Eligibility
Visual and fine craft artists:
Travel for exhibition: Travel to attend an exhibition of your artworks. Travel must be in response to an invitation by a professional visual arts or fine craft organization, or in another context where your work is selected by a professional curator, gallery director or art dealer.
OR
Travel to artists’ residency: Travel to participate in a professional artists’ residency. Participants should be chosen through a selection process. The host organization should offer support in the form of a confirmed grant or honorarium, or contribution towards accommodations.
Independent critics and curators, and architecture professionals:
Travel for presentation: Travel to attend a public presentation of your work at a professional venue or to present at a conference or symposium. The travel must be in response to an invitation from a professional organization.
OR
Travel for research: Travel to undertake professional activities, such as studio visits or site visits related to a specific research project.
Grant Amount
You may apply for one of the following fixed amounts to contribute toward your travel costs, based on excursion fares: $500, $750, $1,000, $1,500, $2,000 or $2,500. The amounts of $2,000 and $2,500 are available only if you are travelling to or from northern Canada or to international destinations that are not in the United States or Europe.
Further Information
Program Officers
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
visualarts.travelgrants@canadacouncil.ca
1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, and the appropriate extension number.
1 April: Jim Logan, ext. 5266
1 June: François Dion, ext. 5268
1 September: Brigitte Desrochers,ext. 5270
1 November: Mela Constantinidi, ext. 4122
1 February: Brigitte Desrochers,ext. 5270
TTY: 1-866-585-5559
April 2013