Power Plant Grants

Power Plant Grants are administered by Big Car Collaborative and funded through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts as part of its Regional Regranting Program. This initiative is designed to support individual visual artists and artist teams residing in Indiana by providing financial resources to pursue innovative and experimental artistic projects. The program emphasizes direct support to artists rather than institutions, ensuring that funds are placed in the hands of creators to develop new work that expands their practice and engages audiences in meaningful ways. The primary purpose of the grant is to enable artists to take creative risks, scale their work, and explore collaborative or interdisciplinary approaches. Projects are expected to be original and artist-driven, with a strong emphasis on experimentation and public accessibility. The program supports a wide range of visual and multidisciplinary practices including but not limited to painting, sculpture, digital media, performance, sound art, and social practice. Funded projects must demonstrate a clear intention to reach audiences through process, production, presentation, or publication, even if those audiences are niche or community-specific. Each funding cycle awards five grants of twelve thousand dollars each, for a total program allocation of sixty thousand dollars annually. The award amount is fixed and cannot be adjusted, meaning applicants must request the full amount and construct a realistic and detailed budget accordingly. While the grant can cover a range of project-related expenses, it cannot be used primarily for equipment purchases, studio rent, travel, or professional services unless those costs are part of a broader and compelling project vision. The funding is also not intended for private studio work, repair of existing artworks, or projects that primarily benefit nonprofit organizations. Eligibility is restricted to individual artists or teams who are over the age of twenty one, reside in Indiana, and are not enrolled as full time students. Applicants must be the originators of their proposed projects, and nonprofit organizations or artist-run spaces are not eligible to apply. Collaborations are permitted, but the majority of key participants must also be based in Indiana. Additionally, employees and board members of Big Car Collaborative, along with their immediate family members, are excluded from eligibility. The program requires that funded projects ultimately benefit audiences within Indiana, reinforcing its regional focus. The application process is conducted online and includes submission of project proposals, work samples, and supporting materials that demonstrate the applicant’s capability to execute the project. Applicants may submit up to two proposals, though only one can be funded. Work samples must be carefully prepared and accessible, as nonfunctional submissions will disqualify the applicant. The application also requires a clear explanation of how the proposed project differs from past work and how the grant will enable new growth or experimentation. All applicants are notified of the outcome via email following the review process. Projects are evaluated by an independent panel of artists and arts professionals based on criteria such as impact, clarity of goals and objectives, dissemination strategy, innovation, and contributions to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Additional consideration is given to projects located in areas with limited access to arts programming. The selection process is competitive and emphasizes the originality and feasibility of the proposal relative to other submissions. For the 2026 funding cycle, applications are open in advance of several informational sessions held in August through October. The final application deadline is November 20, 2026, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time, with grantees publicly announced on December 18, 2026. The program operates on an annual cycle, and interested applicants are encouraged to subscribe to program updates and attend information sessions to better understand the requirements and expectations. Questions can be directed to the administering organization via email, though no specific contact individual is listed.

Focus on originality and experimentation; ensure work samples are functional and concise; clearly demonstrate how funding enables new work; prepare a realistic and detailed budget