Convening Grants

Convening Grants are offered by the Terra Foundation for American Art to support gatherings that expand knowledge, nurture relationships, foster intercultural exchange, and inspire shifts in perspectives and practices across local and global networks. The program is centered on the visual arts of the United States and the Indigenous arts of North America and seeks to broaden understandings of American art and transform how its histories and stories are told. Convenings may address historical, contemporary, and critical issues, professional practice, institutional change, and research in American art. Interdisciplinary projects are welcomed, but the primary focus must remain anchored in the visual arts. When United States visual arts and Indigenous arts of North America are not central to a project, applicants must clearly explain how the convening advances global dialogue or drives change in the field of American art. Convening Grants typically range from $10,000 to $25,000 and are awarded twice yearly. Funding may support either planning or implementation costs. Allowable expenses include professional fees and honoraria, artist fees excluding commissions, travel, audiovisual support such as technicians, videography and photography, ASL interpretation, translation and speech-to-text services, catering, dissemination of research in digital or print formats, marketing and outreach, administrative costs of up to 20 percent of the grant, and indirect costs of up to 15 percent of the grant. Up to $5,000 of an award may be used to publish proceedings or other project-related publications online or in print, provided those publication funds are spent within one year of the event. The foundation prefers not to be the sole funder of an event, but the source does not establish a mandatory cost-share or matching percentage. Eligible applicants include arts centers, community-based cultural organizations and associations, foundations, museums, research centers, and universities of varying sizes and annual budgets. Applicants must hold United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or the international equivalent, and the program is open to organizations worldwide. Grants are not made to individuals. Convenings may be in early planning or more developed phases and may be conducted in person, virtually, or in hybrid formats. Organizations that received a Terra grant during the previous year, defined as within the last two grant cycles, are not eligible to apply, although applicants whose previous applications were declined may reapply. The program does not accept alumni gatherings, annual conferences or annual general meetings, summits, capital expenditures, commercial films and documentaries, fellowship programs, festivals and award ceremonies, research databases, residencies, travel grants, certain general public programs, or events focused on dramatic and musical arts, decorative arts and craft, or fashion. The application process begins with submission of a Grant Inquiry Form through the Apply Now process by the applicable inquiry deadline. The foundation reviews the inquiry and may then invite the applicant to submit a full Grant Proposal. Applicants should monitor the email address used for the inquiry, including spam and junk folders, and should contact the foundation if no update has been received within four weeks after the inquiry deadline. Only invited applicants proceed to the proposal stage. Formal proposals and attachments must be written in English. The application asks applicants to clearly and concisely describe the project's intended impact and outcomes and explain how grant funds will supplement existing resources to achieve institutional goals. Blank Grant Inquiry and Grant Proposal forms are provided by the foundation for reference. Grant proposals are reviewed by an external panel of curators, researchers, and other arts professionals representing a diverse range of backgrounds, perspectives, and approaches. The foundation's stated priorities favor projects that generate knowledge and interpretive frameworks reflecting the breadth and complexity of American art and its histories, engage artists, scholars, and communities representing a plurality of perspectives and methods, including intercultural and interdisciplinary approaches, and catalyze inclusive practices and expansive histories in the field. Applicants should demonstrate how their convening supports meaningful dialogue, partnership, accountability, multiple perspectives, and substantive engagement with the visual arts. Applicants seeking assistance are encouraged to contact the foundation well before the open-call deadline, with at least two weeks of advance time recommended. For the currently open cycle, programs taking place after May 1, 2027 have an inquiry deadline of September 28, 2026 and, for applicants invited forward, a proposal deadline of November 30, 2026. A second published cycle covers programs taking place after November 1, 2027, with an inquiry deadline of February 16, 2027 and a proposal deadline of April 20, 2027. Grant support is awarded twice yearly, establishing a recurring semiannual opportunity. The source does not state an application opening date, award notification date, or general grant performance period. Questions about Convening Grants may be directed to Lucy Pike, Associate Program Officer, Convening Grants and Initiatives, at pike@terraamericanart.eu.

Anchor the project in the visual arts; demonstrate how it broadens understandings of American art and engages multiple perspectives; emphasize inclusive histories, intercultural or interdisciplinary approaches, partnership, and accountability; if United States visual arts and Indigenous arts of North America are not central, clearly explain how the convening advances global dialogue or drives change in American art; plan for funding beyond Terra because the foundation prefers not to be the sole funder