artist professional development grant

Through the Artist Professional Development Grant, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) provides support to Iowa’s artists to undertake activities that advance their artistic practices and elevate the creative industry in Iowa. The program supports learning, mentorship, and business development opportunities to enable artists of all disciplines to catalyze momentum in their artistic practices and increase their professional skills and capacity.

Typically, applicants are notified of funding decisions within eight to twelve weeks after submission.

Eligible Projects

Grant funds must be used for professional development activities and expenses that advance an artist’s professional or artistic capacity, enhance their artistic practice, or allow them to learn new or more advanced techniques to support their artistic work. Eligible activities should enable the applicant to achieve a particular goal that advances their artistic practice or creative business in Iowa. Grant activities may represent a phase of a larger activity with a longer timeline. However, all grant activities must have a clear beginning and end date during the eligible funding period.

Types of eligible activities include:

• Participating in professional development opportunities as related to the applicant’s artistic practice (e.g. online or in-person conference or workshop registration fees, artist residencies, Iowa Artist Retreat).

• Learning new or advanced techniques related to the applicant’s artistic work (e.g. online or in-person classes, courses, apprenticeships).

• Receiving professional mentorship (e.g. one-on-one or group coaching, professional feedback, peer reviews).

Ineligible Projects

Activities that fall outside of the identified types of eligible activities will not receive funding through this program. Ineligible activities include, but are not limited to, the following types of activities:

• Activity that is initiated, managed by, or that benefits an entity or organization with which the individual applicant has a formal affiliation such as employment or volunteer service

• Activities that result in an applicant’s course credit, degree or certification

• Award shows, sweepstakes or contests

• Capital Infrastructure, construction, renovation or maintenance

• Fundraiser or benefit activities

• Grant activities that begin or end prior to or after the eligible funding period (grant activities may represent a phase of a larger activity with a longer timeline)

• International travel

• Lobbying activities

• Ongoing projects or programming

• Phases of a project if the applicant has received a grant from the Iowa Arts Council or IEDA for a prior phase of the project

• Projects-for-hire

• Social activities such as receptions, parties, galas, community dinners, picnics and potlucks

• Costs for planning, staffing and supplying social activities as described above

• Religious activities