The Creative Work Fund invites artists and nonprofit organizations to create new art works through collaborations. It celebrates the role of artists as problem solvers and the making of art as a profound contribution to intellectual inquiry and to the strengthening of communities.  Artists are encouraged to collaborate with nonprofit organizations of all kinds, stretching boundaries and forging new partnerships.
The Fund seeks
- Projects in which the creation of an artwork is central
- Projects in which the artist functions primarily as an artist, not as a teacher, an art therapist, or in another capacity
- Projects in which an active, authentic working partnership between the artist or artists and the organization is central to the work’s development
- Projects that engage the organization’s constituents in the artist’s work
- Projects that draw upon artists’ creativity and problem-solving abilities
- Projects through which the making of art can strengthen a community, draw attention to an important issue, or engage audiences in new ways
- Projects that challenge artistic imagination and organizational thinking
- Projects that will be presented in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, or Sonoma County
- Projects that designate at least two-thirds of the grant funds to the principal artists and their direct expenses for creating the work.
December 2014 Invitation:
Media Arts & Traditional Arts
The Creative Work Fund currently invites letters of inquiry for projects featuring media artists or traditional artists. Letters are due Friday, December 5, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. A media or traditional arts project may culminate in any form, but it must feature a lead artist with a strong track record as a media artist or a traditional artist. The Creative Work Fund uses the following definitions for these eligible artists:
- Media artists create narrative, documentary, animated, or experimental time-based works using audio, digital, film, and/or video media. Computer arts also are included in this category. (Please note that the Fund considers still photography in its visual arts category.)
Examples of recently funded media arts projects
- Traditional artists create in art forms learned as part of the cultural life of a group of people whose members have a common ethnic heritage, language, religion, occupation, or region. These expressions are deeply rooted in and reflect a community’s shared standards of beauty, values, or life experiences. Often they are learned orally or by emulation. Traditional artists may excel as individual artists, work as a group, or work collectively. They may produce works in a variety of forms—oral traditions, performances, crafts, multidisciplinary works, and others.
Examples of recently funded performing arts projects
Review Criteria
In Media Arts, the letter of inquiry screening and proposal award decisions will be based on:
- Evidence of the range and quality of the artist’s work
- Evidence that the project is an authentic collaboration between the artist and the organization
- Evidence that the project stretches organizational thinking and artistic imagination
- Demonstrated capability of the organization in its field
- Evidence of fiscal responsibility and sound organizational management
In Traditional Arts, the letter of inquiry screening and proposal award decisions will be based on:
- Evidence of the artistic quality and adherence to tradition of artists involved in the project
- Evidence of the cultural significance of the tradition in the context of its community
- Evidence that the project is an authentic collaboration between the artist and the organization
- Evidence that the project addresses goals shared by the organization and the artist
- Demonstrated capability of the organization in its field
- Evidence of fiscal responsibility and sound organizational management
- Feasibility of the proposed project, based on required materials, timeline, and budget.
Eligibility
Who Can Apply?Residency RequirementsLimits on SubmissionsFurther considerationHow to apply
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