About the Space Grants Program

Once a year the Olympia Artspace Alliance invites artists in Thurston County to apply for funding to support the costs related to their space needs, including but not limited to rent, utilities, space repairs, storage unit rental, shelving, storage containers, ADA accommodations, and more. Grants are not intended to support launching a new project or for buying new equipment or supplies.

“Artist” is a self-applied term. You can be a musician, performer, practice visual arts, language arts or poetry, a potter, sculptor, or practice any other medium that you personally identify as art. We ask that you share work samples with us along with basic information and short written statements or video.

How to Apply

This is a merit-based grant, and OAA prioritizes applications from artists who are from historically marginalized communities, BIPOC artists, artists who are immunocompromised, artists who identify as LGBTQIA+, artists with immigrant status, and artists living with or having a disability. Applicants must reside in Thurston County at the time of award and be at least 18 years of age. Students are permitted to apply.

Applicants do not need to have a business license to apply, and we designed the application process to take less than an hour to complete. Reporting requirements are minimal–we ask grantees to send an email sharing how they used their funds and the impact the grant had on their work.

To apply please complete an online application form (we use Google Forms) which includes twelve questions and a request to email attachments. The form asks for the following:

• Your contact information (first name, last name, mailing address and email)

• Biography, resume, or artist statement (your choice - 350 words or less) and demographic information

• A short statement about why you are applying and a short statement on how you hope to use the funding

• Sample of your work, such as photos, social media links, or other medium (a writing sample, a link to music, a video of a performance, etc)

Please note: we recommend saving your written information in a separate document in case you have issues with the form.

Complete applications received before June 16, 2024 at 11:59 pm will be reviewed and scored by a panel of OAA Board Members. Our board members score by first determining eligibility, reviewing artist materials, assessing artist need and the impact the grant would have on the artist’s practice. The panel decisions are final - there is no appeal process - but we welcome your comments.

BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION

Why We Do This Work

We believe that art is a powerful medium to create a healthy, vibrant, and more equitable community for all. And we know that artists need space: space to create, space to exhibit their work, space to rehearse, and space to connect.

OAA founded Space Grants in 2021 to create a low-barrier grant program to help local artists adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We awarded five (5) grants of $500 each in 2021, and have since expanded the program to award ten (10) Space Grants of $500 each to artists to offset space-related costs.

We received a generous gift from the Freas Foundation in 2024 to support this program and are honored to build on their legacy of supporting the arts in our community.

Words from Some of our 2023 Grantees

“I have been applying to other grants, residencies and juried shows, and have really developed a fruitful routine at my studio. In the past month, I've made exciting improvements in the technical quality of my lenticular work, and have really expanded my 3D modeling skills already. I have the beginnings of 3D display lenticulars happening, and have a number of projects I'm working on that I am really excited about. I set a goal to complete one lenticular a week, and since receiving the grant, I'm completing more like 3 a week. I'm feeling inspired and hopeful. The grant really put some wind in my sails, and I'm incredibly grateful.”

• Joseph Moran, Visual Artist

“Thank you again for granting us funds for our 2023 Spring Artswalk museum! The $500 you provided was instrumental in the setup of our museum. We used the funds provided to pay for paint, painting supplies (tape, brushes, rollers, paper, etc), cleaning supplies, lighting, and hardware for hanging art. Because of this grant we were able to complete our goal of creating a clean, inviting space for over 1500 visitors to view art over the weekend of April 28-31. Due to the success of our event, we were able to raise funds which will ensure that we can continue to put on these events in the future.”

• Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts, Local Arts Organization

“I made a purchase on my new writer studio trailer on 5/15/2023! The trailer cost $1550 and your grant helped make this dream come true!”

• Clare Follmann, Local Poet

“ I used it to pay my studio rent for one month over the summer. Having a rent break for a month allowed me to invest in some much-needed supplies like frames, matting, and backing boards that I could use to prepare for an upcoming show. These materials are often an expensive luxury to purchase new, but because I had assistance with studio rent, I could splurge on them. I am excited to show what I have created over the summer and to be able to showcase it professionally.”

• Mikaela Schaffer, Visual Artist

“Since receiving the grant, I have been able to securely pay for my storage where my screens, canvases, tools and sewing materials are being stored. This security allowed me to take on other fulfilling art opportunities as well. I just returned from a teaching residency at the Sou'wester, where I taught 2 screen printing workshops. It was a great experience and the grant from you all made it easier for me to feel like I could take time off of work to pursue that opportunity. I’m now working on some new screen prints of my own that I’m excited to share once I’ve finished them. This grant has really helped me move forward in my creative practices. Thank you for the support. “

• Asenath Lizárraga, Visual Artist