Creative Capital, the nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing artistic freedom of expression, has announced $2.9 million in grants to 109 artists living across all 50 states and U.S. territories. Since its founding in 1999, Creative Capital has awarded more than $55 million in grants and services to 1,119 artists nationwide.
Marking a milestone in its 25-year history, Creative Capital is introducing the inaugural State of the Art Prize, which will provide $10,000 in unrestricted funding to 53 individual artists—one in each state, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. Through this new prize, Creative Capital expands its democratic, national open-call model, reaching more artists at the grassroots level and supporting creative innovation in rural, regional, and urban communities alike.
One of the inaugural recipients is artist, filmmaker, and ACT alumna Jessica Sarah Rinland (SMACT ’18).
In addition, the 2026 Creative Capital Award—recognized for championing bold, original proposals—will support the creation of 49 new works spanning visual arts, film, dance, theater, music and jazz, literature, technology, multidisciplinary practices, and socially engaged art. Each award provides up to $50,000 in unrestricted project funding, along with professional development services and opportunities for community building, empowering artists to realize ambitious and groundbreaking new work.
“Creative Capital remains unwavering in our mission to support individual artists creating new work as a powerful catalyst for freedom of thought and freedom of expression in our democracy. In this moment of urgent and widespread need for arts funding, generous supporters have helped Creative Capital expand our open call, national grant program to serve innovative artists in all 50 states. This will be the first year Creative Capital is supporting artists in Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming.”— Christine Kuan, President & Executive Director, Creative Capital
