WELCOME TO THE NEVADA ARTS COUNCIL'S ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM
All applications, support material and final reports must be submitted through this portal. ALL APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT 5:00 PM (PST) ON THE DEADLINE DATE.
Account Information:
- You must create an account or sign in to your existing account to apply for a grant or other opportunity.
- All official Nevada Arts Council correspondence will be sent to the e-mail associated with your account. It is imperative that the information and email address in your profile is accurate and kept up-to-date.
- If you apply for grants/opportunities as both an individual and as an organization, you should have two separate accounts with different email addresses (one for individual grants and one for organizational grants).
How to Navigate this Website:
- All grants/opportunities that are currently open for applications are listed below. Click on Guidelines to review the full guidelines for each grant/opportunity.
- To apply for a specific grant/opportunity, click Apply.
- To view your current applications (active and drafts) or access Final Report forms, click on your profile name in the upper right hand corner, then click on My Submissions.
- To edit your profile information (including address, phone number, and email), click on your profile name in the upper right hand corner, then click on My Profile.
The Nevada Arts Council invites members of the community to serve as panelists for our grant panels. Serving on a peer-review panel is a powerful learning experience and a valuable contribution to the arts in Nevada. By providing your support to the arts and culture community throughout the state, you are participating in cultural policy in action and gaining insight about the grant making process. Peer review panels include artists, cultural practitioners, arts educators, and arts field professionals who represent diversity in all forms including age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, and heritage.
HOW IT WORKS: Participating as a grant review panelist is a 2-4 week commitment (depending on the number of applications submitted in the grant category). During this time, panelists will review and score all assigned applications independently using our online grant management system. Then, panelists will participate in an open public meeting to discuss each application and provide final scores (meetings may be held virtually or in-person). After panel meetings are completed, the Nevada Arts Council Board convenes to discuss the grant panel review and to vote on final grant allocations.
Panelists receive an honorarium of $100-$250 per panel day (panel meetings run 1-2 days depending on the number of applications).
Panelists must meet the following criteria:
- Must be over 18
- Must be able to independently assess the strengths and weaknesses grant applications based on a grant program’s published review criteria (the number of grant applications varies in each grant category)
- Must have access to a computer to review applications and all work samples (photos, videos, etc.) through our online system prior to the virtual panel meeting(s)
- Must be able to take part in up to three (3) mandatory group meetings (one virtual orientation meeting and up to two panel review meetings)
- Must disclose any conflicts of interest (Panelists are asked to disclose any relationships they have with an applicant or applicant organizations. Having a conflict of interest does not make you ineligible to serve as a panelist; however, during the public panel meeting panelists are asked to abstain from discussion of and voting on any application with which they have a potential conflict of interest.)
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Eligible panelists from the approved panel pool will be contacted by Nevada Arts Council staff to serve on specific grant panels based on programmatic needs. Not all nominees will be selected to serve on the current year’s panels, but the Nevada Arts Council will retain all submissions for consideration for future panels.
APPLICATION OPEN: March 3, 2025
APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 1, 2025
AWARD AMOUNT: $5,000 (no match required)*
ELIGIBILITY SNAPSHOT: Individual Artist, NV Resident, 21 years or older, non-student
STAFF CONTACT:
Brad McMullen | Folklife Specialist
bmcmullen@nevadaculture.org
702-486-3739
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Nevada Heritage Fellowship from the Nevada Arts Council recognizes tradition bearers living in Nevada whose body of work has contributed to Nevada’s traditional arts heritage. The Nevada Heritage Fellowship is awarded as an honorarium and does not need to be used for any specific expenses or projects (applications for specific projects should be submitted to the Folklife Artist Grant and/or the Project Grant for Artists).
By acknowledging outstanding cultural and artistic accomplishments across a body of work the program promotes public awareness and appreciation of the role of traditional arts in our society.
Tradition Bearer Definition:
- Is actively perpetuating and disseminating their community’s traditions and traditional artistic practices
- Learned their community’s traditions through active engagement
- Practices their traditions primarily within their community for/with other community members
ELIGIBILITY
- Must be a current Nevada resident and have been in residence for at least one year prior to the date of the application
- Must be a U.S. citizen or have legal permanent resident status
- Must be at least 21 years old
- Must not be enrolled as degree-seeking student in a field related to the type of grant for which they are applying
- Must be actively practicing in the discipline
- Artists working in collaborations or in groups must apply as individuals
- Artists who have previously received two Nevada Heritage Fellowships from the Nevada Arts Council are ineligible
- Applicants may only apply for one Fellowship (Artist Fellowship Award or Nevada Heritage Fellowship) per Fiscal Year
AWARD AMOUNT: $5,000 (no match required)*
Awarded funds will be disbursed upon receipt of the signed grantee documents. All grantees must complete a Final Report by the date specified in their award packet to stay in compliance and remain eligible for future Nevada Arts Council grants.
REVIEW PROCESS/CRITERIA
Nevada Heritage Fellowship applicants are evaluated using a concealed review process where each applicant is identified by a number for the purpose of panel discussion. A review panel will adjudicate and score eligible applications using the following criteria:
- Clear demonstration of the artist’s excellence within their tradition (10 pts)
- Clear demonstration of the artists’ significance within their tradition (10 pts)
- Evidence of artistic impact or contribution to living cultural heritage (10 pts)
Application scores will be presented to the Nevada Arts Council Board for review and award consideration. For more information, please see the Grant Review Process in the current Grant and Award Policies.
HOW TO APPLY
- Review the current Grant and Award Policies for additional information about the requirements associated with Nevada Arts Council Grants
- Review the Application Questions and Support Material (Coming Soon)
- Complete the application online
- Review additional resources for applicants
- If you need translation or language assistance, please contact the Grants Program at grants@nevadaculture.org
*Grant award amount is subject to change based upon available funding.
APPLICATIONS OPEN: March 3, 2025
APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 1, 2025
AWARD AMOUNT: $5,000 (no match required)*
ELIGIBILITY SNAPSHOT: Individual Artist, NV Resident, 21 years or older, non-student
STAFF CONTACTS:
Sapira Cheuk | Artist Services Specialist
scheuk@nevadaculture.org
702-486-3744
Stephen Reid | Artist Services Specialist
sreid@nevadaculture.org
775-687-7108
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Artist Fellowship Award from the Nevada Arts Council recognizes committed artists living in Nevada reaching pivotal moments in their artistic practice who demonstrate sustained excellence in their work. By acknowledging outstanding artistic accomplishments across a body of work the program promotes public awareness and appreciation of the role of the artist in our society. In odd fiscal years the grant is open to visual artists and in even fiscal years it is open to performing and literary artists.
FISCAL YEAR 2026 DISCIPLINE:
Literary Arts
- Creative Prose (Fiction/Nonfiction) and Dramatic Writing: literary work in all varieties and genres, such as excerpts from fiction novels, short stories, and writing for young adults or children. Dramatic writing, including original stage plays, screenplays, and audio drama. Critique or review writing is not accepted.
- Poetry: includes original work in all forms and genres of poetry.
Performing Arts
- Dance, Choreography, Theater Performance and Theater Direction: includes original choreography and performance in all dance forms such as ballet, high-hop, jazz, modern and tap. Also includes theater performance and direction of a play, opera, musical, or a devised piece of work.
- Music Performance and Composition: includes original composition and performance in all musical genres such as chamber, choral, electronic, experimental, jazz, opera, rock, country, pop, and symphonic.
ELIGIBILITY
- Must be a current Nevada resident and have been in residence for at least one year prior to the date of the application
- Must be a U.S. citizen or have legal permanent resident status
- Must be at least 21 years old
- Must not be enrolled as degree-seeking student in a field related to the type of grant for which they are applying
- Artists working in collaborations or in groups must apply as individuals and present their own work
- Individual artists applying for an Artist Fellowship must be actively practicing in the discipline
- Artists who have previously received two Artist Fellowship Awards from the Nevada Arts Council are ineligible
AWARD AMOUNT: $5,000 (no match required)*
Awarded funds will be disbursed upon receipt of the signed awardee documents. The Artist Fellowship Award does not need to be used for any specific expenses or projects and is awarded to the artist as an award. Applications for specific projects should be submitted to the Project Grant for Artists. All awardees must complete a Final Report by the date specified in their award packet to stay in compliance and remain eligible for future Nevada Arts Council grants and awards.
REVIEW PROCESS/CRITERIA
A review panel will adjudicate eligible applications using the criteria below and make funding recommendations to the Nevada Arts Council Board. Artist Fellowship Award applicants are evaluated using a concealed review process where each applicant is identified by a number for the purpose of panel discussion. For more information, please see the Grant Review Process in the current Grant and Award Policies.
- Clear demonstration of the artist’s intent and process (10 points)
- Consistency in the exceptional caliber of the work (10 points)
- Evidence of artistic impact or contribution such as influence within a community or genre of art (10 pts)
HOW TO APPLY
- Review the current Grant and Award Policies for additional information about the requirements associated with Nevada Arts Council Grants
- Review the Application Questions and Support Material (Coming Soon)
- Complete the application online
- Review additional resources for applicants
- If you need translation or language assistance, please contact the Grants Program at grants@nevadaculture.org
*Grant award amount is subject to change based upon available funding.
The Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Folklife Artist Grant (FLA) supports traditional arts projects by folk artists and culture bearers. Eligible projects focus on the transmission of folk arts or traditions that are practiced, valued, and shared within culturally specific communities in Nevada. Eligible projects include apprenticeships, mentorships, or group learning activities focused on folk and traditional arts practices.
Funding is for the current Fiscal Year time frame (grant cycle):
- Activities July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025 (Applications open 02/01/24, close 29 days before the end of the cycle *11:59 PM (PST) of 06/01/25)
Important Information:
- Pre-approval Requirement: Contact Folklife Specialist staff before applying to ensure that the project is eligible: Brad McMullen, Folklife Specialist: bmcmullen@nevadaculture.org or 702-486-3739
- Open To: Intermediate or advanced-level folk/traditional artist or cultural practitioners (Must be NV resident, over 21, non-student, U.S. citizen or have legal permanent resident status)
- Before applying, you must read the FY25 Folklife Artist Grant (FLA) guidelines
- Funding Timeline: Some components of the project, including planning, may occur outside of the FY25 grant cycle (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025), however, the portion(s) of the project being paid for with grant funds must occur completely within the grant cycle
- Additional Funding Information: Grant funds are limited, so early submission is encouraged
Guidelines for our other current and upcoming grant opportunities can be found on the FY25 Grant Offerings page of our Nevada Arts Council website.
APPLICATIONS OPEN: Feb 3, 2025
APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 1, 2025
GRANT AMOUNT: Up to $7,000 (1:1 cash or in-kind match)*
ELIGIBILITY SNAPSHOT: NV incorporated 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations (arts and non-arts) and public institutions
TIME PERIOD OF SUPPORT: July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026
STAFF CONTACTS:
Sogand Tabatabaei | Arts Learning Specialist
stabatabaei@nevadaculture.org
775-687-7103
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
The Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Arts Learning Project Grant (ALP) is a grant designed to support arts learning programming, teaching artists residencies, and teacher/teaching artists training. These arts learning activities provide unique opportunities for students and people of all ages to work with practicing artists. Funds must be used for conducting group lessons/workshops (in-person or online/virtual) and/or educational performances at schools or community facilities. Funds may be used to support the execution of one activity/project or a series of related activities. Some components of the project, including planning, may occur outside of the FY26 grant cycle (July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026), however, the portion(s) of the project being paid for with ALP grant funds must occur completely within the grant cycle.
To stay in compliance and be eligible for future Nevada Arts Council grants, grantees must submit the Final Report by the deadline stated in the award packet.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Nonprofit Organizations:
- Open to eligible nonprofit organizations that conduct arts education programming regardless of whether arts education is their primary mission
- Must be based in Nevada*
- Must have federal tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
- Must have active incorporation status with the Nevada Secretary of State
- Must have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) from SAM.gov
- Non-profit organizations on the Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artist Roster may apply for either the Arts Learning Project Grant or the Arts Learning Express Grant, not both
*Organizations located in states that border Nevada may apply if the majority of the project (at least 75%) serves Nevada communities, and all awarded funds are used to support Nevada communities
Public Institutions (including federally recognized tribes, state or local government, schools, public libraries, and institutions of higher education):
- Must be based in Nevada
- Agencies that exist within the same governmental entity are eligible to apply independently when they have different/distinct mission statements and their own separate advisory boards. Multiple departments/facilities within one agency may not apply independently
- Colleges/universities are limited to no more than one grant to the same academic department
- Individual schools and libraries within the same district/system may apply independently as long as they have their own budget and facility.
An entity may receive an Arts Learning Project Grant and an Operating Support Grant in the same fiscal year but may not receive any other Nevada Arts Council grants during that fiscal year.
GRANT AMOUNT: Up to $7,000 (1:1 cash and/or in-kind match required)*
Grant funds may only be used for the following:
- Teaching artist fees
- Production artist fees (including directors, videographers, costume designers, lighting designers, etc.)
- Materials/supplies
- Facility rental fees
- Equipment relevant to project – up to $1,000 (including video cameras, microphones, software, video communication subscriptions, etc.)
In addition to the General Funding Restrictions in the current Grant and Award Policies, ALP funds may not be used for general operating support, private lessons, classes for college credit, or school staff/teacher salaries. In a school setting, this grant is meant to enrich and support ongoing arts education, not to supplant or substitute services more appropriately provided by educators trained in the arts or otherwise.
Grant funds may be disbursed as an advance payment upon receipt of the signed terms and conditions or as reimbursement. Documentation of the use of grant funds must be provided in the Final Report and must match the proposed expenses.
REVIEW PROCESS/CRITERIA
A review panel will adjudicate eligible applications using the criteria below and make funding recommendations to the Nevada Arts Council Board. Grant awards may vary from requested amounts based on panel scores and available funding. For more information, please see the Grant Review Process in the current Grant and Award Policies.
Project Design and Content (25 points)
- Clearly describes achievable goals, objectives, and learning outcomes
- Clearly describes proposed educational content (including Nevada Academic Content Standards for Fine Arts and/or English Language Arts and Social Studies for Pre-K-12 projects only)
- Includes a plan to assess and evaluate learning in arts and/or culture
- Project is well designed with a realistic timeline
Project Management (25 points)
- Demonstrates organizational capacity to complete the proposed project
- Involves qualified personnel to plan and manage the project
- Provides a clear budget with appropriate financial resources to support the project
Artistic Excellence (25 points)
- Utilizes an effective process to select qualified teaching artists and arts educators who demonstrate experience leading successful programs within a similar setting as the proposed project
- Demonstrates teaching artist experience and success in the project’s artistic medium
- Illustrates a commitment to nurturing artistic development and self-expression
Arts Learning Impact/Artistic Merit (25 points)
- Clearly identifies and defines the target participants and/or audience
- Demonstrates a marketing and promotion plan for reaching target participants and/or audience
- Project addresses specific challenges or needs of target participants and/or audience
- Demonstrates a commitment to inclusion and accessibility
*Grant award amount is subject to change based upon available funding.
The Arts Learning Express Grant (ALX) from the Nevada Arts Council is designed to support a short-term teaching artist residency (20 hours maximum). This grant is open to community organizations/public institutions and individual teaching artists who are on the Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artist Roster. To offer flexibility and expedite funding, ALX grants will be awarded on a first come, first served basis for each cycle. Grant funds are limited, so early submission is encouraged.
Funding is divided into two distinct six-month grant cycles:
- Cycle A: Activities July 1–December 31, 2024 (applications open 02/01/24, close 29 days before the end of the cycle *11:59 PM (PST) of 12/02/24)
- Cycle B: Activities January 1–June 30, 2025 (applications open 08/01/24, close 29 days before the end of the cycle *11:59 PM (PST) of 06/01/25)
*This Application Form Is For Cycle B (Activities from 01/01/25-06/30/25)
Important Information:
- Open To: NV incorporated non-profit organizations (arts and non-arts), public institutions, and NV residents who are on Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artists Roster
- Before applying, you must read the FY25 Arts Learning Express Grant (ALX) guidelines
- Funding Timeline: To offer flexibility and expedite funding, grants will be awarded on a first come, first served basis for each cycle
- Additional Funding Information: Grant funds are limited, so early submission is encouraged.
Please note: If you are an individual applicant NOT affiliated with an organization, please click "Skip and continue to application" below rather than searching for an Organization EIN or UEI. Individual applicants are not required to have or submit an EIN or UEI.
Guidelines for our other current and upcoming grant opportunities can be found on the FY25 Grant Offerings page of our Nevada Arts Council website.
The Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Folklife Community Grant (FLC) supports programs with folk artists and culture bearers presented by small community organizations. Eligible projects focus on the transmission or presentation of folk arts or traditions that are practiced, valued, and shared within culturally specific communities in Nevada. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to festivals, cultural events, concerts, and gatherings that bring traditional artists, cultural specialists, and communities together.
Funding is for the current Fiscal Year time frame (grant cycle):
- Activities July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025 (Applications open 02/01/24, close 29 days before the end of the cycle *11:59 PM (PST) of 06/01/25)
Important Information:
- Pre-approval Requirement: Contact Folklife Specialist staff before applying to ensure that the project is eligible: Brad McMullen, Folklife Specialist: bmcmullen@nevadaculture.org or 702-486-3739
- Open To: NV incorporated 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations with annual budgets of $30,000 or less
- Before applying, you must read the FY25 Folklife Community Grant (FLC)
- Funding Timeline: Some components of the project, including planning, may occur outside of the FY25 grant cycle (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025), however, the portion(s) of the project being paid for with grant funds must occur completely within the grant cycle
- Additional Funding Information: Grant funds are limited, so early submission is encouraged
Guidelines for our other current and upcoming grant opportunities can be found on the FY25 Grant Offerings page of our Nevada Arts Council website.