About the OPPORTUNITY
Individual Artist Awards provide competitive funding to practicing, professional artists, historians, scientists, etc. across all disciplines. Up to 20 Central Florida artists will receive a $5,000 award to advance their creative practice, with up to $100,000 in direct funding distributed throughout our community (Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties).
These awards are competitive. Depending on the number of requests received, not all may be funded. Only one application per individual will be considered.
This program is dedicated to fostering creativity, artistic career development, and community impact, enabling professional artists to thrive in Central Florida. All awards must promote creative excellence and merit and expand access to innovative arts, culture, history, and/or science experiences.
For this cycle of the Individual Artist Awards, applicants will apply for either a specific project OR to acquire supplies/professional development. Only one application per individual will be accepted. An individual cannot apply for both.
As one of the funders, Duke Energy is interested in funding projects that promote, raise awareness of, or address environmental sustainability challenges. Artists with such a practice or project in mind are encouraged to apply. This is not a requirement to apply and projects, events, or new works with other focuses are still eligible to receive funding.
Please note: All Individual Artist awardees are considered independent contractors and will receive a 1099. Recipients are responsible for any tax obligations under federal, state, or local laws. A W-9 form must be filed with United Arts before award payments can be made.
Maximum Request Amount: $5,000
Allowable expenses include:
- Artists' Fees - Paying yourself or collaborative artists
- Materials & Supplies - Equipment purchases and/or rentals
- Presentations & Documentation - Costs related to producing materials, such as slides, discs, catalogs, demos, manuscripts, and marketing materials
- Facility rentals
- Trainings, workshops, & classes - Education directly related to your arts practice or arts business growth
Artist Eligibility:
- Must be a professional working artist living and working in Lake, Orange, Osceola, or Seminole counties.
- Must plan to reside within one of the four counties listed above throughout the project period, July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
- Proof of residency will be required to receive payment
- Must be a citizen of the United States or a permanent legal resident with the right to work in the United States. Awardee must submit a W-9 Form. A 1099 will be issued to the grantee for tax reporting purposes.
- Must be 18 years or older at the time of application.
*For full eligibility requirements, including ineligible expenses and artist ineligibility, please read the Guidelines document.
Application Tips:
- Start early!
- Read all guidelines thoroughly and take note of any questions.
- Proofread! It can be helpful to have colleagues or friends review the application before final submission. You can ask for a courtesy review by United Arts before the deadline.
- Save often!
- Submit early!
- Leave extra time at the end in case you have questions or computer trouble. Missing documents or fields will prevent the submission of the application. Contact and project information for all grantees will be made available to the press, and United Arts may use quotes or pictures from applications or reports in publicity.
- Don’t stop here!
- Post your events for free at ArtsinOrlando.com. This resource is open to everyone to use, and it will be a requirement to post your project if awarded. For instructions on how to post to the Calendar, visit this link.
Questions? Contact Cameron Robinson at cameron@unitedartscfl.org or call 407-504-0684, or Outreach at outreach@unitedartscfl.org.
Interested artists are encouraged to check out additional opportunities on our website, as well as artist opportunities through South Arts, the regional arts organization serving the Southeast.
