Grants and Opportunities (April 2023)

A list of federal, state, and other arts and culture grants/opportunities. Questions regarding a particular opportunity should be directed to the organization listed with the opportunity. Inclusion here should not be interpreted as an endorsement. 

Highlights from this list were shared in the April 2023 SFCA email newsletter. To subscribe, scroll down to the bottom of this page.

Hawaiʻi Grants and Opportunities

• SFCA Seeks Grant Review Panelist Volunteers with a professional background in culture and the humanities to join our grant review panelist roster. Panelists must be Hawaiʻi residents with experience in Heritage & Preservation, Community Arts, Arts Education, and Presentation & Performing Arts. We encourage those with a background in Arts and Healing, Community Development related to arts and culture, cultural practitioners of all disciplines, and new and emerging members of the arts and culture community to apply. Contact the SFCA grants program at [email protected].  
• City and County of Maui and SMALL TOWN * BIG ART Call to Artists: Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) to co-develop with community stakeholders an innovative project that engages a diverse public audience. For more information, please visit the Small Town Big Art website: SmallTownBig.org/rfp.html. 
• The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Human Resources are now accepting applications for seasonal staff to assist with the 2023 Summer Fun Program. Hourly salaries upwards of $15.56/hour; contracts May 24 – August 4, 2023. Summer Fun is a city-operated, seasonal day camp where children are engaged in learning experiences in a fun and safe environment. Recreation aids conduct games, sports, arts and crafts, music and dance, and creative drama. Learn more and apply online: Honolulu.gov/parks/program/summer-fun-program. 
• Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance Job Openings – Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance (nonprofit arts organization) is hiring for part-time positions, including Communications Manager, Program Coordinator, and Office Coordinator. For more information, please visit the HAA website, HawaiiArtsAlliance.org/hiring. 
• Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (HIFF)
  • Submissions now open for HIFF43: HIFF submissions are now open for the following categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Pacific Islander Showcase Features, Pacific Islander Showcase Shorts, New American Perspectives, Made in Hawai‘i Features, Made in Hawai‘i Shorts, Environmental Shorts, & Hawai‘i University Student. Submissions due May 12, 2023. Learn more about submitting at filmfreeway.com/hiff.
  • 2023 Job Openings – Current available position: Partnerships Director (year-round, full-time). For more information, please visit the HIFF website: hiff.org/jobs. 
• Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) now hiring Administrative Services Assistant, temporary full-time. This position plans, organizes, coordinates and directs all administrative staff services, advises and assists the Executive Director in internal management, fiscal and personnel staff functions; and performs other duties as required. Please note that this is not a secretarial, clerical, or office support position. For more information, please visit the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/jobs. 
• Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking Summer Reel Camps – filmmaking programs for girls and non-binary youth aged 12-19 years old. Animation: June 3 – 24. Basic Reel: July 10 – 21. Advanced Reel: July 24 – 28. For more information please visit the Hawaiʻi Women in Filmmaking website: HawaiiWomenInFilmmaking.org/reel-camps. 
• Honolulu Complete Streets Community Resources
  • Parklets: A parklet is a public space created in an on-street parking space that may feature benches, tables, chairs, planters and landscaping, shade, and bicycle parking. Parklets are temporary installations that can be in place for a period ranging from several hours to several years. While parklets are sponsored by private partners, all amenities must remain free and open for any member of the public to use. Advertising, table service, and other commercial activities are not permitted. 
  • Quick-build projects are short-term improvements to streets utilizing inexpensive materials to achieve community goals. Involving community members and even local artists, quick-build projects leverage relationships within communities to creatively and collaboratively transform the built environment to improve road safety and enhance neighborhood aesthetics. The collaborative nature of quick-build projects fosters opportunities to strengthen community cohesion and solidify a sense of community identity. The City supports several quick-build project types on City roadways and sidewalks, including decorative curb extensions and painted traffic signal boxes.
  • Learn more on the City and County of Honolulu website: honolulu.gov/completestreets/community-resources.html.
• Honolulu Theatre for Youth hiring Teaching Artists in collaboration with HTY Drama Education staff to be responsible for designing and conducting in-school residencies across Oʻahu and occasionally across the state. For more information and to apply, please visit the HTY website: membership.htyweb.org/employment-auditions-internship. 
• Iolani Palace job opportunities currently include Director of Finance, Museum Store Associate, Guest Services Associate, and Palace Guard. Learn more on the Iolani Palace website: IolaniPalace.org/job-opportunities.
• ʻŌlelo Community Media training for educators: Integrating Media into Education: ʻŌlelo’s IME Program is designed to assist schools and educators who wish to integrate media into the classroom, to either support new and ongoing media programs or to develop strategies of using media and visual storytelling to teach core curriculum, facilitate assignments, or as a grading and assessment tool. Learn more on the ʻŌlelo Community Media website: olelo.org/youth/ime. 
• The Hub “Handpicked in Paraiso” AAPI Marketplace call for vendors and performers: This marketplace will be held in downtown Honolulu on Saturday, May 13th in celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month.
  • Apply to be a vendor: AAPI Marketplace Vendor application form
  • Apply to be a performer: AAPI Marketplace Performer application form

Calls for Artists in Hawaiʻi 

• Fishschool and Kaiao Space “Waves of Seeing” Call for Submissions Oʻahu based artists are invited to submit works made entirely from recycled, reclaimed, or biodegradable materials (including paints, inks, frames, etc.) inspired by sea life. For more information and to submit work, please visit the Waves of Seeing call for submissions: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsUat2WRJ0mFvv9fTjZrFD-hc8ixj_tUgSunpeZ1ZaTYpVkA/viewform. 
• Hawaiʻi Craftsmen Annual Statewide Exhibition 2023 prospectus now available. Important dates: online registration August 1 – 31, exhibit open September 30 – October 28 at the Downtown Art Center (Honolulu), opening reception Saturday September 30, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. For more information, please visit the Hawaiʻi Craftsmen website: HawaiiCraftsmen.org. 
• Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) Call for Exhibition Proposals – MOCA is accepting proposals for the 2023 exhibit calendars. MOCA manages civic spaces inside Honolulu Hale such as the courtyard and Lane Gallery. These spaces are used to showcase the talents of visual artists and showcase the work of non-profit organizations and schools from our diverse community.  Partnerships with community organizations have enabled MOCA to grace the halls of City buildings with a wide range of artwork displayed on a monthly basis. All exhibits are free and open to the public. Learn more and apply on the MOCA website: HonoluluMOCA.org/call-for-exhibitions. 
• Honolulu Printmakers’ 95th Annual Exhibition, call for artists April 14 – 28, 2023. For more information, please visit the Honolulu Printmakers website: HonoluluPrintmakers.org/2023-95th-annual-juried-exhibition.
• Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center “Beneath the Surface: Marine Life of Hawaii” Call to Artists, online entry May 9-16. A community art exhibition celebrating marine biodiversity. Artwork must feature an existing ocean species found in or near Hawaiian waters. For more information, please visit the Hui Noʻeau website: HuiNoeau.com/exhibitions/2023/5/beneath-the-surface-marine-life-of-hawaii. 
• Kauaʻi Society of Artists and Surfrider Foundation Kauʻai “All Washed Up” marine debris art exhibit, accepting entries May 27, 2023. Details to come. For more information, check the Kauaʻi Society of Artists website for updates: KauaiSocietyOfArtists.org.
• Loʻi Gallery at American Savings Bank (downtown Honolulu) is taking applications for exhibits. Learn more and apply on their website: asbhawaii.com/loigallery. 
• State of Hawaiʻi Judiciary, First Circuit (Oʻahu) 2023 Law Day Art Contest for Oʻahu students grades 3-8. Celebrated on May 1 each year, Law Day celebrates America’s commitment to the role of law in our society. The First Circuit Law Day Art Contest is part of the State of Hawaiʻi Judiciary’s commemoration of Law Day.
  • 2023 Law Day Art Contest Entry form (PDF): hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/2023%20Hawaii%20Judiciary%20First%20Circuit%20Law%20Day%20Art%20Contest%20Entry%20Forms.pdf.
  • 2023 Law Day Art Contest flyer (PDF): hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/2023%20Law%20Day%20Art%20Contest%20Flyer.pdf.

Call for Entry (CAFE) 

The Call for Entry (CAFE) website can be searched by state (choose the “sort by” menu on the left side of the screen). Search the Café website: Artist.CallForEntry.org.   

• Call for Entry “All Over the Place” open call for artists to submit artworks that explore the relationship to or the personal experiences of a particular place, community, or its impact on the artists identity. CaFE will feature the artworks on their website and Instagram page. Submissions due by April 30, 2023. For more information, please visit the Call for Entry website: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11673  
• “Glow in the Garden” public art in the Will Smith Imua Discovery Garden (Maui). Open to international applicants. Applications due April 14, 2023. For more information, please visit the call for artists on CallForEntry.org: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11452. 
• “MidSummer Art Celebration” 6^th Annual All Media Juried Exhibit, Hawaiʻi Island Art Alliance (HIAA). Open to all Hawaiʻi based 2D and 3D artists in all mediums and styles. Entries due by May 12, 2023. For more information, please visit the call for artists on CallForEntry.org: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11165. 

Call for Performing Artists

• Western Arts Alliance 2023 Official Showcase Program Call for Applications: Eight artists/ensembles will be selected to perform at the showcase in Seattle, Washington for an audience of presenters, agents, and other performing arts professionals. Applications due March 8, 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit the Western Arts Alliance website: westarts.org/showcase-23. 

Federal Grants 

The Grants.gov website can be searched by eligibility, category, and more. Below are a few currently open grants related to arts and culture. 

• Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice Deliquency Prevention (OJJDP) Arts Programs for Justice-Involved Youth: OJJDP seeks to support high-quality arts programs for justice-involved youth to reduce juvenile delinquency, recidivism, and/or other problem and high-risk behaviors. This project seeks to support and strengthen collaborations between arts-based organizations and juvenile justice systems to develop, expand, or enhance effective interventions, which may involve emphasizing the unique capability of the art interventions to enhance protective factors and reduce risk factors that lead to justice system involvement, including individual characteristics, social influences, and community conditions. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations. Application closing date: April 5, 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit the OJJDP website: ojjdp.ojp.gov/funding.  
• Department of State, U.S. Embassy Apia, Samoa Public Diplomacy Grants Program PDS Samoa invites Statements of Interest (SOI) for projects that seek to do at least one of the following: strengthen U.S.-Samoa cooperation and coordination on global issues of shared interest (e.g. combatting climate change); promote the mutual benefits of tech and innovation; and promote stronger connections between the people of the United States and Samoa. Eligible applicants include individuals and nonprofits. Closing date for applications: August 1, 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit the Grants.gov website: grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=344349. 
• Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Native Hawaiian Library Services This program is designed to assist Native Hawaiian libraries in improving core library services for their communities. Native Hawaiian Library Services grants are available to nonprofit organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians (as the term is defined in 20 U.S.C. § 7517). Application due date: April 3, 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit the IMLS website: imls.gov/grants/available/native-hawaiian-library-services. 
• National Archives and Records Administration (NHPRC), NHPRC-Mellon Planning Grants for Collaborative Digital Editions – the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), with funding provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, seeks proposals for its planning grant program for Collaborative Digital Editions in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American History and Ethnic Studies. Overarching goal to broaden participation in the production and publication of historical and scholarly digital editions. Application closing date June 7, 2023. For more information, please visit the National Archives website: archives.gov/nhprc/announcement/digitaleditions  
• NHPRC Publishing Historical Records in Collaborative Digital Editions The National Historical Publications and Records Commission seeks proposals to publish online editions of historical records. All types of historical records are eligible, including documents, photographs, born-digital records, and analog audio. Projects may focus on broad historical movements in U.S. history, including any aspect of African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American history, such as law (including the social and cultural history of the law), politics, social reform, business, military, the arts, and other aspects of the national experience. Projects that center the voices and document the history of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are especially welcome. Application closing date November 2, 2023. For more information please visit the National Archives website: archives.gov/nhprc/announcement/editions.html. 
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) – the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is the only arts funder in the United States—public or private—that provides access to the arts in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. jurisdictions. Each year, the NEA awards thousands of grants to provide everyone in the United States with diverse opportunities for arts participation. Learn more about how to apply, the process, and more on the NEA website: arts.gov/grants.  
• Volunteer to be a National Endowment for the Arts Panelist – Arts Endowment panelists play a central role in reviewing applications for funding. The NEA relies on panels composed of individuals who represent a broad range of artistic and cultural viewpoints, as well as wide geographic and ethnic diversity, to provide advice about the artistic excellence and artistic merit of proposals in a variety of funding categories. Panels are composed of both arts professionals and knowledgeable laypersons. Most panelists are arts professionals who are qualified by their activities, training, skills, and/or experience in one or more art forms. Every panel also includes a layperson – someone knowledgeable about the arts but not engaged in the arts as a profession either full- or part-time. Learn more on the NEA website: arts.gov/form/volunteer-to-be-a-national-endowment-for-the-arts-panelist 
• National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), NEH Division of Research Programs Fellowships – the purpose of this program is to support individual scholars pursuing projects that embody exceptional humanistic research, rigorous analysis, and clear writing. Fellowships provide recipients time to conduct research or to produce books, monographs, peer-reviewed articles, e-books, digital materials, translations with annotations or a critical apparatus, or critical editions resulting from previous research. Deadline: April 12, 2023. For more information, please visit the NEH website: neh.gov/grants/research/fellowships  
• NEH Public Scholars Grant – Eligible applicants: individuals. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Research Programs is accepting applications for the Public Scholars program. The program offers grants to individual authors for research, writing, travel, and other activities leading to the creation and publication of well-researched nonfiction books in the humanities written for the broad public. It encourages non-academic writers to deepen their engagement with the humanities by strengthening the research underlying their books, and it encourages academic writers in the humanities to communicate the significance of their research to the broadest possible range of readers. The program continues to offer special encouragement to independent writers, researcher, and scholars and others who have no long-term affiliation with an academic institution. Deadline: November 29, 2023. For additional information and to apply, please visit the NEH website: neh.gov/grants/research/public-scholar-program. 
• National Park Service 2023 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGRPA), Consultation/Documentation Grants and FY2023 NAGPRA Repatriation Grants supports efforts determining the geographical origin, cultural affiliation, and other basic facts surrounding the acquisition of Native Hawaiian cultural items. Consultation and documentation projects should lead to determining control, treatment, repatriation, and disposition of NAGPRA cultural items. Applications due May 12, 2023. For additional information and to apply, please visit the Grants.gov website: grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=344580. 
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. FWS), U.S. FWS Youth Engagement, Education, and Employment Grant. Eligible applicants include nonprofits that reach or represent potentially underserved communities. Closing date for applications: September 10, 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit the Grants.gov website: grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=344392. 
• U.S. FWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. This is a voluntary, incentive-based program that provides direct technical assistance and financial assistance in the form of cooperative and grant agreements to private landowners to restore and conserve fish and wildlife habitat for the benefit of federal trust resources. Eligible applicants include individuals, for-profit organizations, and nonprofits. Private lands include Hawaiian homeland properties. Closing date for applications: September 30, 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit the Grants.gov website: grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=343732. 

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This post was last updated on April 6, 2023.