Grants and Opportunities (July 2023)

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

Shorter versions of these monthly lists are published in the SFCA email newsletter. Read past issues and subscribe: SFCA email newsletter archive and signup form.

Calls for Artists

• SFCA Art in Public Places RFQ Applications close September 1, 2023. The Art in Public Places Program of the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) has posted a Request for Qualifications on Call For Entry (CaFE) for the SFCA Art in Public Places Program. The program is seeking qualifications from individual artists for artwork to be commissioned for various locations statewide. Sites for art may include opportunities for three-dimensional freestanding sculpture, two-dimensional images translated into durable materials, and large painted murals. Specific locations have not been announced. Through this call the SFCA intends to establish a qualified pool of professional artists for consideration. Applications will only be accepted online through CallForEntry.org (2023 APP Hawaiʻi Request for Qualifications). You must be registered on CaFE before you can log in and apply for a call for entry.
• “2023 Abstract Only! 13^th Annual Multimedia National Juried Competition” Hawaiʻi Island Art Alliance. Open to all U.S. national and Hawaiʻi-based 2D and 3D abstract artists in all mediums. Works must be abstract art. Entries open through July 14, 2023. For more information, please visit the CaFE website: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11166.
• Public Art Call: Municipality of Anchorage: Port of Alaska – Administration Building. Located at 1857 Anchorage Port Road, Anchorage, AK 99501, the Port of Alaska is a marine industrial zone with controlled access and accounts for 50% of all freight shipped into Alaska. The impact of weather and environmental conditions on materials should be given consideration in the development of proposals for art. Important factors to be considered include Alaska’s harsh winters and the port’s high salinity. Entries open through July 13, 2023. For more information, please visit the CaFE website: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11963.
• Downtown Art Center, “Artists of Hawaiʻi” call for artists opens on CAFE August 14, 2023. For more information, please visit the DAC website: DowntownArtHI.org/artistsofhawaii.
• 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.
• Hawaiʻi Handweavers’ Hui and The Glass Fusion Collective “Surrounded by Water” juried art exhibition, Downtown Art Center (Honolulu), August 2-18, 2023. Online registration begins July 1, 2023. For more information, please contact the Hawaiʻi Handweavers Hui at [email protected] or visit their website at HawaiiHandweavers.org.
• Hawaiʻi International Film Festival (HIFF) 2023 film submissions accepted until July 7, 2023. Learn more on the HIFF website: FilmFreeway.com/hiff.
• Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA) Call for 2024 Exhibition Proposals 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. For more information and to apply, please visit the MOCA website: HonoluluMOCA.org/call-for-exhibitions.
• Kahilu Exhibits Call for Exhibition Proposals. Kahilu Theatre is a not-for-profit community arts and education center dedicated to serving the diverse Hawai’i Island community. Each season Kahilu Theatre fulfills their mission through presenting world-class artists from Hawaiʻi and beyond, sustaining a youth arts education program, providing performance space for community-based productions, and showcasing local visual artists in their two galleries. Applications close October 1, 2023. For more information, please visit the call on Call For Entry: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=12103. You may need to be logged in to view the call; it is free to set up a Call For Entry account.
• Kauaʻi Society of Artists (Kukui Grove Center, Lihue)
  • Art Kauaʻi 2023 entry day Saturday, September 9, 2023. Exhibit September 16 – October 27, 2023.
  • Small Works Show entry day Saturday, November 11, 2023. Exhibit November 18-January 5, 2024.
  For more information, please visit the Kauaʻi Society of Artists website: KauaiSocietyOfArtists.org.
• Kumu Kahua Theatre “Go Try Playwrite” monthly playwriting contest in collaboration with Bamboo Ridge Press. Submission due dates are the last day of the month. Learn more on the Kumu Kahua website: KumuKahua.org/gotryplaywrite
• Loʻi Gallery at American Savings Bank (downtown Honolulu) is taking applications for exhibits. Learn more and apply on their website: asbhawaii.com/loigallery.
• Mālama Wao Akua 2023, Hui Noʻeau Visual Arts Center and East Maui Watershed Partnership. Online exhibition info session July 13, 1:00 p.m. on Zoom. Online registration August 15-29, 2023. For more information, please visit the Mālama Wao Akua website: MalamaWaoAkua.org.
• Small Town, Big Art Request for Proposals for outdoor Fitness Court artwork installations in Kahului. Apply by July 31, 2023. For more information, please visit the Small Town, Big Art website: SmallTownBig.org/nfc.html.

Job Opportunities

• Bishop Museum job opportunities currently include Informatics Digital Humanities Specialist and Public Programs and Community Engagement Specialist (PPCE Specialist). For more information, please visit the Bishop Museum website: BishopMuseum.org/careers.
• Honolulu Museum of Art job opportunities currently include Teaching Assistant, Metal Work Studio Programs Teacher, Director of Collections, and Audio-Visual Technician. Learn more on the Honolulu Museum of Art website: HonoluluMuseum.org/employment.
• Iolani Palace job opportunities currently include Director of Finance, Membership Program Manager, Museum Store Associate, Guest Services Associate, and Palace Guard. Learn more on the Iolani Palace website: IolaniPalace.org/job-opportunities.
• Mana Maoli job postings for Teacher Support Specialist, Project Assistant, Music and Video Production Instructors: part-time positions based on Oʻahu. Learn more on the Mana Maoli website: ManaMaoli.org/job-openings.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Bishop Museum Volunteer Opportunities: current volunteer opportunities include exhibit greeters, press sales and marketing assistant, and wayfinders. For more information, please visit the Bishop Museum website: BishopMuseum.org/volunteer.
• Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA) Volunteer Program: HoMA offers a variety of volunteer roles, such as engagement with the public around current exhibitions, facilitating art activities with families and children at Family Sunday, guiding tours through museum galleries and more. For more information, please visit the HoMA website: HonoluluMuseum.org/volunteer-program.
• Iolani Palace Volunteer positions currently include greeters, stewards, and palace shop kōkua. For more information, please visit the Iolani Palace website: IolaniPalace.org/contact/volunteer.
• Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (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].

Federal Grants and Programs

• 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.
• Library of Congress Be a Virtual Volunteer: help transcribe Library of Congress documents online Volunteers create and review transcriptions to improve search, access, and discovery of these pages from history. https://crowd.loc.gov/
• National Archives and Records Administration (NHPRC) 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.
• Our Town Grant applications due August 2023. Applications close August 3, 2023. Information sessions: July 20 and August 10 (register: arts.gov/grants/our-town/applicant-resources). Our Town is the NEA’s creative placemaking grants program. Through project-based funding, the program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities. Our Town projects advance local economic, physical, or social outcomes in communities, ultimately laying the groundwork for systems change and centering equity. These projects require a partnership between a local government entity and nonprofit organization, one of which must be a cultural organization; and should engage in partnership with other sectors. Applications will be due in August 2023. Learn more about the Our Town grant program on the NEA website: arts.gov/grants/our-town. In fiscal year 2022, Our Town grant awardees included: Hawaiʻi County Department of Parks and Recreation (partnered with the East Hawaiʻi Cultural Center) to support community planning and the co-creation of artwork using plastics diverted from local beaches and landfills on Hawaiʻi Island; Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services (partnered with Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts) to support a community-generated public art installation and exhibition in Hoʻoulu ʻAina, a 100-acre nature preserve in Kalihi; Hawaiʻi Arts Alliance (with support from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Generative Economic Recover (TIGER) grant), to support an arts festival to celebrate a new cultural facility in Lihue (island of Kauaʻi); and 500 Sails (partnered with the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture), to support youth dance workshops and performances celebrating the traditional maritime heritage of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
• Grants for Arts Projects for organizations, applications due July 6, 2023. Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) is the NEA’s largest grant program for organizations, providing expansive funding opportunities for communities across the nation in a wide range of artistic disciplines, including media arts. Information session: GAP and Digital Technology Projects Webinar: July 12, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Hawaiʻi Standard Time. For more information, please visit the NEA website GAP page: arts.gov/grants/grants-for-arts-projects/program-description.
• 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 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.
• 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.

This post was most recently updated July 19, 2023.