Grants, Calls for Artists, and Other Opportunities (November 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. 

Calls for artists and exhibitions

• Creative Lab Hawaiʻi Music Immersive Program applications open November 1 – December 1, 2023. Hawaiʻi singer-songwriters seeking opportunities to license their works for global media and entertainment content are invited to apply. For more information, please visit the Creative Lab Hawaiʻi website: creativelab.hawaii.gov/main/musicians-creative-lab-hawaii-music-immersive-application-window-opens-on-november-1-2023.
• Call for Artists: “Our Sea of Islands” exhibit at Capitol Modern (Hawaiʻi State Art Museum). Submissions open to indigenous Pacific Islanders represented in the 2024 Festival of the Pacific. Submissions due by December 31, 2023 on CallForEntry.org. For more information, please visit the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/call-for-artists-our-sea-of-islands.
• Call for Student Artists: 2024 Hawaiʻi Regional Scholastic Student Art Awards competition and exhibition, open to Hawaiʻi students grades 7-12 (ages 13+). Gold Key Award winning artworks will be exhibited at Capitol Modern (Hawaiʻi State Art Museum). Submissions due by December 15, 2023 through the online Arts and Writing awards portal. For more information, please visit the SFCA website: sfca.hawaii.gov/call-for-student-artists-2024-hawai%ca%bbi-regional-scholastic-art-awards-competition-and-exhibition.
• City and County of Honolulu 36th Annual Holiday Wreath Contest wreaths will be on display in Honolulu Hale’s Lane Gallery December 2 – December 29, 2023. Entries will be judged on workmanship, creativity, use of materials, and best representation of the contest theme. Youth category ages 17 and younger, adult category ages 18+. Entries accepted November 27, 2023 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the Lane Gallery of Honolulu Hale. For more information and entry form, please visit the Honolulu City Lights website: hnlcitylights.org/wreath-contest.
• Hawaiʻi Island Art Alliance (HIAA) Call for Artists: “Full Bleed, Art at the Edges: Anime, Manga and Urban Art” exhibit. All ages international call. Entry deadline January 5, 2024. Exhibit February 2 – March 21, 2024 at Wailoa Center (Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island). For more information, please visit the call detail on CallForEntry.org: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=12654.
• Hawaiʻi Island Art Alliance (HIAA) Call for Artists: “Plein Air Perspectives 2024” exhibit. Entry deadline December 15, 2023. Exhibit January 5 – 25, 2024 at Wailoa Center (Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island). For more information, please visit the call detail on CallForEntry.org: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=12542.
• Hoʻākea Source grants prioritizing visual artists, collaboratives, and collectives living across the island of Oʻahu. Outreach and information sessions begin in November. For more information, please visit the Hoʻākea Source website: HoakeaSource.org.
• Honolulu Mayor’s Office on Culture and the Arts (MOCA): ‘Ewa Mahiko District Park Gymnasium The City and County of Honolulu Commission on Culture and the Arts desires to commission a work of art for the ‘Ewa Mahiko District Park Gymnasium (91-1205 Renton Rd, ‘Ewa Beach, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i, 96706). One location has been designated to receive art. This Request for Qualifications is open to all artists, or artist teams, qualified to work for the City and County of Honolulu. Application deadline is January 1, 2024. For more information and to apply, please go to the Call For Entry website: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=11723.
• 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 monthly. 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 artists: “Interisland Action” exhibit. Entry deadline: December 10, 2023. Exhibit dates: January 18 – March 3, 2024 at Kahilu Theatre. For more information, please visit the call detail on CallForEntry.org: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=12560.
• Kauaʻi Society of Artists (Kukui Grove Center, Lihue)
  • 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.
• NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest and Calendar for students, grades K-8 in all U.S. states and territories. Entries due December 15, 2023. The U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program holds an annual art contest to reach students and help raise awareness about marine debris. Learn more on the NOAA website: marinedebris.noaa.gov/annual-noaa-marine-debris-program-art-contest-and-calendar.
• University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Art Department and English Department call for artists: “The Paths We Cross: Perspectives from the Korean Diaspora” exhibit seeks artworks and audio files. International call open to artists of Korean heritage ages 18 years and older. Entry deadline February 14, 2024. Exhibition May 3 – June 27, 2024 at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. For more information, please visit the call detail on CallForEntry.org: artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=12537.
• Western Arts Alliance Performing Arts Discovery Showcase: international virtual showcase opportunity for U.S.-based performing artists ready to tour. For more information, please visit the PAD Showcase page on the Western Arts Alliance website: westarts.org/pad.

Job Opportunities

• Bishop Museum job opportunities currently include Museum Educator, AP Educator, and Grants Manager. For more information, please visit the Bishop Museum website: BishopMuseum.org/careers.
• Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities is hiring a Director of Hawaiʻi History Day. Application deadline is November 22, 2023, or until the position has been filled. For more information and to apply, please visit the posting on HR Symphony at hrsymphony.com/hrs/route/position/7357/K9GB.
• Honolulu Museum of Art job opportunities currently Director of Collections, Visitor Engagement Associate, and Security Officer. Learn more on the Honolulu Museum of Art website: HonoluluMuseum.org/employment.
• ʻIolani Palace job opportunities currently include Guest Services Associate and Palace Guard. Learn more on the Iolani Palace website: IolaniPalace.org/job-opportunities.
• Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts is hiring an Office Manager. For more information or to apply, email [email protected].
• State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education job postings include Band and Ukulele Teacher (Nānākuli High and Intermediate School) and Performing Arts Teacher (Kealakehe Intermediate School). For more information, please visit the Department of Education’s online postings: SchoolJobs.com/careers/hawaiipublicschools.
• University of Hawaiʻi System job postings currently include Lecturer Early College Art and Creative Media (University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu), Assistant Professor, Creative Writing – Fiction (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa), Lecturer Digital Media Art (Hawaiʻi Community College), and Lecturer, Dance – Performance Oriented (Windward Community College). Learn more and apply on the University of Hawaiʻi jobs website: SchoolJobs.com/careers/hawaiiedu.

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.
• ʻIolani 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].
• 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

City and County of Honolulu 2025 Grants in Aid

The City and County of Honolulu, through its Department of Community Services, is soliciting applications from qualified nonprofit agencies for the GRANTS IN AID PROGRAM (GIA). Funding is anticipated to be available to support qualified public services to economically and/or socially disadvantaged populations or provide services for public benefit in the areas of arts, culture, economic development, or the environment. All agencies must submit complete proposals by 2:00 p.m. November 22, 2023. For more information, please see the posting on the Hawaiʻi Awards and Notices Data System (HANDS): hands.ehawaii.gov/hands/opportunities/opportunity-details/23419.

ArtsHERE Grants

Through grants and peer learning opportunities, ArtsHERE invests in organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to equity within their practices and programming, with the goal of increasing arts participation for underserved groups/communities and sharing insights that may inform similar funding programs in the future. Statement of interest due January 19, 2024. For more information, please visit the ArtsHERE website: usregionalarts.org/artshere.

Federal Grants and Programs

• FY2024 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Removal funding supports impactful, large marine debris removal projects. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations and commercial (for-profit) organizations with expertise in a field related to marine debris. This funding opportunity requires a Letter of Intent to be submitted before a full proposal can be submitted, due October 27, 2023. For more information, please visit the Grants.gov website: grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=349974.
• 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.
• 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.

This post was updated on November 15, 2023.