Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants

The AWAW EAG will support environmental art projects that inspire thought, action, and ethical engagement. Projects should not only point at problems, but aim to engage an environmental issue at some scale. Proposals should illustrate thorough consideration of a project’s ecological and social ethics. Projects that explore interdependence, relationships, and systems through Indigenous and ancestral practices are encouraged to apply.

The intended impact of the project is an important factor in the selection process. Environmental art projects that qualify for this program may focus on the following themes, but are not limited to:

• Regeneration
• Eco-social engagement
• Decarbonization as decolonization
• Ecofeminism
• Climate change / climate collapse
• Systems-restoration
• Interspecies relationships
• Natural or built systems
• Recycling and repurposing
• Clean energy production
• Bioplastics

Environment is the surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates. Natural and manmade spaces are both considered environments. For example, an urban location is an acceptable focus for a proposed project. The AWAW EAG seeks to support projects involving a wide range of environments.

The AWAW EAG is a project grant, and seeks to support the completion of an existing project or a phase of a project that is already in development. The “phase” can be a part or iteration of a larger, ongoing project that does not have an endpoint within the grant period (August 2025 – August 2026). The completion of a phase will be marked by the public engagement component required by this grant.

Public engagements must be free, open to the general public, and completed by August 31, 2026. That could include, but is not limited to, a screening, exhibition, performance, lecture, panel discussion, or other live event. The public engagement component must add value to the public sphere rather than solely benefiting the artist’s private gain. Online events are acceptable as long as they are attended by a live audience.

No. The public engagement component of the AWAW EAG must be free and open to the public. Recipients are only required to organize one free public engagement within the grant period. Any additional engagements/distribution of the project within the timeframe of the grant are not required to be free.

The AWAW EAG is open to artists in all disciplines. Within the application, you will be asked to select one of the following disciplines that best reflects your creative practice today:

• Craft/Textiles (including: Ceramics, Glass, Wood, Metal, Fiber, and Mixed Media)
• Choreography/Dance (all forms)
• Community Arts
• Design/Architecture (Environmental and Functional Design)
• Digital/Electronic Arts (works where technology is an essential element of the work’s creation)
• Folk/Traditional Arts (works of traditional Folk Art and creative and cultural expressions)
• Interdisciplinary Work (integrate knowledge and methods from different disciplines within a single piece or body of work)
• Literary Arts (including Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Playwriting, and Screenwriting)
• Music/Sound (Composers working in any and all styles of music)
• Theater/Performance (including Directing, Live Action, and Puppetry)
• Video/Film (all forms)
• Visual Arts (including: Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Drawing, and Sculpture)

Yes artists can apply as a team or collaborative, but there must be one lead applicant for the proposal who fulfills the eligibility guidelines. Only one application may be submitted per project.

While the project lead must fulfill eligibility requirements, collaborators do not. For example, collaborators do not need to identify as women.

The AWAW EAG is open only to individual artists who are either working independently or within a collaboration or artist collective. While artists may partner with organizations, the project must be led by a single artist or group of artists to qualify. If awarded, funds will be disbursed directly to the lead applicant.

The lead applicant is responsible for receiving and managing the grant funds, regardless of the collaborative nature of the project. For guidance on handling payments in collaborative settings, check out The Freelancer’s Guide to Getting Paid on Time.

No. You can only apply one time with one project. However, if you are involved in someone else’s project in addition to your own and are listed as a collaborator, this is acceptable. You cannot be the project lead on more than one application.

No. Regardless of your field of study, you cannot be enrolled in a degree-seeking program of any kind during the grant term (August 2025 to August 2026).

No. You do not need to be U.S. Citizen to apply, but you do need to have a U.S. residence to be eligible. If awarded, you must be able to provide a W-9 with a Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) or EIN.

No. You do not need to have a Fiscal Sponsor for their project. If your project already has a Fiscal Sponsor and you wish to include this organization in the funding process, you can.

Yes, you are still eligible to apply for the AWAW Environmental Art Grant (EAG) if you have received a different NYFA grant or the Anonymous Was A Woman unrestricted grant for artists over 40. Past recipients of any NYFA or AWAW grants may apply for the AWAW EAG as long as all required NYFA reports have been submitted.

No, you may only receive the AWAW EAG as a lead applicant once. However, you are welcome to participate as a collaborator on another project.

You can submit up to 5 work samples. Work samples can be: images, a manuscript, audio recordings, or short video clips. Time-based work samples such as audio or video clips should not exceed 10 minutes total across all work samples. Written work samples should not exceed 5 pages total across all work samples.

If you are unable to edit your audio/video files down to fit the maximum time limit, you will need to provide timestamps for the segment that the panel will review. Once you have selected and uploaded your file, an additional metadata field will appear in the application form. Please include any timestamps and any additional information here.

If providing video work samples, you have the option to submit up to two links to Youtube or Vimeo in addition to uploading files. Be sure to include passwords in work sample descriptions if applicable. Promotional videos, reels, or links to interactive websites are not eligible work samples.

Work samples should be representative of your proposed grant project and you or your project collaborators must be the originating artists of all work samples submitted. . This can include a combination of in-progress work samples that show the status of your proposed project, as well as completed work samples that demonstrate previous work.

Including recent work samples produced in the past three years is highly recommended. If you are providing older work samples, consider providing an explanation as to why you chose to provide an older work sample, and how they relate to your proposed grant project.

Do not submit edited promotional or interview materials. Do not include recordings with voice over narration or multiple artistic works compiled into a single recording or image. Each upload or video link should represent one single work sample, whether it is completed or in-progress.

The application form accepts the following file types: .doc, .docx, .pdf, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .m4a, .mp3, .wav, .mov, .mp4

Applications are first reviewed for eligibility, and then all eligible applications are reviewed by panelists through elimination rounds, producing a smaller pool for each round. An artist’s advancement is a product of the collective vote of the panel. A single panelist cannot ensure an applicant’s success or failure. Panelists will use the Evaluation Criteria listed in the Review Process section to review and score each application.

Panelists are individuals experienced in environmental art. Recommendations for potential panelists come from many sources including: NYFA’s Artists’ Advisory Committee, arts and cultural organizations around the US, and suggestions from practicing artists. NYFA makes every effort to assemble diverse panels, considering gender, ethnicity, cultural background, and geographic location. Panelists’ names are kept confidential until the awards are announced.

All applicants will receive notification on the outcome of their application in August 2025 from the [email protected] email address. Please do not email us regarding the status of your application.

Each project can request up to $20,000 in funding. If awarded, the final grant amount is determined by the review panel. You must submit an overall project budget as well as an itemized list for the requested fund allocation. Projects will never be awarded less than 50% of their funding request.

The AWAW EAG grant period is from August 2025 to August 2026. All funds must be used towards the completion of your project or phase of your project within the grant period.

If part of your funding is intended to be spent on large material items or equipment, be sure to include why these purchases are essential to the portion of your project being supported by AWAW EAG. No more than 15% of the award can be used for marketing and promotion, and reimbursements are not allowed. Artist or service fees, rentals, and subscriptions are only accepted for the length of the grant period.

Yes. Funded projects must complete a final report clearly outlining how the AWAW Environmental Art Grant was used to complete the project (or phase(s) of the project) along with sharing information on attendance numbers and public access plans or outcomes.

The AWAW EAG is made possible by Anonymous Was A Woman with additional funding provided by individual donors. If you would like to contribute to this initiative, please email [email protected].

Yes. This grant is funded by Anonymous Was A Woman. If you would like to contribute to this initiative, please email [email protected].

All applications must be submitted through the Submittable platform. All open applications can be found on Submittable.

If you haven’t already, you will need to create a free Submittable account to be able to access the application. Visit Submittable to start a free account.

Step-by-step guidance for using the Submittable platform and setting up a free account is available here.

Yes. To save your application as a draft, scroll to the bottom of your working application and select “Save Draft.” Sign in to your submittable account to view your draft applications. You can also sign in via the direct link to saved drafts here.

No. All applications must be submitted online through Submittable to be considered for review.

For assistance in applying, please reach out through our Contact Page. We ask that requests for assistance be made as soon as possible, and at least two weeks prior to the deadline to allow adequate time for staff to support you in submitting an application on time.

Instructions for scanning documents on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch are available here.

Instructions for scanning documents on an Android device using Google Drive are available here.

This free online tool can help you convert to a wide variety of file types. Accepted file types are listed directly on the application.

You have the option of including notes and comments about your work samples in the metadata field. Once you have selected and uploaded your file on Submittable, an additional metadata field will appear in the application form. Please include additional information about the work samples there.

We highly suggest using a laptop or desktop computer to complete your application on the platform, rather than a mobile device or tablet. Free access to these types of computers are available at most public library branches throughout New York City. For a smoother performance, we recommend using either Firefox or Chrome as your browser. If you’re already using Chrome, please clear the browser cache and cookies. Additionally, please make sure you are using the most up to date version of your browser.

If you are still running into technical issues, you can reach out to Submittable’s Support team directly via the contact form, Submitter Support, or via the support email address [email protected] so that they can troubleshoot directly.

NYFA staff do not have access to your Submittable account.

To preview your submitted application, please sign in to your Submittable account. If you continue having issues viewing your submission, please reach out to [email protected] for further assistance.

Note: Submitted applications should only be previewed using the link above. You may not be able to preview your submitted application by signing in through the same portal link you used to apply.

No. All applications must be submitted by the deadline. Please note that the application form will automatically close and stop accepting applications at the deadline time of 5:00 PM ET, regardless of whether you still have a draft application open on your browser. We strongly encourage you to submit your application at least 24-48 hours before the deadline date to allow time to address any technical issues. NYFA cannot extend the deadline regardless of the cause of the problem you may have encountered.

By completing this information you are helping NYFA secure future funding, collect general information about our audience, and properly assess our effectiveness in serving the creative community. Your responses will remain anonymous and any personally identifying data will be removed prior to sharing the demographic data with third parties.