Individual Support Grant FAQs
Have other questions? Email Grants Manager, Petra Pankow, at ppankow@gottliebfoundation.org.
ELIGIBILITY
What are the eligibility requirements for this program?
Individual Support Grants are available to painters, sculptors, and printmakers who have been engaged in a mature phase of their art for at least 20 years and who are currently in financial need. Financial need is based on household income. Please see below for definition of a mature phase of art.
Can I apply every year, or do I have to wait a year to apply?
Applicants who did not receive an award from the Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Program may reapply every year. Recipients of this grant must wait one year after receiving their grant before they are eligible to reapply. Artists who have previously received an Individual Support Grant three times are no longer eligible to apply for this grant program.
If I applied for an Emergency Grant, am I still eligible to apply for the Individual Support Grant?
Artists may apply for both the Individual Support and the Emergency Grant program in the same year. Each program has its own application form and requirements.
Do I have to live in New York to be eligible for the grant programs?
The Foundation’s grant programs are open to both US-based and international artists. US citizenship or residency is not required.
How does the Foundation define a mature phase of art?
Maturity is based on a high level of intellectual, technical, and creative proficiency that has been maintained over time. It is not based on an applicant’s age but rather on the development of and commitment to an artist’s work and its progress over time. We rely on the visuals included with the application to provide evidence that an artist has been producing mature work for at least 20 years.
Can the grants be used for educational purposes, like graduate school?
No. The Foundation does not consider requests for funding educational purposes.
Does this program fund exhibitions or projects?
No. The Individual Support Grant may be used in any way an artist determines it will assist their career; however, the program is not intended as exhibition or project funding. Please do not submit budgets for specific projects.
Does the Foundation give preference to a particular style or form of art, such as abstract art or painting over other styles or forms?
There is no preference given to genre, media, or subject matter, as long as the work is painting, printmaking, or sculpture, or can be directly interpreted as such.
APPLICATION FORM
How do I get an application form?
The application for the Gottlieb Foundation 2024 Individual Support Program will be available on October 16, 2023.
Applications for our grant programs are accessible online only. Interested applicants may log in and create a profile to begin the application. You can access the application here.
Please note that the software allows an applicant to work on the application over time. All completed sections and uploaded or attached materials can be saved, reviewed, and revised by the applicant until the application is submitted. Complete applications and any supporting materials must be submitted before midnight Eastern Standard Time on January 17, 2024.
May I drop off my application form to the Foundation in person?
Applications must be submitted online. We do not accept hand-delivered applications.
Applicants have the option of submitting their financial documentation by mail or other carrier (i.e. Federal Express). In that event, we rely on the postmark or carrier’s receipt to verify that submissions were sent before the deadline.
I have an Individual Support grant application form from a previous year. Can I use it?
No. We review and update the application forms annually; only current application forms may be submitted.
Can I submit extra support materials with my application?
No. Due to the number of applications we receive each year, we ask that applicants submit only the material requested. Supplementary materials, such as catalogues, brochures, reviews, press materials, etc, will not be reviewed.
Why can’t I log in with my old account?
We changed web platforms for the Individual Support Grant Application in 2021 in order to provide a smoother application experience. Applicants who do not yet have a Submittable account will need to create one to get started.
What if I have trouble making an account or using Submittable?
Submittable is happy to help applicants who are having trouble or have questions about the application. You can access information here or here.
Do all web browsers work?
Submittable works best with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari browsers. See more information here.
Can I apply from a mobile device?
We strongly advise that everyone apply with a desktop or laptop computer due to the amount of information that we require. However, it is possible to use a mobile device. Click here for support uploading images via your mobile device.
FINANCIAL DOCUMENTATION
What tax information is required for the application?
Applicants must provide the following tax forms for all members of the household:
Complete tax return for the calendar year 2022 including all schedules and pages.
What tax information is required for International Applicants?
International applicants must provide a complete tax return for the calendar year 2022. Do not provide a summary document.
All Documents must be translated line by line into English.
If you file in more than one country, you must submit all returns that you filed.
Can I submit some documents online and others in hard copy?
No. Tax forms may either be uploaded at the time of submission or sent by mail bearing a postmark no later than January 17, 2024. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Please do not send locked documents or documents requiring a password to open.
Please redact any sensitive information. (e.g. Social Security Number).
Where do I send hard copies of financial documents?
Individual Support Application
Gottlieb Foundation
380 West Broadway
New York, NY 10012
How do I reflect my income in the case of a joint tax return?
For the purposes of this grant program, we consider overall household income, and a joint return is acceptable. If an applicant files taxes separately from their spouse or domestic partner, we require both the applicant’s and spouse’s or domestic partner’s tax forms.
I didn’t file a tax return last year. What type of financial documentation should I submit in this case?
We recognize that it is not always possible to submit a copy of the most recent tax forms. Alternative documentation may be submitted in lieu of a tax return. Applicants must check directly with the Foundation as to what alternative documentation is acceptable and must receive permission from the Foundation to submit that material. Applicants who fail to submit the requested forms of financial documentation will not be eligible for review. The deadline for submitting materials applies and will not be extended.
IMAGES
How should images be arranged? How are images viewed?
Images should be arranged chronologically. They are projected and viewed one at a time.
How big can my images be? What kind of files are accepted?
Uploaded images must be .jpg files and a maximum of 2MB each.
Why are there 2 sections for images on the application?
While this grant is for artists who have been creating mature work for a minimum of 20 years, it is also for artists who are actively working. We request 6 images from the last 12 months in the first section and 20-34 images going back 20 years in the second section.
Are detail images permitted?
Detail images are not permitted in the first section of images. In the second section, a maximum of 5 detail images are permitted
Are composite or digitally enhanced images permitted?
No. No composite, multiple-view, or digitally altered images are permitted. Applications containing these types of images will not be considered.
REVIEWS AND PROCEDURES
When will I be notified of the Individual Support Grant final decisions?
We expect to notify applicants around the end of May 2024.
Who makes the decisions to award a grant?
Each year the Foundation selects a group of 5 artists and other art professionals who are not affiliated with the Foundation to serve as advisors to this program. The advisors acting as a group choose the recipients for this grant program. The entire group of advisors changes each year. Their names are kept strictly confidential.
COMMON MISTAKES AND TROUBLESHOOTING
TAX DOCUMENTS
One of the most common mistakes is submitting partial tax information.
US taxpayers must submit a complete tax return for the year 2022 including all schedules and pages that were filed with the IRS. Applicants who file taxes outside the US must submit the latest complete federal tax return they filed. (This may be the year 2021 or 2022 depending on tax filing schedules).
Please note that applicants are required to submit complete tax information for all members of their household, either in the form of a joint tax return or, if filing separately, several individual returns.
Please do not send a transcript of what was filed, a Notice of Assessment, or other notice or summary of filing, as these do not fulfill the requirements for this program.
We require that all documentation be submitted in English. For international applicants, tax returns that are not in English must be translated into English. Please include a complete and separate line-by-line translation along with the original documents. Submitting only the original without the translation, or the translation without the original will render these applications incomplete and therefore ineligible for review.
If your tax return is in a PDF format, please do not upload password-protected PDF files. We will not be able to open them.
If you have multiple tax forms or files that are larger than the acceptable size limit on the online application form, please send all of your financial documentation by mail. Do not submit part of your financials online and the rest by mail. Select one method only for the submission of your financial documentation.
IMAGES AND DESCRIPTIONS
Images of the applicant’s work should be uploaded to the application in 2 sections.
The first section asks for 6 images of work completed in the last 12 months. This section cannot include detail images.
The second section asks for 20-34 images that demonstrate a minimum of 20 years of mature art. Up to 5 detail images are permitted in this section.
Please label images: LAST NAME_FIRST NAME_ FILE NUMBER
Example: Doe_Jane_1; Doe_Jane_2, etc.
Enter the Title, Date, Media, and Dimensions (in inches) of each uploaded work.
As this program is for artists who have been working for at least 20 years in a mature phase of their art, and the review panel relies on the visual documentation to make determinations about maturity, the images submitted must go back a minimum of 20 years.
As this is the 2024 grant cycle, submitted images must begin in 2004 or earlier. An applicant who sends images of their work beginning in the year 2005, for example, will not be eligible for review.
When in doubt about any of the requirements, please contact the Foundation for further information and clarification.