12 international grants for artists, photographers and cultural organisations in the second half of 2026

Applications remain open for dozens of international grants for artists, photographers, curators and cultural organisations in the second half of 2026. We have selected 12 current programmes. They fund new projects, professional travel and the development of an artistic practice. They also support international collaboration and organisational growth.
The selection covers emerging authors and artists with many years of practice. It also includes programmes for cultural organisations and international partnerships. The grants are arranged by the nearest deadlines, so you can quickly see which applications to prepare first.

Visual AIDS
An international grant of $5,000 for artists living with HIV. Unlike most programmes, it requires no new project and no report on spending. The funding is meant to sustain the ability to continue an artistic practice. The programme is built on trust and support. It also opens access to the Visual AIDS professional community and the Artist+ Registry archive.
Suitable if: you meet the conditions and are registered as an Artist Member of Visual AIDS.
Application deadline — 15 September 2026.

Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture
The programme funds individual professional trips. It is open to artists and cultural professionals living in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Support covers research, professional events and work with host organisations. It also develops international collaboration and builds long-term professional ties in the region. The amount is calculated individually, depending on the route and the length of the trip.
Suitable if: you live in the Nordic or Baltic region and plan a trip that develops your practice.
Application deadline — 18 September 2026.

eidolon Grant 2026
An international grant with a total fund of €25,000. It is open to artists, photographers, curators, researchers and visual culture professionals. Their field is archives, family photography, the history of images and visual memory. The programme supports projects, research, publications, exhibitions and educational initiatives. All of them help rethink photography as part of cultural heritage. Few international programmes are devoted entirely to archives and contemporary visual culture.
Suitable if: you research archives or documentary photography, or work between art, history and visual studies.
Application deadline — 30 September 2026.

Norden 0–30
The programme provides grants of up to €50,000. Projects involve children and young people in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Its defining feature: young participants are co-authors, not an audience. They make decisions at every stage. The funding supports cultural, educational and community initiatives delivered by international partnerships.
Suitable if: you represent a cultural organisation, work with young people and have Nordic or Baltic partners.
Application deadline — 2 October 2026.

Artist Grant
An international grant of $1,200, awarded three times a year. The winner receives the money with no need to describe a project, prepare a concept or gather reference letters — the jury judges the work itself. The funds carry no restrictions and can go toward materials, studio rent or any other professional need. The programme is open to artists from any country, with no citizenship requirements.
Suitable if: you work in painting, graphic art, sculpture, ceramics, photography or mixed media, are 18 or older, and want fast support without a complex application.
Application deadline — 15 November 2026.

Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grant
One of the few grants in the world devoted specifically to figurative and representational art — painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing from life. The first grant is CAD 17,000 (about €11,000); the second and third, available to the same artist later, are CAD 20,000 each. The programme accepts applications in four cycles a year, so there is no single once-a-year deadline to race against.
Suitable if: you are 18 to 41 years old, work in traditional figure and portrait techniques, and are still building a professional career.
Application deadline in the current cycle — 27 November 2026.

MOST IV
The programme provides up to €3,000 for professional trips. It is open to artists and cultural professionals from Belarus. The grant covers transport, accommodation, daily allowances, medical insurance and visa costs. It also covers participation in professional events. A trip may involve an internship, training, research, work with archives or exhibition preparation. It may also serve the development of international collaboration. The programme runs until spring 2027. It remains one of the most sought-after mobility opportunities for Belarusian cultural professionals.
Suitable if: you are a citizen of Belarus and have an invitation from a host organisation in the EU.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant
An international emergency grant of up to $15,000 for artists in a severe life situation. The programme helps cover costs after a fire, loss of housing, serious illness, a natural disaster or another emergency. Unlike most art grants, it does not fund a new project. It funds the ability to keep working during a crisis.
Suitable if: you work in painting, sculpture or printmaking, have long professional practice and face an emergency.
Applications are accepted all year round.

Pollock-Krasner Foundation
One of the best-known international foundations supporting professional artists, with grants of up to $50,000. The funds cover materials, studio rent, exhibition preparation, residencies and other professional costs. The foundation finances the development of the practice itself rather than a single project. That is why it counts among the most prestigious programmes of long-term support.
Suitable if: you work professionally in painting, sculpture or printmaking. You exhibit regularly and have an established practice.
Applications are accepted all year round.

Foundation for Arts Initiatives (FfAI)
A grant of $10,000 for artists, curators and researchers in visual art — for the research process itself: travel, archival work, immersion in a subject, unbound by a university or a residency, rather than for a finished project or exhibition. Organisations can also apply for institutional support of $10,000–25,000. The application starts with a short online enquiry, with no portfolio or documents required at the first stage.
Suitable if: you work in visual art (not the performing arts) and are preparing an independent research project or a related trip.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Awesome Foundation
An international network of microgrants of $1,000 for creative, educational and community initiatives — a modest sum, but the foundation gives them out every month through dozens of independent local chapters worldwide. Applications go through a short online form with no complex project packages; international and online projects can be directed to any chapter through the Any Chapter option.
Suitable if: you have a small independent initiative — artistic, educational or community — and want fast support without bureaucracy.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with decisions made monthly.

The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation Individual Support Grant
An annual programme under which 20 artists each receive $25,000. The funding is intended for authors with a long professional practice. It supports their work regardless of a particular project, exhibition or residency. Selection focuses on the artistic biography, the consistency of the practice and the professional archive of the author.
Suitable if: you work in painting, sculpture or printmaking and have at least twenty years of practice.
The next application round is expected in autumn 2026.

Save this selection so you do not lose track of the opportunities that suit you. Many international grants for artists open only once a year, and a strong application takes time. Even if you are not applying yet, it is worth choosing the programmes that match your practice. Then prepare a portfolio, CV and project description gradually.