Press RoomPhoenix Art Museum announces call for submissions by Arizona-based artists for 2019 Friends of Contemporary Art (FOCA) Artists’ Grants

Phoenix Art Museum announces call for submissions by Arizona-based artists for 2019 Friends of Contemporary Art (FOCA) Artists’ Grants

Jun, 19, 2019

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Phoenix Art Museum announces call for submissions by Arizona-based artists for 2019 Friends of Contemporary Art (FOCA) Artists’ Grants

Museum collaborates with Artlink on call; Grants recipients will be notified in September 2019 and exhibited in summer of 2020

PHOENIX (June 19, 2019) – Phoenix Art Museum announces the opening of its annual call for the 2019 Friends of Contemporary Art (FOCA) Artists’ Grants with the aim of providing recognition and financial support for emerging, professional, Arizona-based artists. The Museum is teaming up with Artlink, a Phoenix-based arts organization, to host and help promote the call for artwork submissions, which will be open from June 24 through July 31, 2019. There is no cost to submit artwork for consideration. Up to five grants recipients will be announced on September  30, 2019, with each receiving a $2000 grant along with a group exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum in summer 2020.

An affiliate group of Phoenix Art Museum, FOCA supports contemporary art exhibitions, programming, and acquisitions, and manages the annual Artists’ Grants, which support emerging contemporary artists based in Arizona. The grants are a continuation of the recognition program begun by former Museum support group Contemporary Forum, which awarded more than 180 artists’ grants over the past 32 years.  Grants’ recipients are selected by a national jury from a competitive pool of applicants, and will be invited to present new work in a group show alongside the Museum’s 2020 Arlene and Morton Scult Artist Award recipient, who is nominated by invitation and selected by a jury.

The Artists’ Grants foster the creation of contemporary art by encouraging emerging artists working in Arizona through grants and annual exhibitions as well as by providing additional programming opportunities for artist talks with the community and hosted at Phoenix Art Museum. The 2018 Phoenix Art Museum Artists’ Grants Recipients exhibition features works by Taylor James, Malakai, Elliott Jamal Robbins, and Papay Solomon, while Julio César Morales: Invaders is a mid-career survey of the work of the 2018 Arlene and Morton Scult Artist Award recipient. All 2018 award and grant recipients share a common interest in exploring timely social and geopolitical issues that resonate strongly in both Arizona and the greater United States and all of them programmed in-gallery artist talks and engaged with the community about their work

Call for 2019 Artists’ Grants Submissions

FOCA will be accepting submissions for the 2019 Artists’ Grants from June 24, 2019 through July 31, 2019. Applications are accepted online only and are due on July 31, 2019. A panel of judges will select the recipients, who will be announced to the public on September 30, 2019. The selection committee will award up to five grants of $2,000 each and each recipient will be invited to present work in the 2020 Artists’ Grants exhibition. There is no cost to submit to the open call.  


Eligibility Requirements:

  • Artists must be considered emerging artists, meeting at least one of the following criteria:
    • Individuals who have recently completed degree programs;
    • Artists whose work has been shown in Arizona but not extensively outside of the state;
    • Individuals returning to art after a hiatus.
  • Artists working in all media, including painting, sculpture, drawing, installation, new media, performance, photography, and video, may apply.
  • Artists must be Arizona residents.
  • Artwork must have been produced within the past two years.
  • Artists may not be enrolled in a college degree program.
  • Previous recipients of the Artists’ Grants are ineligible.
  • Artists must be registered as an Artlink Articipant. Register as an Articipant* with Artlink here:

*Note that while Articipation with Artlink does not require payment, there are additional benefits to paid levels. Visit artlinkphx.org for details. Questions about Artlink? Please email info@artlinkphx.org.  

Submission Requirements:

Applications must be submitted online USING THE FOLLOWING LINK: http://bit.ly/FOCA2019ArtistsGrants. Submissions MUST include:

  • Artist name, street address, email address, and telephone number
  • Resume/CV
  • Artist statement (optional; 150 words or less)
  • Description of work (title, date, medium, dimensions)
  • Three (3) JPEGS or three (3) videos of different examples of your work.
    • Videos exceeding three minutes will not be accepted.
  • Descriptions of each submitted artwork, including title, date, medium, dimensions

Submission Deadline:

All materials must be submitted online by midnight Pacific Standard Time on July 31, 2019. Submit applications to the following link: http://bit.ly/FOCA2019ArtistsGrants. Please email curatorial@phxart.org with any questions.

About Friends of Contemporary Art:

Friends of Contemporary Art (FOCA) is a dynamic affiliate group whose mission is to support contemporary art development at Phoenix Art Museum. FOCA is dedicated to promoting interest in and understanding of contemporary art through acquisitions, exhibition sponsorship, and educational programs. Learn more and become a FOCA Member at http://www.phxart.org/foca.

About the Friends of Contemporary Art (FOCA) Artists’ Grants

The Phoenix Art Museum FOCA Artists’ Grants foster the creation of contemporary art by encouraging emerging artists working in Arizona. Artists’ Grants recipients are selected by a jury from a competitive pool of applicants who respond to an annual open call. Up to five grants of $2,000 each are awarded every year.

About Artlink Inc.

Artlink keeps the arts integral to the development of our city by connecting artists, business and community. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events and initiatives, including complimentary shuttles during the monthly First Friday Art Walks, The Artist Forward Fund, Phoenix Urban Guide, and the annual Art Detour, Art d’Core Gala and Juried Exhibition. Formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1989, Artlink is supported by City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, Downtown Phoenix Inc., Arizona Commission on the Arts, Park Central, Marriott International, True North Studio, Valley Metro, Phoenix Convention Center, Reimagine Phoenix, and works in partnership with Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix Warehouse District, Central Arts District and Historic Grand Avenue. Visit artlinkphx.org.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum has provided access to visual arts and educational programs in Arizona for nearly 60 years and is the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions are shown alongside the Museum’s permanent collection of more than 19,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents festivals, a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed to enlighten, entertain, and stimulate visitors of all ages. Visitors also enjoy vibrant photography exhibitions through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.

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