faQ

  • The Artists Creative Fund is a collaboration between the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) and the Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE). This initiative provides funding, visibility, and professional development to artists and creatives living in the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Through this fund, 20 project-specific awards of $10,000 each will be invested in a diverse group of artists to test ideas, explore collaborations, and build skills in the process of generating innovative creative work.

    This fund rewards artistic accomplishments to date and supports the continued development of creative projects in dance, theater, music, spoken word, performance art, traditional and folk arts, visual art (2D and 3D), film, literary arts, and/or any multi-disciplinary combination of the above. Grantees will be asked to have one public-facing event with Tulsa audiences during the grant period.

  • George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) is supporting this fund. GKFF is a charitable organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through investments in early childhood education, community health, social services, and civic enhancement. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, GKFF works primarily on initiatives developed in collaboration with Tulsa-based direct service organizations. For more information about George Kaiser Family Foundation, visit GKFF.org.

    The Artists Creative Fund operates as and is administered as a charitable component fund of Tulsa Community Foundation.

  • Creative Arkansas Community Hub & Exchange (CACHE) is leading the application process and professional development programming. CACHE was formed in 2019 to connect, support, and develop the Northwest Arkansas region’s arts, culture, and creative communities. CACHE brings cohesive vision and strategy to the region’s organic creative activities, uplifting local artists, the nonprofit sector, municipal leadership, creative industries, and arts philanthropy and investment. CACHE programs include the Arts and Culture Bridge Fund, ARt Connect, OZCast, region-wide cultural planning, the Music Ecosystem Strategy and Action Plan, and the Creative Exchange Fund. Learn more at cachecreate.org

  • This new funding opportunity is a one year project-based initiative designed to support artists and creatives residing in the City of Tulsa. George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) also supports a multiyear award for arts practitioners, Tulsa Artist Fellowship. To learn more, visit tulsaartistfellowship.org.

  • There are 20 awards available at $10,000 each.

  • Funds awarded must be used for direct costs associated with the proposed project including *artist fees, related materials and supplies, rentals, consultant fees, contractual services, facilities costs, marketing and promotion costs, and health and safety supplies.

    *We understand it takes time to create work and believe artists deserve to be paid fair wages. Consider your time involved and budget your artist fee accordingly.

  • The following are eligible to apply:

    • Artists who currently live within the Tulsa city limits, have resided within the Tulsa city limits for at least one year and will retain residency within the Tulsa city limits for the duration of the grant period

    • Individual practicing artists and creatives

    • A group of creatives may apply with a lead artist/creative who serves as the primary applicant and key contact

    • Artists and creatives with an active and current practice creating work in dance, theater, music, spoken word, performance art, traditional and folk arts, visual art (2D and 3D), film, literary arts, and/or any multi-disciplinary combination of the above

    • Artists and creatives whose proposed projects take place in the city of Tulsa and include at least one public-facing event for Tulsa audiences during the grant period

    • Individuals at least 21 years of age at the time of application

    • U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or those with non-resident status

  • The following are ineligible to apply:

    • Artists living outside of the City of Tulsa

    • Organizations and full-time students

    • Previous ACF recipients

    • Current Tulsa Artist Fellows

    • 2023 Tulsa Artist Fellows

    • Entrepreneurs participating in the Build in Tulsa programming

    • Individuals who receive a W2 from George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) or Tulsa Community Foundation (TCE)

    • Individuals who receive a W2 from the following GKFF entities: ADPM, LLC; American Song Archives, LLC - Woody Guthrie Center and Bob Dylan Center; Build in Tulsa (BIT), LLC; GKFF BEST, LLC (BEST - Birth Through Eight Strategies); GGP Parks, LLC (Includes Gathering Place, Guthrie Green, Fly Loft, and Low-Down employees); InTulsa Initiative, LLC (Campus Tulsa division); InvestNorth, LLC; Root Guides, LLC; Tulsa Artist Fellowship, LLC; Tulsa Innovation Labs, LLC; Tulsa Remote, LLC (Experience Tulsa division)

    • Individuals who receive a W2 from the following TCF entities/funds: 501 Tech; Impact Tulsa; Take Control Initiative; Tulsa Jewish Community Center; Holberton Tulsa, LLC; Healthy Minds; Policy Initiative; The Opportunity Project; Tulsa Responds; Tulsa Service Year; BloomOK; ProsperOK; Oklahoma Fair Defense; OKPOP Foundation; Tulsa Higher Education Consortium; TCF Tulsa Birth Equity Initiative, LLC; Terence Crutcher Foundation, LLC; JusticeLink, LLC; TCF Rose Rock Bridge, LLC; Strong Tomorrows, LLC; Tulsa Responds, LLC; ProsperOK Initiative, LLC

    • Individuals who receive a W2 from Oklahoma Watch INC or Arts Alliance Tulsa INC

      *For eligibility questions specific to W2s, please contact Jessica Sisemore. For general eligibility questions, contact Lisa Marie Evans.

  • Individuals or groups of artists may apply to the Artists Creative Fund. To apply as a group of artists, a lead artist is required. The lead artist will assume responsibility for managing communication, signing contracts, receiving funds, meeting project deliverables, and participating in the seven professional development sessions.

  • No. The lead artist needs to meet all of the eligibility requirements. Artists participating in the project as group members do not need to meet the eligibility requirements. For example, if you’re applying as a band, all members of that band do not need to live in the City of Tulsa.

  • No. To be eligible to apply, you must currently live in the city of Tulsa and have maintained residency in the city for at least one year. However, you may participate with a group of artists as long as the lead artist/applicant meets all of the eligibility criteria.

  • To be eligible, ACF funding must be used for work that will be realized within Tulsa city limits. However, components of your project may take place outside of the city. For example, a documentary may have filming locations—and even a screening—outside of Tulsa, however, ACF funds will only cover the parts of that documentary completed within city limits. Your project description and budget must demonstrate what work will be completed in Tulsa.

  • Yes, as long as the project includes a public-facing event, such as a performance without full costumes, a staged reading, a rough cut of a film, etc.

  • A lead artist can submit only one application. However, you may be involved in more than one project.

  • We understand that projects may change over time. Panelists review and score applications based on the information given, therefore any significant changes to awarded projects, or collaborators involved, will need to be requested and pre-approved.

  • Grantees will be asked to share their work with Tulsa audiences through one public-facing event in the city of Tulsa. Examples include an artist talk, a performance, a screening, etc.

  • Yes. The awardee is responsible for all logistics, including ticketing if used, for their public-facing event. The awardee will be able to keep 100 percent of the revenue earned from their event.

  • Lead artists/creatives must commit to attend the cohort-based professional development sessions throughout the grant period. The seven (7) in-person sessions are scheduled from 6-8:30 PM at The Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity on the following Tuesdays:

    August 13, 2024
    September 10, 2024
    October 1, 2024
    November 12, 2024
    January 14, 2025
    February 11, 2025
    March 11, 2025

  • Awardees will be provided cohort-based professional development opportunities throughout the grant period to support the continued development of their creative projects. Led by CACHE, these will be implemented through seven in-person sessions between recipients, local partner organizations, and featured guest artists at The Thomas K. McKeon Center for Creativity.

    Sessions are designed to meet the diverse cohort needs. Topics may include strategic planning, marketing, networking, documentation, etc. The sessions will provide professional insight across the various phases of project implementation, while simultaneously preparing artists and creatives to move towards self-perpetuating and long-term sustainability.

    Each awarded artist will be partnered with an artist mentor to support their project in thought partnership.

  • Applications open on April 22, 2024 at 12 pm.

  • Applications close May 20, 2024 at 5PM CT.

  • You will need to create a free *Submittable account at www.submittable.com in order to apply. There is no fee to apply to this opportunity. Submit your application by the application deadline at 5pm on May 20, 2024.

    *Please reach out to Submittable's Customer Support team with any technical questions at support@submittable.com

  • Your application is considered final once it has been submitted and cannot be edited. We recommend that you prepare your answers on a word processing platform, and have all materials saved prior to starting the application. You may save your application draft in Submittable as you work. May sure to save along the way.

  • Panelists reviewing project proposals will be experts in at least one artistic discipline, possess an understanding of Tulsa’s many creative communities, and/or be representative of a variety of communities, experiences, and backgrounds.

  • Awardees will be notified in July 2024.

  • Funded projects will receive their funds in two installments. The first installment of $7,000 will be awarded upon execution of a formal, counter-signed grant agreement. The second installment of $3,000 will be awarded approximately in October 2024.

  • The artist retains the rights to their work. If we document your work or public-facing event, you may end up in marketing for future events/future iterations of ACF. CACHE will, however, also provide documentation to the artist for their use.

  • The awardee is responsible for marketing and promoting their work/events. ACF will amplify promotion through media advisories and list awardee project details and events on the ACF website and social media platforms.

  • For more information, interested artists can attend an information session, application workshop, and schedule one-on-one consultation time. The first information session will be recorded and available online. See timeline (coming soon) for detailed event information.

    If you have additional questions or just need further clarification, please contact us.