Joyce Awards
Forecasted
Joyce Awards support Great Lakes artists and culture bearers through unrestricted creative funding and organizational partnerships to advance racial equity and deepen community engagement.
Funder: Joyce Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): October 2026 (Full proposal) | May 2027 (Artist self-nominations) | September 2027 (Registration) | September 2027 (Letter of inquiry)
Funding Amounts: $100,000 unrestricted artist award plus a $40,000 grant to an artist-selected Great Lakes organization; four awards annually
Summary: Supports Great Lakes artists and culture bearers whose creative practices advance racial equity and deepen community engagement.
Key Information: State eligibility rotates: Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin in 2026; Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio in 2027.
Description
The Joyce Awards provide direct, catalytic support to Great Lakes-based artists and culture bearers whose creative practices meaningfully advance racial equity in their communities. Funded by the Joyce Foundation and administered by United States Artists, the program pairs unrestricted artist funding with a grant to a regional organization selected by the artist to help realize, expand, or deepen the impact of their work.
The renewed, artist-centered model welcomes peer and self-nominations and extends eligibility beyond major cities to rural, suburban, and tribal communities within eligible states. It supports visual arts, performing arts, film and media, multimedia, literary arts, and traditional, interdisciplinary, or community-based cultural practices. The program emphasizes work that explores racial equity and deeply engages communities through collaborative approaches.
