Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants
Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants support artists facing unexpected health crises, covering medical, dental, and mental health expenses to help them recover and return to creative practice.
Funder: New York Foundation for the Arts
Due Dates: November 17, 2026 (Cycle 39) | January 12, 2027 (Cycle 40) | March 16, 2027 (Cycle 41)
Funding Amounts: One-time grants up to $5,000; approximately $138,000 available per cycle
Summary: Emergency assistance helps eligible artists cover unexpected medical, dental, and mental health expenses and return to creative practice.
Key Information: Applicants must be generative artists with sustained public-facing activity in an eligible discipline over at least five years.
Description
The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program is administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), with support from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. It assists artists in financial need who create original, independent work in visual arts, digital/electronic arts, video/film, or choreography. The program continues Robert Rauschenberg’s commitment to helping fellow artists who might otherwise delay critical treatment or incur overwhelming debt.
Grants address recent, unexpected health emergencies that seriously disrupt daily life and an artist’s ability to continue or return to creative practice. Support covers the artist’s own out-of-pocket emergency costs rather than artwork production. Selection considers demonstrated need, medical severity, economic impact, and the potential for funding to help the artist resume creative work.
