Indianapolis Creative Risk Fund

This page was to detail eligibility and the application form for the pilot cohort of the Creative Risk Fund, which took applications in Fall 2023 for implementation of grants in 2024. This page will be updated once future rounds of the Creative Risk Fund are announced

 

A Project of the Herbert Simon Family Foundation  

The Indianapolis Creative Risk Fund is a pilot program of the Herbert Simon Family Foundation to provide funding for individual artists, artist collectives, and collaborations of individual artists to take creative risks.

Risk-taking, experimentation and exploration are critical for developing and supporting a progressive arts scene and creative economy, and Herbert Simon Family Foundation desires to encourage this type of creative action in the community. 

  • Grants for individual artists: up to $7,500  
  • Grants for collaborations/collectives: up to $15,000  
  • Two-step application process:  
    • Short written application through online form  
    • Q&A call with the selection committee for finalists  
  • Recipients will have the opportunity to meet, discuss and learn from other recipients.  
  • Documentation Process: Local photographers and videographers will be hired to capture the creative process. These digital assets will be available for use by grant recipients and be used to tell the larger story of the works being created.  
  • Recipients will participate in a final event to showcase and celebrate the artists, their processes and works created through this fund.

  • Individual artists, artist collectives or collaborations of individual artists  
  • Open to the full spectrum of the arts, including but not limited to: visual arts, performing arts, musicians, fashion, interdisciplinary artists, multi-media artists, etc.   
  • Central Indiana based artists   
    • Marion, Boone, Hamilton, Madison, Hancock, Shelby, Johnson, Morgan, Hendricks counties  
  • Applicants must be at least 18 years old  
  • Recipients must be willing to have their artistic process documented  
  • The program will prioritize artists identifying as one or more of the following: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women, or persons with disabilities.

IMPORTANT DATE

ACTION
Sept. 6, 2023 Application window opens.
Oct. 13, 2023 Completed applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m.
Nov. 2023 Q&A calls with the selection committee
Dec. 2023 Artists selected and notified
Dec. 2023 - Summer 2024 Project begins
Summer 2024 Final event showcase