I have a solo exhibition opening this month at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon. Exhibition dates are January 6th to March 20th, with a reception on January 30th from 5:30 to 8:30 pm.
The exhibition is spread over three floors of the George R. White Library and Learning Center, all accessible by elevator, and there is plenty of open seating as well as a cafe. It is a family friendly place, with a dedicated Children’s Library on the second floor. There is a parking lot in front of the library, as well as unrestricted street parking in the surrounding area.
The library is open to the public with the following hours:
Monday through Thursday: 7:00 am to midnight Friday: 7:00 am to 10:00 pm Saturday: 7:30 am to 10:00 pm Sunday: noon to midnight
I will be at the reception on January 30th from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm, so please introduce yourself if you plan to stop by!
Concordia University George R. White Library and Learning Center 2800 NE Liberty Street (between NE 27th and NE 29th Avenues) (503) 280-8587
Applying for a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant was intimidating. There is almost no advice online, and I couldn’t find a sample cover letter anywhere. What I did find were anecdotal blog and forum posts where artists talked about having shared their letters and insights with other artists privately, but the useful part of the information was always left out. I think this secrecy reinforces the perception that it’s an insider’s world, and discourages many artists from applying, which is why I’ve decided to share my experience online.
I used to think that The Pollock-Krasner Foundation only gave grants for financial emergencies, but while researching grants in general I found examples of them being awarded to purchase equipment, prepare for an exhibition, or attend a residency. The Foundation stipulates that the grants are for artists with “demonstrable financial need”, which I’ve updated my understanding to include working artists who are not independently wealthy.
If, like me, you don’t have a long and distinguished resume, it can be unnerving that The Pollock-Krasner Foundation takes into consideration your professional exhibition history. The application form asks you to list your 10 most recent solo and group shows, clearly stating that only exhibitions in professional gallery or museum spaces count. They don’t even want to see juried shows in the list. So after I eliminated all the disqualified fluff from my 20 year exhibition history, I had 7 solo shows and 10 group shows. I filled them in, leaving the last 3 spaces on the solo show list blank.
In addition to this list, they ask for a copy of your resume/cv, so the juried shows can get added back in, along with other grants, fellowships, or residencies (of which I had exactly 0 — I got accepted into 2 residencies in the time between applying for and receiving the grant). The only notable thing I could add to my exhibition list was my inclusion in the Art in Embassies Program (to apply, you can join their registry). Here is the single page resume I sent with my application:
I chose not to send an artist statement, as that was marked “optional”.
I submitted these 10 images from my (then) most recent works on paper, Series 20 and 21. After several unsuccessful attempts at photographing them, I used an Epson V37 to scan them in sections and stitch them together using ICE software. Poor image quality can make even the best work look bad, so this is the most important thing to get right on any application.
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation asks for “a cover letter stating for what specific purpose (professional, personal and/or medical) you require funds and in what amount. Indicate how the funds you seek will be used to advance your artistic career and well-being as a creative artist.” They also note that there is no length requirement for the letter. I decided to keep my letter short, clear, and hyperbole-free. This is what I sent:
The form also requires you to supply the names and contact information of 3 people willing to write letters of reference on your behalf. Thankfully, they do not ask for the letters to be written until you have made it past the first review. The people I asked were: an artist/mentor who has known me since I was in college, a collector who is also an artist, and a curator I had worked with recently.
About 6 months after submitting the application, I received an email stating that my application was under review, with a request for more information. They asked for copies of my tax returns for the previous 2 years, a more detailed budget for my proposal, and a projection of all my other expenses and income for the following year. This is also the time when they emailed my references to ask for letters. The time frame for submitting the new paperwork was approximately 10 weeks.
I received the award letter by postal mail 2 months later. My husband and daughter were out for the day, so I was jumping up and down in my kitchen alone, and trying not to post it on Facebook (I lasted at least 12 minutes). I couldn’t concentrate on anything else, so I read as much as I could about the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. I also listened to an interview with Charles C. Bergman, founding organizer and longtime champion of the foundation, in which he approximated that of the 10% of artists who survive The Committee of Selection’s artistic review, 90% are awarded grants. If I had known this earlier I would have been more hopeful after receiving the request for more information!
I’m incredibly grateful to The Pollock-Krasner Foundation for their generous support, and I’m excited to share their message with other artists. The end of the award letter reads, “We would be delighted if you would tell your artist colleagues of The Foundation’s aims — to assist artists of merit who have financial need — and to encourage them to apply to us.” I hope that this account encourages you to start your application today: www.pkf.org.
