Artist Grants - Hillsborough Arts Council

Funding guidelines and application info

Artist grant opportunities

Professional development for artists grant program

The Arts Council’s Professional Development for Artists (PDA) Grant Program provides support for specific projects that advance the careers of artists in Hillsborough County.

Artists may apply for up to $2,000 for one of two purposes:

Education experience – residency, workshop, conference
Equipment – permanent, non-disposable equipment

The grant period is January 1- August 31, 2021 and artists may apply for up to $2,000. The PDA grant program is reimbursement-based, meaning you must be able to pay for your proposal expenses and receive reimbursement after submitting paid receipts. If you still have questions after reading this page, please contact us at Arts@Hillsboroughcounty.org.

Stories of success:

Renato Rampolla

Renato Rampolla, a brilliant local street photographer, is a proud past PDA Grant recipient. Renato used his funds to purchase a new 24-millimeter lens for his Sony camera, which he uses to create intimate, captivating portraits of Tampa’s homeless community. His portraits succeed in showing the beauty and intrigue of our fellow human beings. Sales from his book, entitled “Dignity No Matter What: The Light Within”, went toward proving homeless in our area much needed food and clothing. You can learn more about Renato and his work at RenatoRampolla.com

Eligibility requirements

An active literary, performing or visual artist with commitment to your art career
Able to show successful experience as an emerging or established artist
Must be 21 years of age or older
Permanent resident of Hillsborough County since December 1, 2019 and remain so throughout the funding period
Have not received any type of artist grant from the Arts Council within the last three years
Full-time, arts-related faculty in higher education are not eligible
Applicants and recipients may not enroll in, or be currently enrolled in, any undergraduate or graduate degree program during the time their funded project is in progress.
Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident

Important dates

Professional Development for Artists Grant applications will be accepted: September 4 – October 16, 2020

Grant review process

The Grant Panel Review meeting for the 2020 program will take place Tuesday, November 18 online via Zoom. The panel will discuss applications and announce their scores. The review panel meeting is open to the public and all current applicants, and any artists considering applying for a grant in the future, are strongly urged to attend.

How grants are scored

The applications are reviewed using a scoring rubric by a panel of professionals with experience in the arts. They are selected based on their overall knowledge of the arts, and experience.

Learn more

Complete guidelines

More details on what the grant will pay for, who can apply, deadlines, and commonly asked questions.

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Logo recognition

Arts organizations and artists receiving funding must display the Arts Council logo and Hillsborough County logo on all promotional materials and give proper credit for funding, as stated in the grant contract, to increase awareness of local funding for the arts and its importance. Artists must display credit for funding on their website, in social media, printed and electronic collateral by displaying the logos and/or a text statement. Please find more information and downloadable logos below.

Learn more

Ready to apply?

Log on, create an account and take the eligibility quiz. You can start your application now and come back later to finish. Make sure you’ve read the complete guidelines here before you begin.