The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to equity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from diverse Aboriginal, cultural and regional communities, including people with disabilities.
Deadlines
1 April, 1 June, 1 September, 1 November and 1 February
If any of these dates fall on a weekend or statutory holiday, that deadline moves to the next business day. Your completed application form and all required support material must be postmarked on or before the deadline date.
Please refer to the Program Guidelines for detailed information.
Program Description
The
Travel Grants to Professionals in the Visual Arts program provides assistance to professional visual and fine craft artists, independent critics and curators, and architecture professionals. The grants are for travel to attend or participate in activities related to their practice, whether in Canada or abroad.
Visual and fine craft artists may apply for either
travel for exhibition OR
travel to artists’ residency.
Independent critics and curators, and architecture professionals may apply for either
travel for presentation OR
travel for research.
Applicant Eligibility
Note that meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee that you will receive a grant.
General Eligibility Criteria
To apply to the Canada Council for the Arts, you must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You do not need to be living in Canada when you apply.
Only individuals can apply to this program. If you are travelling as part of a group or collaboration, each member must apply separately.
You must meet the Canada Council’s definition of a professional artist, defined as someone who:
- has specialized training in the artistic field (not necessarily in academic institutions)
- is recognized as a professional by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), and
- is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if possible financially
Visual and fine craft artists, independent critics and curators, and architecture professionals must also have:
- produced an independent body of work, and
- maintained an independent professional practice for at least three years following the completion of specialized training in the field.
Specific Eligibility Criteria
In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria outlined above, you must have a history of public presentation or publication. This is defined as follows:
Visual and fine craft artists
- You must have had at least three exhibitions of your work in a professional visual arts or fine craft context, over a three-year period.
Independent critics and curators
- Critics: You must have had at least three independent critical texts or reviews published in a professional context, over a three-year period.
- Curators: You must have created at least three independent public exhibition/presentations and have had three independent critical texts or reviews published in a professional context, over a three-year period.
Architecture professionals
- Practitioners of architecture (architect, landscape architect, or architectural or urban designer): You must have had at least three published articles, publications, exhibitions or other public presentations of your works of architecture in a professional context.
- Critics and curators of architecture: You must have had at least three published articles, publications, exhibitions, or other public presentations on works of architecture in a professional context.
Project Eligibility
This program covers the following types of travel:
Visual and fine craft artists
- Travel for exhibition: Travel to attend an exhibition of your artworks. Travel must be in response to an invitation by a professional visual arts or fine craft organization, or in another context where your work is recognized by a professional curator, gallery director or art dealer.
- Travel to artists’ residency: Travel to participate in a professional artists’ residency. Participants must be chosen through a selection process. The host organization must offer support in the form of a confirmed grant or honorarium, or contribution towards accommodations.
Independent critics and curators, and architecture professionals
- Travel for presentation: Travel to attend a public presentation of your work at a professional venue or to present at a conference or symposium. The travel must be in response to an invitation from a professional organization.
- Travel for research: Travel to undertake professional activities, such as studio visits or site visits related to a specific research project.
Grant Amount
Grants are available in fixed amounts ($500, $750, $1,000, $1,500, $2,000 or $2,500). The amounts of $2,000 and $2,500 are usually reserved for travel to or from Northern or remote parts of Canada, or international destinations other than the United States and Europe.
Further Information
Program Officers
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
visualarts.travelgrants@canadacouncil.ca
1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, and the appropriate extension number.
1 April: Jim Logan, ext. 5266
1 June: Geneviève Landreville, ext. 5109
1 September: Pao Quang Yeh, ext. 5094
1 November: François Dion, ext. 5268
1 February: Brigitte Desrochers,ext. 5270
TTY: 1-866-585-5559
Fax: 613-566-4332
