Grant for Independent Artists and Small Arts Organizations

• $1,000–$4,000 grant award (100% paid upon grant agreement execution)
• Choice of Planning & Development grant (early-stage research/development) or Implementation grant (project execution)
• Monthly panel review with notifications following shortly after
• Payment processed within 6–8 weeks of grant agreement execution
• Optional draft application review by Arts Services Program Directors prior to submission

• Online application completed in SmartSimple (FY 2026 application with ID beginning '2026.')
• Identification of a specific event, activity, or project within the application time frame
• Final report filed online in SmartSimple after award

• Must be an Independent Artist, OR a Maryland-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in operation for one year or more and within grant income requirements, a unit of Maryland local government, or a Maryland college/university/school
• Organizations applying through fiscal sponsorships must operate within a Model A sponsorship
• Must identify a specific event, activity, or project to occur within the application time frame
• Applicant is only eligible for one Creativity Grant per fiscal year
• Organizations that receive funding through general operating programs (Grants for Organizations, County Arts Agencies, Arts & Entertainment Districts, Folklife Network, or Creativity Grant for General Operating) are not eligible

A state government arts agency that provides funding for creative projects and artistic endeavors across Maryland. They distribute public funding through programs like Creativity Grants for Projects.