Creative Grants

We fund any type of powerful and unique art!  This includes but is not limited to sculpture, theme camps, sound, performance art, workshops, and mutant vehicles.  Check out what we have funded in the past!

CATS are required to abstain from discussing, scoring, and voting on any applications with which they have a conflict of interest. A Conflict of Interest Policy is in place to help ensure that when actual or potential conflicts of interest arise, the organization has a process in place under which the affected individual will always advise the Board of Directors about all the relevant facts concerning the situation. This Conflict of Interest policy is also intended to establish procedures under which individuals who have a conflict of interest will be excused from voting on such matters.

Maybe. The creative grant process is very competitive. We receive requests for MANY, MANY times the amount of money we have to offer as grants which means we have to say no to MANY, MANY projects.

The grant process is administered by CATS (Creative Art Team Support) who are a diverse cross-section of volunteers from the Apogaea community. Members of CATS provide impartial and critical consideration to each proposal. We encourage lively deliberation until we find consensus on what best serves the community attending Apogaea.

Unfortunately we receive far too many applications to give out individual assessments outside of the normal grant rounds. Submit a grant application outlining your idea. If we feel that it enhances the event, we might agree to fund it. If you submit in an early round, you can use any feedback received to adjust your application and re-submit in following rounds.

A more complete and detailed budget shows the committee that your project is well-thought out and researched. You might want to visit art supply or hardware stores to estimate your costs. The budget does not need to be exact to the penny, but a budget asking for $500 for “general materials” will be less competitive than one that shows careful consideration of the elements needed and research on costs.

None of these things are required, but they are highly recommended. A visual representation of your concept will help the CATS more fully understand your project. There is no such thing as too much information about your project. This can be a picture, a model, a sketch, a video, take a picture with your phone of a drawing on a napkin, etc.

In the past, artists have been awarded grants between $30.00 and $10,000.00, but there is no set maximum grant amount. The exact amount depends on your budget, the scope of your project, and how CATS feels about the feasibility of and community interest in your project. There is no official upper limit to your grant as long as it falls within the total amount of money budgeted by the Board of Directors for distribution as grants.

Do not pad your budget to $X in hopes of receiving the smaller amount, $Y.

We encourage an honest dialog when discussing funds. Tell us how much you want, and we try to honor that. If you really need $1,000.00 in grant funds and can justify that in your budget, we want to give you that amount. We won’t assume you can do it for $400.00 and that you’ll just figure out the rest. If you provide good/better/best options with prices for each, your application has more chances for success.

We try to fund as many artists as we can and every year the total requested is greater than the budget. We encourage you to provide additional funding options in your application; giving the selection committee options is beneficial. Often times we are faced with choosing between multiple grants with similar merits. If we have some flexibility, like giving you less money for a smaller version, etc. you are more likely to receive funding than if you are less flexible.

Many applicants also supplement their grant by charging camp dues and holding fundraisers on websites such as kickstarter.com or indiegogo.com. We recommend you have these funds in hand when including them on your grant application. If they are not secured, you should indicate your backup plan in case you aren’t able to achieve your funding goal.

Do not pad your budget to $X in hopes of receiving the smaller amount, $Y.

We encourage an honest dialog when discussing funds. Tell us how much you want, and we try to honor that. If you really need $1,000.00 in grant funds and can justify that in your budget, we want to give you that amount. We won’t assume you can do it for $400.00 and that you’ll just figure out the rest. If you provide good/better/best options with prices for each, your application has more chances for success.

Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. —Benjamin Franklin

Any artist that receives a grant that is $600 or more will have to fill out a W-9. The regulations can be found at IRS.gov (PDF), with the specific requirements listed on the first page as “At least $600 in rents, services (including parts and materials), prizes and awards, other income payments…”

Of course! We welcome new members and artists to the Apogaea community. And while the application asks for a description of “accomplishments,” having completed a project before is not a requirement. We’d just like assurance that you’re capable of delivering your project as described. List your skills and tell us why you’ll be able to complete your project.

Hell yeah! Apogaea is a participatory environment – participate, don’t spectate. Whether it’s spontaneous haiku readings or an incredible costume you’ve put together, please bring your artwork to share with the community. Apogaea is all about creativity and participation. Be sure to watch apogaea.com/news or sign up for the Outpost Newsletter for an announcement regarding how to register your art.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you don’t answer all of the questions or provide an itemized budget, it’s unlikely we will consider funding your project.

Late applications will not be considered. Do not wait until the last minute to submit your application or contract. An advantage to submitting your application early is that your liaison can work with you to resolve any questions about your application before grants are awarded. When you wait until the last minute, it doesn’t leave any time to fix any problems that might arise.

Unfortunately, no. The only way we can be impartial is to honor all of our deadlines. Don’t wait until the last minute and you’ll probably be fine.

• If applying for more than one round, applicants must submit a separate grant application for each round.
• Applications will be for review and discussion by CATS. CATS can ask the applicant questions about the project.
• CATS nominates and votes on applications individually.
• CATS will be required to abstain from voting where there is a conflict of interest.
• Projects receiving a majority vote will be funded by assigning a dollar amount to award the project.
• Grant recipients receiving more than $1,500.00 might be asked to meet milestones before receiving additional grant funds.
• There is a two week review period during which the list of grants is presented to the Finance Committee and Board of Directors for review. If there are any issues, the Grant Meow should be informed in writing of the specific concerns before the review period ends.
• The Board of Directors approves the list of grants and contracts are sent to each grant recipient. The grant recipient must sign, scan/photograph the signed document, and mail the image to Apogaea before the due date in the contract.
• Grants over $600 will be required to fill out a W-9 (PDF). This means the artist will be responsible for paying taxes on their grant income. Apogaea does not provide tax advice. The grant recipient should consult with a tax professional for advice on reducing their tax burden. (We will comply with all tax requirements)
• After the contract is signed and returned to Apogaea, a check will be mailed to the recipient for the amount of the grant.
• Grantees will be required to provide photographs of their project at Apogaea.
• Projects may also be subject to other special requirements made by the county, local authorities, the landowner, and Apogaea. This may include but is not limited to fire bans, large scale sound authorization, and mutant vehicle permits.

We encourage freedom of expression in how you present your project to CATS, but you must answer each of the grant application questions with enough sincerity to assure us that we are investing in a viable project. Humor is appreciated but please humor us with some confidence in the scope of your project as well as your ability to complete it and get it to the event.

1. Contact information (Legal Name, Email, Phone, Address, etc)

2. Project Name and other basic information about the project

3. Describe your idea/project: This is your opportunity to tell us about your idea in general terms. We have WAY more requests for money than we have money to give out. Help us understand what sets your project apart from the other applications we receive.

CATS will score your response using the following criteria:

• The idea is appealing and engages the event population
• The idea is novel/unique
• The idea is interactive
• The idea creates excitement
• The idea inspires others
• The idea inspires reflection upon self, community, and/or environment
• The idea challenges traditional perspectives, methods, and/or applications

4. Describe your project’s logistical and placement requirements: Bringing a project to an event like Apogaea can be difficult. A great idea isn’t worth much if you aren’t able to get it installed before the event is over. What challenges do you foresee for your project? This is your opportunity to tell us how you plan on building, transporting, installing, and keeping your project operational at the event. If your project has any unique requirements, like needing specific placement, heavy machinery, etc., let us know that too.

CATS will score your response using the following criteria:

• Your project’s placement needs (length, width, and height), including and public/camping areas and the approximate number of people camping with you if you want to camp with your project/installation are adequately described
• The placement requirements and why any special accommodations are needed, if applicable, are complete
• There is a realistic, detailed project timeline It is possible to execute the project at the event location
• There is a plan for getting the project to and from the event
• The project is protected from theft or damage
• The project is protected from inclement weather
• There is a detailed Leave No Trace plan
• There are safeguards in place to help keep the project from becoming MOOP

5. Describe how you plan to execute your project safely at the event: Apogaea cannot fund any project that, in the opinion of CATS or Apogaea Board of Directors, presents a safety risk to participants. Any project with fire or flame effects, including the Effigy and Temple, should read the BAMF 2015 Fire Art Guidelines. Safety is an important part of your application. Apogaea will ultimately not fund anything that is deemed unsafe. It is important to outline how your project will be safe by describing its construction and any relevant safety features.

CATS will score your response using the following criteria:

• The project is reasonably safe
• The project will be properly lit at night
• There are no health hazards or danger to the environment
• Proper construction methods and appropriate materials are used
• The project includes reasonable structural safeguards to prevent injury
• The project will withstand a population of 2,000 people over the course of a week

If your project includes fire:

• How and where will you store the fuel/flammable materials is provided
• Fire suppression equipment will be located is provided

If your project is being considered for the Effigy or Temple:

• A detailed burn plan that describes how the burn will progress from start to finish is provided
• A detailed burn ban contingency plan in the event your project can not be burned at the event is provided

6. Tell us about yourself and any other creative bad asses helping you with your idea/project: We’d love to hear about other projects you’ve successfully completed or see pictures of past work. Demonstrating that you can get your project installed and functional at the event is important to us.

CATS will score your response using the following criteria:

• There is a solid team in place that will be able to realize the project
• The team seems able to complete the project and bring it to the event
• The team has been successful in the past with other projects (even those outside of Apogaea/Burning Man)
• The team has had previous works installed and operational by the beginning of past events
• Images, videos, or other examples of their past work are provided

7. Budget: A budget is a requirement for all applications. It is important for us to know that you have accounted for all of the funds your project requires. We encourage projects to seek additional sources of funding such as fundraising, individual contributions, etc. to help offset the total cost of a project.

CATS will score your response using the following criteria:

• The budget is complete and well thought out
• The budget indicates how the project will be funded
• The project uses additional sources of funding such as fundraising, contributions, etc.
• There are multiple funding options for your project. (It can be beneficial to include a base amount as well as a “for $X more we can do this too” option.)
• This project is a responsible use of Apogaea’s money

Grants are selected by the grant selection committee, CATS (Creative Art Team Support). CATS is comprised of 8+ volunteers working year-round representing a diverse cross-section of the Apogaea community.

In 2015, we had 106 grant applications requesting around $216,000.00 in grant funds, and only had $55,000.00 to give out. We receive a lot of really amazing ideas, but some ideas and projects resonate more with the CATS than others. It is possible that your idea might not resonate with as many CATS as other projects. That does not mean we do not like your idea.

A list of criteria accompany each question. CATS members rank your responses by selecting criteria they feel are representative of your response – one point per item selected. The application’s score is the sum of the selections for each question.

CATS rank the scored applications and use the ordered list to guide discussion about individual projects. Individual applications are nominated by CATS and are voted on individually. If the application receives a majority vote, the application will be recommended to the Board of Directors for funding. Nominations continue until funds for the round are depleted.

There are two competing ideas in CATS, which get hashed back and forth in considerable detail each meeting. Each is valid, and has a valid argument, but are still at odds with each other:

1. We should fund a smaller number of larger projects

Why? If we want serious, and ambitious art, then we need to be prepared to give out a small number of large grants to the most ambitious projects. You don’t build massive projects taking months of work by large teams with sophisticated construction and interactions by handing out $600 grants. “This isn’t a craft fair, This stuff is supposed to blow your mind, and sometimes that costs more.”

2. We should fund a larger number of smaller projects

Why? The creative grant process exists partly as a way to support our community’s “new” artists – people who have good projects in mind and just need a little funding to get rolling. Funding many small projects gives the most number of people that shot, ultimately resulting in more art. “We aren’t here to support only established artists with big plans, a complete support network, and lots of experience – we are here to encourage artistic expression among all participants, which means supporting more smaller projects.”

Both of these arguments are valid.

The current three-round grant scheme was implemented with the intent of supporting both of these opposing goals. The Ludicrous round was fully intended support ambitious projects, and yes, that means fewer numbers of bigger pieces. The Big Money and Seed Money rounds were intended to fall more in the direction of the second point – spreading funds around to support new artists who are just getting started with their public art, or who just have simpler projects in mind.

Before the grant rounds are opened, CATS allocates a minimum amount for each round to ensure money is available for every round. Any ungranted funds from a round are allocated by voting to either: pass the funds on to the next round, reallocate the funds to other projects from previous rounds, or return the funds to Apogaea.

You betcha!  Take a look at the applications below from past years at Apo.

Luminexus Grant Application (2014 Ludicrous Money Round)
poeTree Grant Application (2014 Seed Money Round)
Throne of the Emergent Multitude Grant Application (2014 Ludicrous Money Round)
Church of Prometheus Application (2015 Ludicrous Money Round)
Synchrotensegrity (2015 Big Money Round)

Generally speaking, we cannot currently have ember-producing fires at Apogaea. For instance, we cannot burn large wood structures during the event) at the current venue. However, people get creative in ways to feel the burn without making everything around us burn. Giant flame effects, ceremonies, and lighting are some of the ways people have worked to make our burn feel burnier. You will need to transport your large wood structures back off the property, though.

We encourage fire artists to consider propane, as that will often be allowed on the current land. We encourage all fire artists to have a back-up plan in the event that no fire is permitted at the event. This can include, but isn’t limited to, using lighting effects, sound, or other non-fire means that will be able to operate independently of any fire ban.

Bottom line: a project that has fire and a “no burn option” is generally more attractive to the grant selection entity than fire projects that are one-trick ponies.

Please read Apogaea’s Fire Art Guidelines if you are considering bringing fire art to Apogaea.

Please check out these links + resources for advice and assistance with writing your art grant. If you’ve got any further questions, please reach out to CATS at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you and are happy to help. Yay art!

View “So Rachel’s Tips for Writing and WINNING Art Grants”
View “Constructive Criticism and You”