Art Bae Award: Round Two - Applications Open
APPLY HERE
Art Bae is thrilled to partner with Safety Net Fund to launch the Art Bae Award, an initiative designed to uplift and empower Bay Area artists by providing support in the final stages of their projects.
We recognize that many artists persevere through financial barriers, often reaching the last stretch of a project without the resources needed to fully realize their vision. This award is for artists who have already invested significant time and effort into their work and need one final boost—whether for an exhibition, publication, performance, or another creative endeavor.
Through two selection cycles, six artists will be awarded $3,000 each to help them cross those final hurdles.
Important Dates
Applications Due: March 30th, 2026
Winners Announced: May 2026
Checks Issued: June 2026
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
Reside in one of the following Bay Area counties
Be 18 years or older and not currently enrolled in an undergraduate program (enrollment in MFA or post-graduate programs is permitted)
Have exhibited, published, or publicly shared work within the past two years
Have a CV (it can be short)
Submit a one-page statement and bio (combined)
Submit a PDF of coherent body of work created within the past two years
Selection Process:
Initial Review: Andrew Berardini will conduct the first round of reviews. Berardini is a critic for Artforum since 2006. Co-Curator of Kris Lemsalu’s Pavilion of Estonia at the 2019 Venice Biennale, Bruce Nauman’s first ever skywriting, and was one of the Nouvelle Vague of curators at the Palais de Tokyo. Author of Relics (2015) and Colors (2023). Recipient of the Creative Capital/Andy Warhol Grant for Art Writers. The Los Angeles Times has described his work as “unusually unhelpful”.
Final Selection: Andrew Berardini, Inga Bard and Lucas Foglia of Art Bae will make the final selection.
Note: Award recipients will be issued a 1099 tax form, and funds must be used for artistic purposes. Each awardee will receive this funding as an individual, not on behalf of a collective, LLC, or other entity. Award funds will be disbursed in the form of a mailed check after receiving a completed W9 and a signed MOU from the artist.
Feel free to email us with questions (at hello@artbae.info) but please check out this Frequently Asked Questions doc first.