Eligibility Requirements for Craft Innovation Jumpstarter

RESIDENCY:  Applicants must reside in New England (defined as Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont).

PURSUING INNOVATION: The goal of the Society’s Craft Innovation Jumpstarter Program is to financially support craft artists who are pursuing innovation in at least one of the following areas:

– A craft medium
– Craft tool development
– Craft education
– Writing and publication efforts
– An area not listed here (artist will be asked to specify)

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:  Applications are accepted year-round. To be considered for our summer award cycle, applications must be received by May 7, 2023. To be considered for our winter award cycle, applications must be received by Nov. 5, 2023. Required files include up to 10 images of current work (72 dpi minimum, JPG or PNG file types) and PDFs of the applicant’s response to the following prompts (300 words maximum):

– Your bio and/or craft background
– How you plan to innovate in craft
– Describe past and/or current projects
– Describe what you have learned and/or how your innovations may be applicable to other industries
– Describe how the Society’s grant would help you in reaching your next goal(s)
– If relevant to your goals, describe how your work/planned project could impact your craft community or other individuals/groups/communities/businesses

AWARDEE REQUIREMENTS:  If selected, awardees are responsible for the following:

– Availability at Award Ceremony (mid-June or mid-December) in Boston, MA.
– Inclusion of the Society’s logo on artist’s website and/or social media with link to the Society’s website.
– Attend a virtual meeting with juror(s) to discuss artist’s work and progress after six months.
– Participate in a virtual Mentor Program event to discuss project.
– Participate as part of a jury committee for the award at a future date.
– Submit a 1-page written report of results after one year.