Submissions for the 2024 NOT REAL ART grant closed earlier this year in January. After a rigorous selection process, our esteemed panel of judges has selected the six lucky winners of this year’s grant. With over 1,200 applicants—our largest number of submissions yet—and an embarrassment of beautiful artwork, the process was especially challenging. We want to thank all the amazing artists who applied for our grant this year and encourage them to apply again for the 2026 grant. Please note: Our formerly annual grant is now biennial, occurring every two years. Learn more about the NOT REAL ART grant here.
The NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists
Founded in 2019, the grant is one of our flagship programs and a true cornerstone of our work in the creative industry. Once again, we are delighted to offer financial backing to six self-driven artists with a no-strings-attached award package of $2,000.
Along with financial support, each winner receives publicity, including an interview on our podcast and a full-length feature published on NOT REAL ART. “The money is great, but the grant is also about audience and promotion,” says Scott “Sourdough” Power, NOT REAL ART’s founder and publisher. “We want to give artists a platform for their work, let them tell their stories, and make them feel seen.” We look for impactful ideas from marginalized communities, underrepresented voices, and work that operates outside the standard gallery or museum system.
Learn more about the NOT REAL ART grant here.
The Judges
Applications for the 2024 were reviewed by a panel of judges who are experts in their fields in the visual arts. Judges for the 2024 NOT REAL ART grant cycle include graffiti wunderkind Man One, arts writer Morgan Laurens, filmmaker Hans Fjellestad, art consultant Badir McCleary, art dealer Anne Martin, artist Jonmarc Endwards and intellectual property rights lawyer Joshua Wattles. Judges scored each submission using four criteria: technical merit, artistic merit, conceptual merit, and written merit.
Past Grant Winners
We’d like to acknowledge our past grant recipients, who inspire us to keep this award alive year after year.
2022: Kiley Ames, Buena Johnson, Ella Maria Foley-Ray, Y. Hope Osborn, Jo-Ann Morgan, Joan Cox; see the exhibition here.
2021: John Chang, Nadyia Duff, Daniela Garcia, Carmen Mardonez, Natalia Villanueva, Albert Willis; see the exhibition here.
2020: Jacqueline Valenzuela, Gershon Kreimer, Kiara Aileen Machado, Miki Yokoyama, Paloma Montoya, Tijera S. Williams
2019: Elizabeth Abaravich, Edmund Arevalo, Maria Balseiro, Juliana Bustillo, Talya Coviello, Monica Leal Cueva, Eben Eldridge, Marguerite Kalhor, Karen Florito, Thony Loui, Jessie Noguchi, Rachel O'Donnell; see their exhibition here.
Quotables
“Each of the 1,200 artists who applied for [the NOT REAL ART grant] this year are all strong artists with great potential.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [0:03:44]
“Thoughtfully and methodically evaluating each of [the NOT REAL ART grant] applicants [is a job] we take very, very seriously. It is not a job for the faint of heart.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [0:04:48]
“Becoming a NOT REAL ART grant recipient [has serendipitous benefits]. It’s not a one-and-done situation. Past recipients have received private commissions, been featured in books, interviewed for other articles, shown in other gallery exhibitions, received additional grants, and more. If you're a grant recipient, you become part of our community and grant alumni.” — Scott “Sourdough” Power [0:09:32]
Announcing the 2024 NOT REAL ART Grant Winners
The wait is finally over. Tune into this week’s episode on the player above to learn which six artists won the NOT REAL ART grant, or head to our homepage on Friday, May 31, to read more about the winners. Once again, thank you to all applicants for your patience, dedication, and commitment to your work. We are so excited to welcome you into our community.
Want to be featured on NOT REAL ART? Email editor@notrealart.com with a short introduction and a link to your online portfolio or three images of your work.