It can be hard to make a living as an artist. Grants help. What, though, is the impact of a single grant for a single artist? A few recent examples from artists on the TwispWorks campus might help us understand more about grants for artists.

Donna Keyser received a Partner Opportunity Fund grant from TwispWorks. She used the funds to make upgrades to her studio on the TwispWorks campus including a display wall and lights. This project will make her studio more inviting to visitors and should help her sell more of her stunning plein air paintings.

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Perri Howard received a McMillen Foundation grant. She used the funds to secure an exhibition space with Ocean Alliance, a nonprofit on the East Coast. Her exhibit will feature the visual output of Great Whale song recordings going back to 1952 and including both the COVID pause and 9/11—times when the noise pollution from ships were greatly reduced.

Mandy Shoger, the potter behind Foxtail Pottery, received a small business grant from Okanogan County. She used the funds to purchase a shredding machine that turns recycled cardboard into packing materials for shipping her fragile goods around the country. The machine reduces Shoger’s business expenses and makes her business eco-friendlier.

What’s the impact of a grant? It’s not just about money—each of these examples shows how grants create a ripple effect. Artists use grants to make their livelihoods more sustainable, reach bigger and different audiences, and deepen their practices.

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