The Idea Fund Round 19 Application Portal is Now Open!
The Idea Fund is a re-granting program administered by DiverseWorks in partnership with Aurora Picture Show and Project Row Houses and funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Grants will support innovative, experimental, public-facing visual art projects that expand our understanding of how art exists in the world, address community needs, or exemplify new ways of working in, for, and with community.
The Idea Fund Round 19 will award a total of $60,000 to artists or collectives in the Greater Houston Area with grants of $2,500 and $5,000 each. Individuals and collectives are eligible to apply.
The application portal is now open and the submission deadline is Monday, January 5, 2026, at 11:59 PM (CST). Please read all eligibility guidelines and application instructions carefully before applying.
GRANT AMOUNTS:
$2,500 & $5,000
Applicants must select a support level to identify the funds needed to support their project and will only be allowed to apply for one funding option.
ELIGIBILITY:
The Idea Fund provides grants for visual arts projects located within The Greater Houston Area. The lead artist must reside in one of the following counties: Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Chambers, Liberty, Austin, or Montgomery.
THE IDEA FUND DOES NOT PROVIDE GRANTS FOR:
- Individuals or lead applicants that live outside of the Greater Houston Area.
- Projects proposed by a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
- Projects in which all artists reside outside of Houston
- Projects that do not have a public component (i.e., projects that are not accessible to the public or do not involve the public via process, production, or presentation)
- Projects that do not exemplify innovative practices in contemporary art
- Projects submitted by individuals currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program or individuals actively seeking enrollment in the arts during the award year.
PAST GRANTEES:
Previous recipients of The Idea Fund award must have completed their project and submitted their final report before being eligible to reapply. Grantees are not eligible to apply for consecutive cycles. Individuals within collectives may be able to apply.
JUROR PROCESS:
The Idea Fund grantees will be selected by a three-person jury panel. Key considerations for applications will include the artistic and creative strength of the proposed project, the overall vision of the applicant, and the capacity of the applicant to realize the project.
INFO SESSION:
Applicants are invited to attend one of three Info Sessions to learn more about the application process and how The Idea Fund will support Greater Houston area artists.
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO APPLY AT ONE OF OUR INFO SESSIONS:
Wednesday, November 5, 2025, 6 PM
Project Row Houses
Thursday, November 20, 2025, 6 PM
Aurora Picture Show
Monday, December 8, 2025, 6 PM
DiverseWorks (Virtual on Zoom)
Office Hours:
The Idea Fund will provide office hours starting November 3 - December 19 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 12:30 PM - 2 PM. Applicants can schedule a 15-minute meeting with the TIF team members to discuss specific questions about their proposal. Please email info@theideafund.org to schedule your one-on-one.
For more info on how you can apply, including eligibility guidelines and frequently asked questions, please visit www.theideafund.org.
APPLY FOR A STUDIO VISIT WITH 2025 DIVERSE DISCOURSE LECTURER LOUISE MARTORANO, THE INAUGURAL MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ARTS STABILIZATION TRUST (CAST) COLORADO.
Artists working in all disciplines, including those with performance or multi-disciplinary practices, are encouraged to apply.
STUDIO VISIT APPLICATION DEADLINE: DUE DATE
- Application closes at 11:59 pm on Monday, December 1, 2025, but staff will only be available to assist or answer questions until 5 pm.
- Artists are chosen for studio visits by the visiting lecturer and will be contacted by DiverseWorks for scheduling.
Eligibility requirements:
- Must reside or work in Harris County
- Must NOT be currently enrolled in a degree-granting program (ie, BFA or MFA)
To apply you will need:
- Documentation of your work and work sample checklist (.JPG, PDF, DOC, and/or VIDEO LINKS)
- A resume or C.V.
- Artist statement (optional, no more than one page or 500 words)
ABOUT LOUISE MARTORANO
Louise Martorano has 20 years of nonprofit arts and culture experience with a focus on building infrastructures of support to stabilize artists careers. Prior to joining the Community Arts Stabilization Trust ("CAST") as the Managing Director of National Programs and launching CAST Colorado, Louise served for 15 years as the Executive & Artistic Director of RedLine Contemporary Art Center, a non-profit contemporary art center and 2 year artist residency located in Denver. In this position, Louise developed the Artist-in-Residence program, developed, facilitated and supported the curation of over 300 exhibitions, launched both regranting and fiscal sponsorship programs to make philanthropic funds more accessible to artists and community organizations, and launched a Satellite Studio initiative to negotiate affordable studio, commercial and live/work spaces for artists and arts and culture organizations. From 2019 - 2025, the Satellite Initiative resulted in adding 79 affordable artists studios into the Denver Metro Area, 4 new live/work housing developments, and negotiated 8 new locations for arts & culture nonprofits that previously did not have their own space. In 2017, she was awarded a Livingston Fellowship for leadership from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. Louise holds a M.H. from the University of Colorado at Denver with a focus in Contemporary Art History & Music. She is a Trustee for the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation, Board Chair for the Harmony Hammond Trust, Board Treasurer for the National Performance Network and the Denver Center for African Art.
LECTURE DETAILS
Tuesday, December 9, 6:30 pm
DiverseWorks Gallery @ MATCH, 3400 Main St., Houston, TX 77002
Free and open to the public.
ABOUT DIVERSE DISCOURSE
Initiated in 2013, Diverse Discourse brings curators, artistic directors, and critics from across North America to Houston. While here, they present a free public lecture and conduct studio visits with Houston-area artists, performers, and writers. These visits often lead to long-term relationships and future projects, contributing to Houston’s reputation as an essential center of contemporary curatorial ideas and artistic practice. Previous lecturers have included Candice Hopkins, Independent Curator & Writer; Senior Curator, Toronto Biennial of Art, Kemi Ilesanmi, Executive Director, The Laundromat Project, New York, NY, and Christopher K. Morgan, Choreographer and Vice President of Programming - Maui Arts & Cultural Center, among others.