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.