Demystifying the Art World: Finding Funding - Toronto Arts Council

Session 5 of the series Demystifying the Art World: Practical Knowledge & Skills for Early-Career Artists is an online session with grants officers from the Toronto Arts Council.

Applying for grants can be daunting and, with various granting organizations and programs, it’s difficult to know where to begin. What grants are available to artists living in Scarborough and broadly in Canada? Who qualifies? What can the funds be used for? Is there anyone that can help guide you when you’re preparing to write a grant? These questions, and more, will be answered over the course of three sessions with the Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, and Canada Council for the Arts, respectively.

First up is the Toronto Arts Council, with grants program managers Timaj Garad (Black Arts), Peter Kingstone (Visual/Media Arts), and Liza Mattamore (Newcomer & Refugee Arts). They want to help you understand their available grants and be successful! After presentations, there will be time for your questions.

This online session is free and open to all early career and emerging artists. It will be hosted on Zoom, with captions. If you have accommodation needs, please let us know through the registration form or contact dmg.utsc@utoronto.ca.  After registering, attendees will be provided with a Zoom link to join the program virtually.

While all are welcome to attend to learn more about the process, please note that to be eligible for grants programs through the Toronto Arts Council, you must be a resident of the City of Toronto – see full eligibility requirements.

Registration for sessions with the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts will open in early 2024.

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This session is offered as part of the series Demystifying the Art World: Practical Knowledge & Skills for Early-Career Artists, running from September 2023 - May 2024.

Whether you’ve attended art school, pursued other forms of art education or are self-taught, there are foundational professional skills and practices that are rarely taught in formal environments. Artists often glean such knowledge through trial and error, having mentorship, or through information shared in their social and professional circles. Conceived of for early career and emerging artists, this series, organized by curator and educator Su-Ying Lee for the Doris McCarthy Gallery, aims to make key information accessible and demystify how artists approach essential tasks. Through nine sessions, some in-person and some online, participants will be familiarized with the practical knowledge needed to enhance and support their careers, through advice offered by a wide-range of experienced artists, curators, writers, and arts workers. The entire series is free, and participants can sign up for one session, multiple sessions, or the whole series – choose your own adventure and learn with us!

Session 1
Professionalism Starter Pack: Besides making art, what makes an artist a professional?
Thursday, September 21, 12:30 – 2 pm

Session 2
How to Talk About Yourself: Writing CV’s, artist statements, and artwork descriptions
Monday, October 23, 12:30 – 2 pm

Session 3
Get to Know Curators: What do they do, why approach them, and how?
Thursday, November 16, 6:30 – 8 pm

Session 4
See and Be Seen: Documenting your artwork
Saturday, December 9, 12 – 3 pm

Session 5, 6 & 7
Finding Funding: Where and how to apply for grants
Toronto Arts Council / Thursday, January 18, 12:30 – 2 pm
Ontario Arts Council / Thursday, February 15, 12:30 – 2 pm (Registration opens in January)
Canada Council for the Arts / Thursday, March 21, 12:30 – 2 pm (Registration opens in February)

Stay tuned for information on sessions 8 & 9!