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BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations
Visual arts programming support for BC organizations
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Funding available
$ 25,000
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Overview
Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations supports arts and culture organizations and arts or curatorial collectives in B.C. with grants up to $25,000 for contemporary and traditional visual arts and craft programming. Eligible work includes exhibitions, publications, documentation and dissemination, skill development, workshops, artists’ residencies, and audience development or community engagement activities.
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At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Develop a new program or service
- Increase social or community impact
- Enhance an existing program
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 25,000 $
- Up to 65% of project cost
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- British Columbia
Legal structures
- Non-profit
- Non-financial cooperative
- Public or Parapublic institution
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Non-profit candidates
Sector of operation
- Culture and Arts
Target groups
- General public
Revenue structures
- All structures
Scope
- Provincial
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
Availability timeline
2026
Periods: 1
Activities funded
- Exhibitions, including development and installation.
- Publications, documentation and dissemination of artistic works and exhibitions.
- Skill development for artists, including workshops, artists’ residencies, and activities that develop the arts sector.
- Exploration of new artistic or curatorial practices, including practice-based research, collaboration, experimentation, and creative development.
- Audience development, collaborations, exchanges, and activities that creatively engage communities.
Documents Needed
- Project Team Table, including name, responsibility, current location, confirmation of participation, and 100-word biography for each member of the project team.
- Project Budget Table with notes explaining amounts.
- An operating budget for the fiscal year in which the project takes place (organizations only).
- Letters from up to two partners or collaborators confirming the nature of their participation in the proposed project.
- Examples of work related to the proposed project, up to a maximum of 5 images, 5 minutes total of video or audio, or 3 pages of critical writing or documentation, plus the Completed Inventory Form; applicants who have not previously received funding through this grant program must also submit two letters of reference from established arts and culture practitioners familiar with the applicant’s work.
Sources and recorded changes
- Source change captured
- Change recorded
- Record updated
A captured source change or record update does not confirm eligibility. Check the funder’s current rules before applying.
Visual Arts Organizations guidelines updated
The program guidelines now show the 2025/26 intake summary, including open and close dates, results timing, who can apply, and the maximum grant amount.
The Program Guidelines for Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations now show the 2025/26 intake summary: applications open September 3, close October 22, and results are expected in February 2026. The visible summary also adds a fuller Who Can Apply statement, naming arts and culture organizations, arts and curatorial collectives, Indigenous community organizations, Indigenous governments, municipal governments, and post-secondary institutions in B.C. that offer dedicated arts and culture programs, and it confirms a maximum grant amount of $25,000.
Program guide
Application form
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Arts and culture organizations.
- Arts and curatorial collectives.
- Indigenous community organizations and Indigenous governments in B.C.
- Municipal governments in B.C. with dedicated arts and culture programs.
- Post-secondary institutions in B.C. with dedicated arts and culture programs.
Who is not eligible
- Organizations currently receiving BC Arts Council Operating Assistance program grants.
- Private or for-profit entities, except for-profit book publishing companies.
- Member-funded societies, social service organizations, and organizations dedicated to archives.
- Collectives with less than 3 members or ad hoc collectives.
- Arts and culture organizations eligible within BC Arts Council Community Arts Organization grant programs.
Eligible expenses
- Appropriate payment to the artists, arts and culture practitioners, and other members of the project team engaged in the proposed activities.
- Compensation to Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Operating expenses.
- Capital expenses, property purchases, construction, or renovation.
- Equipment purchases over $2,500.
- Project phases or activities that start before the application closing date.
- Projects already funded through other BC Arts Council programs.
Eligible geographic areas
- British Columbia
Selection criteria
- Reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion and access (20%).
- Artistic and cultural contribution, engagement, and impact (50%).
- Feasibility (30%).
- Funding prioritization may be applied to organizations considered part of a designated priority group.
How to apply
- Submit your application through the online grant system.
- If you are a new applicant, register and create a profile in the online system to access the online application.
- Review these guidelines to ensure your organization or collective and proposed activities are eligible to apply.
- Register early to avoid delays; it may take up to 5 business days to process your registration request after we have received all required documents.
- Add the email address NoReply@BCArtsCouncil.ca to your safe senders list and check your spam folders.
Processing and Agreement
- The BC Arts Council receives applications and reviews each one for eligibility.
- Eligible applications are forwarded to independent assessment panels.
- Assessment panels evaluate eligible applications using the assessment criteria and determine the level of funding and any conditions on payment of grants.
- The BC Arts Council informs each applicant of the assessment panel’s decision in writing.
- Grant payments are subject to an authorizing appropriation under the Financial Administration Act, and grant recipients must submit a final report of the completed project to the BC Arts Council within 30 days of the Project End Date stated in the application.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations Program
What is the BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations?
Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations supports arts and culture organizations and arts or curatorial collectives in B.C. with grants up to $25,000 for contemporary and traditional visual arts and craft programming. Eligible work includes exhibitions, publications, documentation and dissemination, skill development, workshops, artists’ residencies, and audience development or community engagement activities.
How much funding can be received?
BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations Funds up to 65% of admissible expenses, capped at $25,000 per project.
Who is eligible for the BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations program?
To be eligible for the BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations program, you must:
Professional visual arts organization: B.C. nonprofit society/community service co-op, registered and in good standing ≥1 fiscal year before application. Arts/curatorial collective: ≥3 independent artists, curators or arts/culture practitioners, ≥2 years of practice and ≥1 paid public presentation (artist fee or equivalent). Collective applicants must be Canadian citizens/permanent residents, resident in B.C. ≥12 months immediately before the deadline.
What expenses are eligible under BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations?
Appropriate payment to the artists, arts and culture practitioners, and other members of the project team engaged in the proposed activities.
Compensation to Elders and Knowledge Keepers.
Who can I contact for more information about the BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations?
You can contact British Columbia Arts Council (BCAC) by email at Breanna.Fabbro@gov.bc.ca or by phone at 604-558-9360.
Where is the BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations available?
The BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations program is available the province of British Columbia.
Is the BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations a grant, loan, or tax credit?
BCAC — Project Assistance: Visual Arts Organizations is a Grant and Funding