Grants & Funding Opportunities
ECCF's Creative County Initiative offers multiple funding areas to support Essex County artists, cultural organizations, and the creative economy.
All are welcome to apply.
Explore the following funds below. Partnerships grants, Special Projects Grants and the Last Mile Fund. Any future opportunities will be added to this page, so please bookmark the page and check back often! You can also follow us on social media @creativecounty
Special Projects Grantees
Culture House - To support CultureHouse Salem, popup to activate Salem’s Old Town Hall, including community outreach, pilot programming, and project documentation.
Merrimack River Watershed Council - To support Merrimack River Watershed public art installation at Lawrence Public Library
Essex Art Center - To support the expanded curriculum and scope of the EAC Summer Public Art Intensive.
Hip Hop Wall of Fame (Bridgin' Gaps fiscal sponsor) To support the creation and promotion of Lynn Hip Hop Wall of Fame mural project.
Goldfish Pond Association - To support the initial launch of Lynn Summer Arts Festival
Ateneo Dominicano de Nueva Inglaterra - To support Dominican Faceless Dolls public art initiative in collaboration with Lawrence Arts Collaborative and Lawrence Arts Festival
Blackburn Circle Project (Fort Point Arts fiscal sponsor) - To support the development of Blackburn Circle Green Space
Haverhill Historical Socy/Buttonwoods - To support exhibit of Buttonwoods Carnavalesca exhibit and public programming
Town of Salisbury - To support Town of Salisbury Cultural Planning process
Amesbury Carriage Museum - To support Art meets History exhibit and programming in Amesbury
Windhover Ctr for the Performing Arts - To support Windhover Performing Arts Center free public presentation of Cornfield Dance at Millbrook Meadow
Colectiva (Elevated Thought fiscal sponsor) - To support scholarships for the Reclaim & Restore BIPOC Wellness Retreat
City of Lynn - To support 2022 Lynnside Out Festival artist fees
Steve Lacey (Rocky Neck Art Colony fiscal sponsor) - To support 12-month music and sound healing program at Essex County retirement, nursing home, and hospice centers.
Rockport Art Association - To support new collaboration of RAAM, Rockport Library and Cape Ann Art Haven to serve teen artists.
Veasey Memorial Park - To support initial programming for Lucile’s Cottage and Veasey Park.
SPUR North Shore - To support a new mural project at Palmer Cove Park, Salem.
Salem Community Arts Inc/Salem Film Fest - To broaden virtual outreach of 2023 Salem Film Festival.
The Cabot - To support Amplified Voices: A Celebration of Filmmakers of Color
Proyectos especiales subvencionados
Culture House - Para apoyar CultureHouse Salem, popup para activar el Old Town Hall de Salem, incluyendo la divulgación comunitaria, la programación piloto y la documentación del proyecto.
Merrimack River Watershed Council - Para apoyar la instalación de arte público Merrimack River Watershed en la Biblioteca Pública de Lawrence.
Essex Art Center - Para apoyar la ampliación del plan de estudios y el alcance de la EAC Verano Intensivo de Arte Público.
Hip Hop Wall of Fame (patrocinador fiscal de Bridgin' Gaps) Para apoyar la creación y promoción del proyecto mural Lynn Hip Hop Wall of Fame.
Goldfish Pond Association - Para apoyar el lanzamiento inicial del Lynn Summer Arts Festival.
Ateneo Dominicano de Nueva Inglaterra - Para apoyar la iniciativa de arte público Dominican Faceless Dolls en colaboración con Lawrence Arts Collaborative y Lawrence Arts Festival
Blackburn Circle Project (patrocinador fiscal de Fort Point Arts) - Para apoyar el desarrollo del espacio verde de Blackburn Circle
Haverhill Historical Socy/Buttonwoods - Para apoyar la exhibición de la exposición Buttonwoods Carnavalesca y la programación pública
Ciudad de Salisbury - Para apoyar el proceso de planificación cultural de la ciudad de Salisbury
Amesbury Carriage Museum - Para apoyar la exposición Art meets History y la programación en Amesbury
Windhover Ctr for the Performing Arts - Para apoyar la presentación pública gratuita de Cornfield Dance en Millbrook Meadow del Windhover Performing Arts Center.
Colectiva (patrocinador fiscal de Elevated Thought) - Para apoyar becas para el Retiro de Bienestar Reclaim & Restore BIPOC
Ciudad de Lynn - Para apoyar 2022 Lynnside Out Festival honorarios de los artistas
Steve Lacey (Rocky Neck Art Colony patrocinador fiscal) - Para apoyar la música de 12 meses y el programa de curación de sonido en la jubilación del condado de Essex, hogar de ancianos y centros de cuidados paliativos.
Rockport Art Association - Para apoyar la nueva colaboración de RAAM, Rockport Library y Cape Ann Art Haven para servir a los artistas adolescentes.
Veasey Memorial Park - Para apoyar la programación inicial de Lucile's Cottage y Veasey Park.
SPUR North Shore - Para apoyar un nuevo proyecto mural en Palmer Cove Park, Salem.
Salem Community Arts Inc/Salem Film Fest - Para ampliar el alcance virtual del 2023 Salem Film Festival.
The Cabot - Para apoyar Amplified Voices: A Celebration of Filmmakers of Color
Traducción realizada con la versión gratuita del traductor www.DeepL.com/Translator
Last Mile Fund
ECCF’s Creative County Initiative (CCI) is pleased to announce the Last Mile Fund, a rolling grant opportunity intended to provide artists with greater access to economic and professional development opportunities.
Individual artists and creative makers working in any medium are eligible to apply via a brief, simple application. The Last Mile Fund is a needs-based program that will provide grants of $100, $300, or $500 to applicants whose access to resources is otherwise limited.
Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis from artists working or living in any Essex County community. If approved, grant payments will be made within approx. 4 weeks from the date of application. Payments will be made directly to individual applicants through ECCF’s administrative partner, Rocky Neck Art Colony, Inc.
Requests for funding might include examples such as:
- A poet needs $100 to pay entry fees to respond to open calls for poetry in the upcoming
year. - An artist needs $500 for 1-1 coaching sessions with a professional business & marketing
coach. - An artist needs $100 to rent or purchase a vendor tent for an upcoming art market.
- An artist needs $300 to attend a business development workshop specifically for hip
hop artists. - A musician needs $500 to offset cost of a performance in a new venue.
The Last Mile Fund will not support:
- General cost of living expenses such as rent or utilities
- Individual employment salary or stipend
- More than one application per applicant per calendar year
Funding Criteria
In a simple post-grant report, Last Mile Fund grantees will be asked how the funding:
- Broadened their access to professional resources
- Strengthened their capacity as artists to create
- Enabled them to achieve their artistic goals, and/or
- Strengthened their place in the creative economy
Last Mile Fund grantees will be encouraged to:
- Participate in periodic communications with Creative County Program Director.
- Utilize the CreativeCounty.org communications portal, social media, and other
media outlets as needed. - Include ECCF/Creative County in public communications when communicating
about the grant-funded project. - Participate in Creative County-sponsored trainings and convenings that are
intended to build grantee self-sustainability.
For more information, assistance with the application process, or to discuss a program idea
please contact:
Karen Ristuben, Program Director, Creative County Initiative
Essex County Community Foundation
175 Andover Street, Suite 101 Danvers, MA 01923
Tel: 978-758-1210
Email: k.ristuben@eccf.org
___________________________________________________________________________
CCI LAST MILE FUND
Visión general
Creative County Initiative (CCI) de ECCF se complace en anunciar Last Mile Fund, una oportunidad de subsidios continúa destinada a proporcionar acceso a oportunidades de desarrollo económico y profesional de artistas. Los artists individuales y fabricantes creativos que trabajan en cualquier medio son eligibles para aplicar. Last Mile Fund es un programa basado en las necesidades que otorgará subsidios de $100, $300 o 500 a los solicitantes cuyo acceso a los recursos es limitado.
Se aceptan propuestas continuas de artistas que trabajan o viven en cualquier comunidad del condado de Essex. Si se aprueba, los pagos de los subsidios se realizarán dentro de aprox. 4 semanas a partir de la fecha de solicitud. Los pagos se harán directamente a los solicitantes individuales a través del socio administrativo de ECCF, Rocky Neck Art Colony, Inc.
Las solicitudes de financiación pueden incluir ejemplos como:
Un poeta necesita $100 para pagar las tarifas de inscripción para responder a las
convocatorias abiertas de poesía en el próximo año.
Un artista necesita $500 para sesiones de coaching 1-1 con un entrenador profesional
de negocios y marketing.
Un artista necesita $200 para alquilar una carpa de vendedor para un próximo mercado
de arte.
Un artista necesita $300 para asistir a un taller de desarrollo de negocios
específicamente para artistas de hip hop.
Un músico necesita $500 para compensar el costo de una actuación en un nuevo lugar.
Last Mile Fund no apoyará:
Costo general de los gastos de vida, como alquiler o servicios públicos
Salario o estipendio de empleo individual
Más de una solicitud por solicitante por año civil
Criterios de Financiación
En un simple informe posterior a la subvención y se le preguntará a los beneficiarios de
Last Mile Fund cómo la financiación puede:
Ampliaron su acceso a los recursos
Empoderarlos como artistas y/o fortalecer su capacidad de crear
Les permite alcanzar sus objetivos artísticos
Fortalecer su lugar en la economía creativa
Se alentará a los beneficiarios de Last Mile Fund a:
Participar en comunicaciones periódicas con la Directora del Programa Creative
County Initiative.
Utilizar el portal de comunicaciones CreativeCounty.org, las redes sociales y
otros medios de comunicación según sea necesario.
Incluir ECCF / Creative County en las comunicaciones públicas cuando se
comunique sobre el proyecto financiado por la subvención.
Participar en capacitaciones y reuniones patrocinadas Creative County
Initiative que tienen la intención de desarrollar la autosostenibilidad del
concesionario.
Para obtener más información, asistencia con el proceso de solicitud o para discutir una idea de
programa, comuníquese con:
Karen Ristuben, Directora del Programa, Creative County Initiative
Essex County Community Foundation
175 Andover Street, Suite 101
Danvers, MA 01923
Tel: 978-758-1210
Email: k.ristuben@eccf.org
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
The Ultimate Guide to Artist Publicity
w/ Ariel Hyatt & Maya Azucena
Thursday, March 10, 2022 | 2-4 p.m.
Learn how to generate press and land publicity! In this workshop, participants will identify the basic materials needed for a solid press kit and ways to set themselves apart, including generating a succinct press pitch, graphics, and brand. Participants will have a chance to draft their own effective pitch (the foundation of your PR) to catch the eye of bloggers and journalists alike, as well as learn how to avoid common mistakes when sending out a pitch. Next we’ll discuss how to use an international lens for marketing, research and select media outlets to target and how to design a manageable timeline for generating publicity. Finally, participants will explore what to do with any publicity they receive, and how to leverage those successes to achieve broader career goals. Over 25 years Ariel Hyatt, founder of Cyber PR Music, has executed public relations campaigns for over 5,000 artists and published multiple books on PR, marketing & social media for artists. Award-winning musician, singer, and songwriter Maya Azucena has performed across the world in over forty countries and collaborated with Marcus Miller, Brass Against, Jason Miles, among others.
Suitable for artists of all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts.
This workshop will also be recorded! If you’re unable to attend the live session, you can still register via Zoom and, if approved, we’ll send you a link to access the recording after the workshop is complete.
The Business of Writing: How to Successfully Research and Submit to Literary Journals, Publishers, and Agents w/ Kristina Marie Darling
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 | 2-4 p.m.
This workshop will take writers through the basics of writing convincing and persuasive pitches, as well as submission etiquette and best practices for presenting your writing to decision-makers in your field. It will address such topics as crafting cover letters, writing compelling queries, how to research opportunities for your career development, strategies for building an audience for your work, and ways to improve the odds for your submissions. Participants will leave the workshop with a packet of resources for discovering opportunities in their chosen genre, as well as examples of successful pitches and submissions, and next steps relative to their goals and career point. Poet, essayist and critic Kristina Marie Darling is the author of 35 books of poetry and literary criticism and is the Editor-in-Chief at Tupelo Press.
Best suited for writers of all genres.


Presented in partnership with the Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County Initiative
Open to artists in Essex County (MA), with select additional slots for rural artists in Connecticut & Rhode Island.
This workshop will also be recorded! If you’re unable to attend the live session, you can still register via Zoom and, if approved, we’ll send you a link to access the recording after the workshop is complete.
Social Practice Art: Toward Individual Healing, Community Dialogue and Social Change
w/ Nancy Marks
Thursday, March 24, 2022 | 2-3:30 p.m.
Using The Opioid Project: Changing Perceptions through Art and Storytelling as a model, this workshop will explore how to plan and execute a project that uses art to promote dialogue and community response. Participants will explore how to identify an important issue, build relationships, work with a community partner, run a workshop for community participants, and use the art created to promote dialogue and move a community advocacy agenda forward. Nancy will take participants through the successes and learning moments of her ongoing Opioid Project, including how and why it evolved. Following this overview, participants will brainstorm their own ideas/goals to create a project that uses art and storytelling as a vehicle for bringing voices into a community to create change and/or amplify an issue. Nancy Marks is a public health activist, community organizer, and visual artist who has been making art for over 25 years. In 2016, she co-founded The Opioid Project as a way to weave the strands of art, healing and community change.



Presented in partnership with the Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County Initiative and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
About The Opioid Project: Changing Perceptions through Art and Storytelling: The Opioid Project was created as a response to the escalating epidemic. The Opioid Project’s main goals: support individuals affected by opioid use disorder; increase public awareness about substance use disorder and addiction; decrease stigma by fostering and creating space for community dialogue; and contribute to policy change to increase access to mental health services and substance use treatment.
Best suited for artists interested in social issues and community-based creative work.
Open to artists in Essex County and Berkshire County, Massachusetts.
This workshop will also be recorded! If you’re unable to attend the live session, you can still register via Zoom and, if approved, we’ll send you a link to access the recording after the workshop is complete.
Decolonizing Your Creative Practice Retreat: Urgency w/ Haus of Glitter
Saturdays, March 26 & April 9, 2022 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Presented in partnership with the Barr Foundation’s Creative Commonwealth Initiative.
In this two-part virtual retreat, participants are invited to join the Haus of Glitter Performance Lab to unravel and heal from urgency, a symptom of white supremacy culture, both in our creative practice and in the ways we move through the world. Nurturing our mission to shift the energetic center of the universe towards collective liberation, this series is an invitation to slow down, listen and transform with us. Using the creative practices that ground our work, participants will explore urgency as it shows up in ideology, in institutions, in interpersonal relationships, and from within.
Credit: Stephanie Alvarez Ewens
Alternating between whole-group creative experiences and reflection in breakout affinity spaces for white allies and for BIPOC, this series seeks to rehearse what an equitable distribution of energy can look like in anti-racist work for artists, arts leadership, arts educators and arts activists. While there will be opportunities for blended discussion, BIPOC participants can trust that there will always be a BIPOC-only discussion group, led by a BIPOC facilitator, available for all discussions throughout this two-part workshop. The Haus of Glitter is a community of artists, educators, counselors/therapists, performers, and healers dedicated to using art, play, and processes of mindful creation as tools for equity and justice. Please be prepared (and dress accordingly) for a virtual yoga + meditation offering for the first hour of each session.
Suitable for all creatives in any discipline.
Open to artists across Massachusetts.
In order to create a safer space where difficult questions can be tackled, this workshop WILL NOT be recorded. You will need to attend the live workshop in order to participate in this offering.
Portfolio Power / The Artist Portfolio w/ Anabel Vázquez Rodríguez
Wednesday, April 6, 2022 | 2-4 p.m.
Our portfolios represent our vision and most compelling work. The quality and effectiveness of a professional portfolio is crucial, whether you are seeking an art related job, applying for a grant, trying to get a show at a gallery or seeking gallery representation. In this workshop, participants will learn best practices for creating and presenting a portfolio that has a lasting impression while being accessible. Taking away guidelines and industry tips, participants will leave inspired with practical solutions on how to present their work with impact. Anabel Vázquez Rodríguez is an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and educator with over 20 years of work as a curator, cultural manager, grant panelist, judge, guest lecturer, and portfolio reviewer.
Suitable for artists in all disciplines (although most examples will be based in the visual and performance art field).

Credit: Iaritza Menjivar

Presented in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council.
Open to artists across Massachusetts.
This workshop will also be recorded! If you’re unable to attend the live session, you can still register via Zoom and, if approved, we’ll send you a link to access the recording after the workshop is complete.
Level Up Your Virtual Presence w/ Todd Reynolds
Friday, April 8, 2022 | 2-4 p.m.
Whether we like it or not, it’s time to admit that the internet is now the artist’s stage. In this foundational course, digital musician Todd Reynolds will help creatives of all types understand the technological tools and techniques of crafting an engaging online presence without having to pay for an in-house tech expert. Whether a performer, visual artist, speaker, or writer, participants will take away essential video and lighting techniques that lead to a more professional presence on camera, solutions to achieving affordable, pro-sounding audio, and the secrets to projecting confidence when appearing and performing online. Todd Reynolds, violinist, composer, educator and technologist, is one of the founding fathers of the hybrid-musician movement and one of the most active and versatile proponents of what he calls ‘present music’ – music created in the ‘now’. In North Adams, where he makes his home, he’s well known as a member of Bang on a Can and a long-time collaborator with MASS MoCA.
Best suited for artists showing and performing work online.
Open to artists in Essex County (MA), with select additional slots for rural artists in Connecticut & Rhode Island.


Presented in partnership with the Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County Initiative.
This workshop will also be recorded! If you’re unable to attend the live session, you can still register via Zoom and, if approved, we’ll send you a link to access the recording after the workshop is complete.
Taking Collective Action to Build Community and Fight Racism w/ Daniel Park & Deen Rawlins
April 13, 23, 27 & May 4, 2022 | 6-9 p.m.
(with 10am – 2:30pm on Saturday)
White Supremacy is the air that we breathe and present in every aspect of cultural production. This intentional, BIPOC-only affinity group and structured conversation aims to support a community of practice and bolster the work BIPOC artists are already doing to name and interrupt white supremacy in their own artistic practice and sector, while providing a “Brave Space” for discussion. Participants will leave this intensive with a network of activist peers, tools, strategies, and concrete next steps to intentionally build liberatory practices into their own creative practice, including both the creation and performance of artistic work. Daniel Park is a queer, bi-racial, theatre and performance artist whose work combines live performance and game design to create hybrid experiences that explore the boundaries of human agency. Deen Rawlins is an artist-educator who builds workshops that are interactive, accessible, and grounded in a trauma-informed approach.
For BIPOC artists in all disciplines.
Open to artists across Massachusetts.
The cohort for this small-group intensive is selected based on a brief form of interest that is not yet available. If you are interested in participating in this series, email us at assetsforartists@massmoca.org, and we will share the form with you when it’s available.
The Art of Submission for Festivals, Museums and Beyond w/ Catherine T. Morris
Wednesday, May 4, 2022 | 2-3:30 p.m.
Ever dream of having your art or music featured at a festival, museum or large public event? It’s important to be prepared and have the right mix of content that makes your work stand out. From your artist statement and resume, to building rapport with curators and event producers, this workshop will provide some best practices to prepare, package, and submit your work and helpful tips to get you in front of the right audiences. Over the last 20 years, mother, entrepreneur, and visionary Catherine T. Morris has focused her time and energy on creating platforms for BIPOC artists, producing shows, as well as mobilizing and engaging local audiences to experience the arts through a holistic lens.


Presented in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council.
Best suited for visual and performing artists.
Open to artists across Massachusetts.
This workshop will also be recorded! If you’re unable to attend the live session, you can still register via Zoom and, if approved, we’ll send you a link to access the recording after the workshop is complete.
Our Massachusetts programming is made possible in partnership with the Barr Foundation, the City of Boston, the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ ValleyCreates Initiative, Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County Initiative, Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s Creative Worcester Initiative, the Deborah Munroe Noonan Memorial Fund (Bank of America, N.A.,Trustee), and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts through the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation.