Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant

The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant provides interim financial help to painters, printmakers and sculptors whose needs result from an unforeseen, catastrophic incident, and who lack the resources to meet it. Each grant is one-time assistance for a specific emergency, such as a fire, a flood or an emergency medical need. The maximum is $15,000, and a typical award is $5,000. The programme has no deadline: applications are reviewed as soon as they are complete.

The Gottlieb Foundation has run its emergency and individual support programmes for around 40 years to help mature visual artists.

How the Grant Works

Applications are reviewed by the foundation's directors, who decide whether to make a grant and how much to award. A full review usually takes about four weeks from the time an application is complete, and situations with imminent deadlines are given priority. The foundation sets aside a fixed budget for emergency grants each financial year; once it is used up, no further requests can be considered on their merits until the next year.

Who Can Apply for the Gottlieb Emergency Grant?

You must:

• Work in painting, sculpture or printmaking
• Show at least ten years in a mature phase of your work
• Face a sudden, catastrophic event, and lack the resources to deal with it

Requests from a second person are accepted only when the artist is physically unable to contact the foundation.

What It Does Not Cover

The programme does not consider requests for dental work, chronic situations, capital improvements or projects of any kind. It cannot help with general debt or a lack of employment, and the foundation has said that it is unable to replace lost or interrupted income. The focus is on the situations it knows best: illness, natural disasters, accidents, fires and similar events.

How to Apply

Go to the Emergency Grant page and select "Continue to Application". You will be asked to create an account with a username and password, then sign in, choose "Apply" from the menu and select the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant. Read the instructions first, and use the foundation's grants FAQ if you have technical problems.

Preparing Your Application

Describe the emergency clearly and factually: what happened, when, and how it affects your ability to live and work. Gather documents that show the cost, such as medical bills, insurance letters or repair estimates, and images that show your body of work over at least ten years. A clear, complete application can be reviewed faster.

If You Are Not in an Emergency

Artists with long careers in painting, sculpture or printmaking can also apply to the foundation's Individual Support Grant, which awards $25,000 to 20 artists each year and has an annual deadline in January. It requires 20 years in a mature phase and evidence of financial need.

Where Else to Look

Other emergency funds for artists include the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants for unexpected project costs in the US. Local arts councils and artists' benevolent funds may also help, and it is worth checking what is available where you live.

Timing Matters

Because the yearly budget is limited, it helps to apply soon after an emergency rather than waiting.

Things to Consider

• No deadline; reviewed on receipt.
• Ten years in a mature phase of work.
• One-time help for a specific emergency.
• Annual budget can run out.

Apply for the Grant

Facing an emergency that affects your work?

Apply for the Gottlieb Emergency Grant

The instructions and the application are on the Gottlieb Foundation website.

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Last verified: November 4, 2026