Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant for Sculptors

The Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant gives ceramic sculptors and sculptors working in any medium the chance to devote a substantial period of time to their own work. Each year the foundation awards three grants: $60,000 for first place, $30,000 for second and $20,000 for third. The application portal opened on 1 June 2026 and closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on 9 January 2027. Winners are announced in mid-May.

The foundation has supported sculptors since 1988, and it welcomes artists at any stage of their careers, from emerging to mature.

What the Grant Covers

The grants are meant to support artists' expenses to live, travel and make work, so that the cost of materials, studio time or travel does not limit an ambitious sculptural practice. The money is directed at your work and its development, not at tuition or continued academic training. The foundation describes "resources" broadly: supplies, time and space all count. A workshop led by a professional artist can be part of your plan if it would genuinely push your work forward.

Who Can Apply to the Groot Foundation?

• Ceramic sculptors, and sculptors working in any material
• Artists aged 21 or over on the application deadline
• Teachers, if the plan is about their development as artists rather than as teachers

Students enrolled full-time or part-time at any institution of higher learning are not eligible, and work made as a student cannot be submitted. Collaborative applications are accepted, as long as they are clearly marked.

How to Apply

Apply online through the foundation's SlideRoom portal. You can submit up to 20 images of your work, including detail shots, though separate works show the jury more of your range. A video of up to three minutes is optional. A strong body of work from the past five years matters most; a few earlier pieces can help show how your work has developed, and your application can explain how they relate to your current direction. Composite images are not accepted, so upload each work as its own image.

Avoid the Last-Minute Rush

The foundation does not extend the deadline. Many applicants try to finish on the final day, and some have been timed out of SlideRoom as a result. Finish your application a few days early, and if you need to change something after submitting, email the foundation and ask for the application to be reopened.

Recent Winners

The 2026 grants went to Jason deCaires Taylor (first place), Lauren Clay (second) and Katherine Clements (third), with honourable mentions for Janina Myronowa, Julia Galloway, Lena Takamori and Matéo Crémades. The list shows the range of the grant, from underwater sculpture to ceramics.

Tips for Applying

Choose images that show a coherent body of work, photographed well against plain backgrounds, with installation views where scale matters. Write a clear plan of how you would use the time and money the grant would give you, and explain where your work is heading. Because the grant rewards energy, commitment and a strong sense of form, show the work that best represents those qualities rather than everything you have made.

Things to Consider

• Ceramics and sculpture only.
• No students or student work.
• No deadline extensions.
• Deadline: 9 January 2027.

Apply for the Grant

Ready to share your sculptural work with the jury?

Apply for the Virginia A. Groot Foundation Grant

Eligibility, FAQs and the application link are on the foundation's website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: November 4, 2026