About the Space Grants Program

OAA will award ten (10) Space Grants of $500 each to Thurston County artists to offset space-related costs. Submit your application before May 4th, 2026 at 5pm PST.

Click here for the Spring 2026 Application

OAA will award ten (10) Space Grants of $500 each to Thurston County artists to offset space-related costs incurred July-September 2026. The deadline to apply is May 4th, 2026, at 5 pm.

OAA received a generous gift from the Freas Foundation to support this program and are honored to build on their legacy of directly supporting the arts and artists in our community.

Who can apply?

Space Grants are available for all artists (artist is a self-applied term, and includes painters, musicians, writers, performers, fabricators, and any other artistic practice you identify as art) ages 18 and older who are Thurston County residents at the time of application and award. Applicants do not need to have a business license or have received previous awards/recognitions to apply.

Current members of the OAA Board and their immediate family are not eligible. If you received a Space Grant in 2025, please wait until 2027 to apply again.

Artists can apply for funding to support the costs related to their space needs, including but not limited to rent, utilities, space repairs, storage unit rental, shelving, storage containers, and ADA accommodations. We ask that grantees share a report on how the grant benefitted you in October of 2026.

How to Apply

Artists are required to fully complete and submit our application form, which includes a few questions, work samples, and contact information. We recommend drafting your materials outside of the form (just in case you encounter technical difficulties) and copy/pasting your answers in.

The application process should take about an hour to complete.

Here is what we ask you to prepare and share with us:

• Your name and contact information

• A short biography (tell us about yourself - where are you from? what is your connection to the region? what has your journey been like? in 350 words or less)

• Your demographic information (optional)

• A short artist statement (tell us about your practice - what inspires your work? what are your goals for the future? in 350 words or less)

• How you intend to use the funding (i.e. for help with rent, utilities, space repairs, storage unit rental, shelving, storage containers, ADA accommodations?)

• How the funding will impact your practice (will the award open up space for new work?)

• Three digital samples of your work (i.e. images, social media links to work, links to media or audio files)

• Your resume or CV (this is optional, but helpful if you’d like to share more info with us)

This is a merit based grant, and complete applications are reviewed and scored by a panel of OAA Board members.

We first determine eligibility, then review artist work samples, assess need, and the impact the grant would have on practice. We prioritize applications from artists from historically marginalized and underrepresented communities, BIPOC artists, artists who are immunocompromised, artists who identify as LGBTQIA+, artists with immigrant status, and artists living with or having a disability.

Have questions about the application? Contact our staff and board at info@olympiaartspace.com.

Click here for the Spring 2026 Application

Words from Past Grantees

“I have been applying to other grants, residencies and juried shows, and have really developed a fruitful routine at my studio. In the past month, I've made exciting improvements in the technical quality of my lenticular work, and have really expanded my 3D modeling skills already. I have the beginnings of 3D display lenticulars happening, and have a number of projects I'm working on that I am really excited about. I set a goal to complete one lenticular a week, and since receiving the grant, I'm completing more like 3 a week. I'm feeling inspired and hopeful. The grant really put some wind in my sails, and I'm incredibly grateful.”

• Joseph Moran, Visual Artist

“Thank you again for granting us funds for our Spring Artswalk museum! The $500 you provided was instrumental in the setup of our museum. We used the funds provided to pay for paint, painting supplies (tape, brushes, rollers, paper, etc), cleaning supplies, lighting, and hardware for hanging art. Because of this grant we were able to complete our goal of creating a clean, inviting space for over 1500 visitors to view art over the weekend of April 28-31. Due to the success of our event, we were able to raise funds which will ensure that we can continue to put on these events in the future.”

• Thurston County Museum of Fine Arts, Local Arts Organization

“I made a purchase on my new writer studio trailer! The trailer cost $1550 and your grant helped make this dream come true!”

• Clare Follmann, Local Poet & Writer

“ I used it to pay my studio rent for one month over the summer. Having a rent break for a month allowed me to invest in some much-needed supplies like frames, matting, and backing boards that I could use to prepare for an upcoming show. These materials are often an expensive luxury to purchase new, but because I had assistance with studio rent, I could splurge on them. I am excited to show what I have created over the summer and to be able to showcase it professionally.”

• Mikaela Schaffer, Visual Artist