Before you start researching you can ask yourself some questions. It is important to know what you are trying to achieve with your artwork and it is also helpful to search for resources that align with your goals as an artist. If you are interested in social justice and photography, than researching a residency in Brooklyn or Zimbabwe, Africa could be exciting.
It is also important to research something that interests you. Search for grants that focus on a type of medium, say photography, or a scholarship on a topic of interest, like art and the environment. If you are researching residencies, look for a residency in a place in the world that interests you. Here are some things to keep in mind when searching for resources that you could find interesting.
What type of art/medium are they looking for? What issue or topic are they focused on or looking to address? What past artists have they accepted that you find interesting? Where in the world is it?
Whether you’re researching grants, scholarships or residencies, start by using common keywords to search online. By including more than one keyword in your search you narrow down and refine your results.
Here is a list of common keywords you can use to start your search.
“Grant”, “scholarship” or “residency” keyword + : Emerging artist Undergraduate Post-undergraduate Developing Fellowship
It is also important to arrange the keywords a few different ways to yield different results. Use keywords and phrases in quotes to narrow your results: “how to research” art grant The “+” sign looks for related information in the search: art grants + scholarships Use Google advanced search to further refine and narrow your results.