Do you identify as a Michigan-based Asian American or Pacific Islander with a creative/artistic practice? 

Are you fresh out of school, returning to your practice after raising kids, finding hours outside of a day job, or maybe you're redefining your path in retirement or after a career change? 

If so, please apply! We want to co-create with you!

Rising Voices will choose 4 emerging creatives for our inaugural 2026 Artist & Creatives Cohort. Cohort members will receive mentorship with our Cultural Advisory Board of working professionals and an award of $2500 to create work for a group gallery exhibition in July 2026 tentatively titled "Revolution, Resistance & Joy." 

The exhibition will take place at a local Detroit gallery. It will be free and open to the public. 

​​As a non-profit, Rising Voices seeks to organize and develop the leadership of Asian American women (cis, trans, Gender Non-Conforming and femme-identifying) and young people for power around progressive values and policy in the state of Michigan.

Our theory of change includes the belief that artists and creatives play an important role in naming, disrupting and resisting systemic oppression as well as envisioning a better world, helping to shape crucial narratives and build power for our communities. 

Creative work and art – whether paintings, poems, songs, zines, performance, ceramics, fibre, photography, film, tattoos, nail art – all tell the story of the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience. Community engagement through the arts gives space for dialogue, serves as an archive for collective memory and invites community members to imagine ways in which they can shape policy around progressive values.

This award seeks to break down barriers of entry for whose voices are heard and who gets to call themselves an artist or creative.

Rising Voices invites creatives of all mediums to apply and encourages applications from artists and culture bearers whose mediums and practices have been historically underrepresented and/or excluded from mainstream art exhibitions and galleries – including but not limited to tattoo design, nail art, traditional crafts, etc. While our work is centered on Asian American women and young people, anyone of any gender expression who is 18 years and over who connects to our mission is encouraged to apply. 

Applications will be evaluated holistically and intentionally curated to celebrate a diverse cohort and honor underrepresented artists and creatives. 

Deadline to submit is February 1, 2026 at 11:59pm EST. Award announcements will be made in March. Artists will have April, May and June 2026 to work with mentors and create work for the exhibition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to apply? 

Emerging artists and creators who are in the early stages of their professional careers. They may be self-taught, have no formal training or just finished a training program. They may have had their work in local exhibitions, and have a budding body of work, but they have yet to achieve widespread recognition. 

Emerging artists do not make the bulk of their wages from their art (whether through the sale of their art, commissions for their work, and/or consistent monetary support through grants and fellowships). 

Are there restrictions on who can apply?

Partners and family members of Rising Voices staff and Rising Voices Cultural Advisory Board are restricted from applying. 

The award is restricted to Michigan residents, 18 years of age or older.

How will applications be evaluated? 

Evaluation Process

Applications will be evaluated holistically and will be intentionally curated by the Rising Voices Cultural Advisory Board to celebrate a diverse cohort and honor underrepresented artists & creatives. 

Each section of the application will be scored as follows out of 115 points.

Artist Statement	20 points
Project Proposal	25 points
Economic Background	20 points
Power and Privilege	20 points
Milestones	15 points
Original work samples	15 points

The Project Proposal will be weighted the most. We are looking for projects that are intentional, thoughtful of the Asian American experience, on theme with the exhibition, and aligned with Rising Voices’ mission statement.

The Artistic Statement, Economic Background, and Power and Privilege sections are weighted equally. We want to know about your creative journey and the forces that have influenced it.

Milestones and Work Samples will have less weight as this artist cohort is for emerging artists. We expect your work to be impactful and interesting, but we understand emerging artists may need guidance on how to curate their work for application and portfolio purposes and/or may not have a large body of work and that your milestones may not be established yet.

Applications will be reviewed by the Rising Voices Cultural Advisory Board and select Rising Voices staff. 

What is the award/cohort timeline?

December 2025/January 2026	Applications open
February 1, 2026, 11:59pm	Application deadline
March 2026	Awardees contacted Public announcement of awardies Artist Cohort Launch Dinner
April 2026	Award money distributed to awardees Awardees and mentors meet one on one Begin creating project with input from mentors
May 2026	Awardees and mentors meet one on one Creation of art project with input from mentors Awardees & mentors check-in with Rising Voices Cultural Strategist
June 2026	Awardees and mentors meet one on one Creation of art project with input from mentors
July 2026	Exhibition Opening/Closing
August 2026	Wrap 2026 Artists Cohort cycle Artists & Mentors celebration dinner

 

What are my responsibilities as a grantee? 

If accepted, grantees will be responsible for the following: 

• Reporting of award income to local, state and federal agencies for tax purposes. 
• Submitting a 1099 form to Rising Voices.
• Signing a contract for receipt of award which will include the obligations of the grantee and Rising Voices in fulfilling the grant agreement.
• Creating a body of work for the July 2026 exhibition
• Participating in the artist cohort events and mentorship with the Rising Voices Cultural Advisory Board artists. 

Will there be other requirements of artists beyond participation in the artist cohort and exhibition? 

Rising Voices reserves the right to create additional programming in conjunction with the exhibition. Artists may be asked to engage in panel discussions, artists’ salons, and/or other Rising Voices’ activities related to their work or the creation process. For Rising Voices events separate from the July 2026 exhibition, artists will be compensated for their participation in artists’ salons and panel discussions via an additional honorarium (the amount to be determined on an event by event basis).  

How will the grant money be paid? 

Participants in this cohort will be offered a mailed check for $2500.00 in taxable income (paid out on a 1099).

Grant money will be paid out once program contracts have been signed. 

What is the grant money to be used for?

The grant money should go towards the creation of work for the July 2026 exhibition. The grant money can be for creative supplies, production of work and/or to supplement income allowing a grantee to take time off from their day job in order to create. The  use of how to best budget the grant money is at the discretion of the grantee, so long as the money is only used for non-partisan charitable purposes.  

Are there restrictions on what can be created or how the grant money can be spent? 

While work can be created or inspired by the current political landscape, work cannot endorse or reference political candidates. 

Grant money cannot be used to donate to/endorse or to sabotage/oppose any political party or candidate.

How much work will I be required to make for the exhibition? 

Since mediums vary with regard to how much work can be reasonably made in the 3 month creation/production period given the resources available to each grantee, there is no perfect answer to this question. 

Given the constraints of your medium, time and resources, please include how many finished pieces you would like to have for the July exhibition in the “Project Proposal”  portion of the application. 

If you would like more specific information regarding the amount of finished pieces per your medium, please feel free to contact Rising Voices. We are happy to assist you. 

Can I include previously finished work for exhibition and as part of my project proposal?

Yes, if the work is relevant to the exhibition theme and if you can use previous work as a jumping off point for creation of new work within the grant award/project creation time period. 

Who owns the rights to the work created as part of the artist cohort?

Creators will retain ownership of their work, while Rising Voices will retain the right to display the work and for future use aligned with the spirit of the work. The details will be covered in a licensing agreement to be signed upon acceptance of the award by the grantee.

Who sets up/breaks down the July 2026 exhibition? 

Artists will set up and break down the July 2026 exhibition per guidelines from the hosting gallery and with input/assistance from the Rising Voices Cultural Advisory Board and Rising Voices Cultural Strategist.

All work must be removed by the artists at the end of the exhibition.Rising Voices will not be responsible for shipping of any art. 

What if I have additional questions about the application? 

Please email kristine@risingvoicesaaf.org for any additional questions.