Application Deadline: Midnight Pacific, Monday August 31st

The Seattle Metals Guild Project Grant is built on a simple idea: when one artist is given the support to take a creative risk, the whole community stands to benefit.

The grant provides $2,500 for a Guild member to pursue a specific artistic project rooted in jewelry, metals, or related disciplines. In return, the recipient shares what they've learned— through a talk, workshop, demonstration, exhibition, or other format—so that fellow members can draw insight, inspiration, or new skills from the experience. Half the award is provided at the start; the other half follows the completion of this shared experience, which is offered to all Guild members at no cost.

Applications are evaluated on the strength of the proposed project—not on the applicant's resume, exhibition history, or career achievements. Whether you are just beginning your artistic practice or have been working for decades, your application will be assessed on the same criteria: the commitment to your work, the clarity of your vision, the specificity of your plan, and the feasibility of bringing it to life.

This grant replaces the Guild's previously alternating Established and Emerging Artist grants. All active members are now eligible to apply every year.

• $2,500 to be spent toward the proposed project and your artistic development (such as the creation of new work, materials, equipment, education, research, travel, documentation, or studio investment)
• $1,250 awarded upon selection; the remaining $1,250 awarded upon completion of the recipient's shared experience with Guild members within 12 months - or as otherwise coordinated to enable your programming
• Complimentary registration to attend and be acknowledged at the Northwest Jewelry & Metals Symposium on Saturday October 10th, 2026
• A solo case or equivalent in the Guild's 2027 Biennial Exhibition
• A feature in the Guild's newsletter and social media

A central part of this grant is the opportunity to bring your experience back to the Guild community. Within 12 months of receiving the award, the recipient will share their process, discoveries, or resulting work through one of the following:

• An artist's talk about the project and what was learned
• A hands-on workshop or demonstration related to the work
• An exhibition or showing of the resulting work
• A similarly shareable or experiential format of your choosing

This is meant to be a moment of connection and shared learning—not a high-pressure performance. The Guild will work with the recipient to coordinate scheduling and logistics. Upon completion, or sooner, as your programming requires, the remaining $1,250 of the grant will disbursed.

Applicants will be evaluated based on the following:

• Project clarity
• Use of funds
• Feasibilty and planning
• Evidence of practice
• Community engagement & sharing

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• I am a current, dues-paying member of the Seattle Metals Guild
• I am a current resident of Washington State
• I am not a current member of the Guild's Board of Directors
• I have not received a Guild grant within the past two years

Members at any stage of their artistic career are encouraged to apply. To check the status of your membership or to join, visit seattlemetalsguild.org.

Each year, one grant recipient is selected by a committee of three professionals from within the field of art, jewelry, and metals. Panelists are drawn from outside the Guild membership. They review and score all applications independently, then convene to select the recipient.

The Seattle Metals Guild is committed to fostering a community free from discrimination and inclusive to all. All decisions related to grant recipients and other Guild opportunities are made with fairness, inclusivity, and equality in mind and are applied evenly toward all qualified candidates. As a guild, it is our goal to examine and acknowledge our unconscious biases and to create an inclusive environment in which every member and participant is welcomed, celebrated, and heard.

Any juror who serves on our Selection Committee is held to our recusal policy: those who have either a personal or professional relationship with an applicant must recuse themselves from discussion of that applicant with respect to their selection in the process.

Please respond to each section below. There are no minimum or maximum length requirements, but clear and specific responses tend to be the strongest. Reviewers are looking for evidence of thoughtful planning, not polished prose. All applications must be submitted here via JotForm. To save your progress as you fill out your application, select Save at the bottom of the page, then choose to create an account or simply save the link to your draft for later use.

3. How would you use the $2,500?
Provide a general breakdown of anticipated expenses by uploading a spreadsheet or document below. This does not need to be exact, but should show you've thought through how the funds support the project.

Please include up to five images of recent work. Work samples are provided to give reviewers helpful context about your practice and demonstrate your commitment to your creative pursuit.

Please title each with your name, title, medium, dimensions, and year, or include this information in a PDF or Word document. (Example Smith_MemoryLocket_Steel_2x3inches_2026.jpg.)

Please ensure photos are well-lit, in focus, and composed as single images rather than collages. Images must each be smaller than 3MB and in JPG, JPEG, or PNG format. 

Completed applications must be submitted here via JotForm by midnight Pacific time on Monday, August 31st. Applicants will be notified of the panel's decision by Thursday, October 1st. Questions about the application or grant program may be directed to grants@seattlemetalsguild.org.