$2.3M Awarded to 464 Creative Individuals

Dan Blask, Program Manager

Photo of a vibrantly colored hand-cut paper assemblage that resembles a round door opening onto a peacefully bucolic landscape, sitting within a bird's nest.
Rebecca Loechler, “The Road Goes Ever On” (2021), hand-cut paper, watercolor, layered design, 18x9x1.5in.

Mass Cultural Council believes that when creativity thrives, so does the Commonwealth. We are honored to announce 464 grants of $5,000 each – a total of $2,320,000 – supporting artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 Grants for Creative Individuals.

See a list of this year’s grant recipients.

The program awards unrestricted grants to individuals in all creative fields: visual artists, literary artists, theater and dance artists, film/media artists, music artists, designers, traditional artists/culture bearers, drag artists, cross-disciplinary artists, and more. We received 3,125 eligible applications to Grants for Creative Individuals. Grants were decided through a review process that includes geographic distribution, funding priorities, and scores from reviewers from the Massachusetts cultural sector.

A painting that overlays faces and bodies of Asian women from historical and contemporary contexts on an abstracted background that resembles a shelf of milk cartons.
Cynthia Yi Chen, “Double Consciousness in a Museum in Boston” (2025), oil on canvas, 48x48in.

Reviewers prioritized applications based on the program mission: to equitably advance creativity throughout the Commonwealth with unrestricted grants to individuals who demonstrate achievement of creative expression and commitment to their artistic/cultural practice. Approximately 96% of the grantees are receiving their first grant from Mass Cultural Council.

The reviewers for the FY26 Grants for Creative Individuals were: Lani Asuncion, Hafid Salazar Banoy, Tracy Silva Barbosa, Natalia Bernal, Cinamon Blair, Jael Brothers, Siobhan Brown, Heather Cassanno, Colleen Comerford, Nayda Cuevas, Jamilla Deria, Sharon Dunn, Paola Ferrer-Atehortua, Claudia Fiks, Estarlyn Hiraldo, Elizabeth Hoy, Scott Hsu, Sarah Hutt, Thierry Kehou, Tira Khan, Bella Levavi, Yan Ho Matthew Lau, Kim Moberg, Kat Nakaji, Tianhui Ng, Blue Nguyen, Bosede Opetubo, Jennifer S. Polins, Saejin Priore, Kathryn Ramey, Susana Reyes, Stephanie Reyes, Asako Serizawa, Stephen Sheffield, MiYoung Sohn, Enzo Surin, Melissa Teng, Mary Beth Timm, and Ciyadh Wells. Mass Cultural Council extends its deepest gratitude to the reviewers for contributing their energy and insights to our process. If you are interested in reviewing for a future grant cycle, please register your interest.

A photograph of a circus artist dancing and performing with a large metal wheel on a moodily lit round stage. The audience is seating at small tables around the stage.
Alexis Hedrick performing a solo cyr wheel act in “Reve de Cristal” with Cirque Bouffon in 2025
Photograph of eggs with intricate, varied, and colorful designs, neatly arranged in four rows of six.
Pysanky (traditional Ukrainian wax-resist dyed and decorated eggs) by Vika Wasyliw-Yap.

Mass Cultural Council is excited to celebrate this investment with state legislators, staff, and creatives from across the Commonwealth and invites you to join us at regional grant celebrations in March and May. More information, including registration, is available online.

This announcement reflects Mass Cultural Council’s third year of Grants for Creative Individuals funding. The program was launched in FY24 after a year-long evaluation of our support for creative individuals as part of the Agency’s Racial Equity Plan. We plan to offer the Grants for Creative Individuals to Massachusetts creatives every year, subject to the Agency’s state budget appropriation and governing Council-approved spending plan.

The Grants for Creative Individuals are part of Mass Cultural Council’s sustained effort to advance creativity in the Commonwealth. Sign up for the monthly Artist News e-newsletter to receive all updates, details, and deadlines for Mass Cultural Council’s funding and support for creative individuals.

Picture of a quilt square that includes an image of a young woman's face, black and white except for overlaid lace and purple and yellow fabric, bordered by a bright floral border and text that reads, "Muriel Hazard Shepard, 1919-1995".
Cheryll Holley, “Grama Shepard Quilt Square” (2024), 8×8 in.

See the Funding List