Visual Artists Program: Creation

Who can apply

Applicants must have spent a minimum of one year working on and developing an independent art practice after completing full-time studies.

A letter from the graduate program director specifying that the project is not related to the graduate student’s program of studies must be submitted with the application.

When can the project happen?

The Project Start Date must be a minimum of 4 months after the date you submit your application.

All projects must be completed within two years of the date that the Notification Letter was issued.

Applicants must be professional artists and meet the following criteria:

1. A professional artist is someone who has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in

academic institutions), who is recognized as such by their peers (artists working in the same artistic tradition), who has a history of public presentation, publication and/or production and who is committed to devoting more time to their artistic activity if financially feasible.

1. TAC recognizes that due to systemic barriers within the broader arts community (e.g. limited

mainstream presentation opportunities for artists from equity-seeking communities) some flexibility may be required in interpreting eligibility criteria to take into account equivalent professional experience and context. Potential applicants from equity-seeking communities are encouraged to discuss their eligibility with the Program Manager in advance of submitting an application.

1. Applicants must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents or have an application

pending for Permanent Resident status or be a Protected Person (approved refugee claimant) and, if requested, be able to provide documentation to verify this.

1. Applicants must be residents of the City of Toronto for at least one year prior to the

application deadline. Temporary absences of up to 12 months may be considered, subject to written explanation and special permission; please contact the Program Manager. Neither a Post Office Box address nor a studio address can be used to meet the residency requirement.

1. Professional artists pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies may not apply for work

related to their academic program of study.

1. Applicants must retain full copyright, financial and creative control.
2. Applicants to TAC’s 2026 Visual Artists Program may not apply to TAC’s 2026 Media Artists

Program.

1. Applicants can apply once per year for the Visual Artists program
2. Individual artists may only receive one discipline-stream project grant and one strategic

initiative grant per calendar year and can only have one open application in each stream at a time. Please note: if you apply for a Visual Artists grant you cannot also apply to another TAC program for the same project.

1. Collaborative proposals (involving a co-applicant) are eligible. For these proposals, one of

the applicants must identify a principal applicant. Co-applicants are subject to the same eligibility criteria as single, individual applicant. If the application is successful, the grant payment will be payable to the principal applicant, as listed in the application. Similarly, a T4A slip will be issued to the principal applicant.