The Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) sends this information as posted below:
Grants for Artists help individual Oklahoma artists create visual art for public presentation, develop their professional practices, and lead community projects. Grants are open to artists working in visual-based mediums, curation, and art writing. The grants committee supports the mission of OVAC and scores submissions based on the merit of each application according to the pertinent grant category and its associated criteria.
We are thrilled to announce the recipients of the winter and spring 2026 Grants for Artists, celebrating their creativity, talent, and dedication. Here are the recipients:
Liz Cousins (Tulsa), Chase Kahwinhut Earles (Ada), David Stevens (Oklahoma City), An Ha (Oklahoma City), Sofia Arenas (Oklahoma City), Nicol Ragland (Oklahoma City) Barbara Paradise Kelley (Tulsa), Julius R (Norman), Paige Nguyen (Yukon), Elisa Harkins (Tulsa), Patricia Morgan (Canton), Erica Bonavida (Chandler), Elena Masrour (Stillwater), Kendall Ross (Oklahoma City), Margaret Aycock (Tulsa).
Ada artist, and grantee Chase Kahwinhut Earles states, “I think it is incredible that OVAC provides grants to Native American artists to help promote and grow the knowledge and education of the tribes that originate from Oklahoma. These opportunities provide funding that some Native communities don’t have access to in order to teach our tribal cultural identity to our members and to the public. These collaborations create bridges and understanding”.
Below are the OVAC granting categories and awardees:
Creative Projects Grant: The OVAC Creative Projects grant awards up to $1,500, for creating new work that will culminate in a public event. Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria: the concept of the project, the quality of the artwork, how career-altering the opportunity is, and the applicant’s ability to complete the project.
- Liz Cousins, Tulsa, “Photographic Essay” Project
This photographic essay will be featuring 20 City of Tulsa residents who identify as queer and work to make this city a better place to bring a face to queer people who don’t just exist among us, they are some of the building blocks of what makes this city so great. This project portraits of each person in their chosen environment and each subject will also fill out a questionnaire about the queer experience of living in this city to bring their celebrations and struggles and the ways they contribute to Tulsa to light and to put faces to the narratives. This project is responds to the laws that specifically target our LGBTQIA+ community members who contribute to Tulsa’s vibrant communities and creative scenes despite the feeling that higher forces are working against them.
- Nicol Ragland, Oklahoma City, “BOLEY RODEO DAY” Project
BOLEY RODEO DAY at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum is a cultural and artistic gathering that honors the legacy of the Boley Rodeo, the nation’s oldest Black rodeo, established in 1903.
- Paige Nguyen, Yukon, “Artist Book” Project
This project consists of 50 artist books that will be silkscreened, letter pressed, and bound by hand. The books will detail Nguyen’s father’s romanticization of Western aesthetics as a child growing up in Vietnam, and his ironic outcome as a product of a war largely influenced by the West.
Community/Artist Partnership Grant: This grant awards up to $1,500 for initiating community-based projects leading to artwork creation. Applications are evaluated based on these four criteria: the benefit to the community from this project, the concept of the project, the quality of the artwork, and the applicant’s ability to complete the project.
- Chase Kahwinhut Earles, Ada, “Caddo Pottery teaching” Project
This project focuses on teaching ancestral Caddo pottery techniques to tribal members, with the goal of preserving and passing on this cultural knowledge and tradition to future generations. In partnership with the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, the project will utilize their facilities to host group workshops and support outreach efforts to engage and connect with current Caddo community members.
- Sofia Arenas, Oklahoma City, “Crafted in Community” Workshop Series
Crafted in Community is a series of workshops developed between Sofia Arenas and OKC Latina, centered on hands-on art-making using everyday materials. Inspired by “hojalata”, a metalworking tradition found across Latin America, the series uses foil embossing to explore how simple materials can be transformed into one-of-a-kind pieces.
- Julius R, Norman, “Ink the Block Party Mural” Project
Ink the Block Party Mural Initiative is a live public mural activation designed to support emerging Oklahoma muralists through paid opportunities in downtown Norman. Developed as part of Ink the Block Party hosted by Oscillator Press, this independent arts festival celebrates Norman’s creative disciplines and provides a structured, artist-first platform for artist’s seeking to develop large-scale public art portfolios and festival experience.
Professional Basics Grant: This grant awards up to $500 for the essentials of getting started. The basics of professional development tend to include, but should be not be limited to, display/framing, shipping, website, artwork creation, printing etc. Applications are evaluated based on following criteria: the quality of the project, the applicant’s ability to complete the project, and relevance based on portfolio. The recipients are: Davis Stevens (Oklahoma City), Barbara Paradise Kelley (Tulsa), Elisa Harkins (Tulsa), Erica Bonavida (Chandler), Elena Masrour (Stillwater), and Margaret Aycock (Tulsa).
Education Assistance: This grant awards up to $500 for conferences, residencies, workshops or study trips. Applications are evaluated based on following criteria: the quality of the educational opportunity, potential impact on career, ability to complete project and relevance based on portfolio. The recipients are: An Ha (Oklahoma City), Patti Morgan (Canton) and Kendall Ross (Oklahoma City).
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