Enfilade

From the press release (11 December 2023) . . .

Publishing Grant for First-Time Authors or Recent PhD Graduates, up to $5000
Publishing Grant in Support of Catalogues and Conference Proceedings, up to $50,000

Proposals due by 31 March 2024

The Decorative Arts Trust announces the creation of a new publishing grant program. This latest expansion of the Trust’s efforts to invigorate scholarship and broaden appreciation of material culture represents a major initiative under the leadership of Brock Jobe and Margaret Pritchard, who serve as President and Vice President of the Board of Governors, respectively. The endeavor is structured to respond to the changing needs of the field and to support publishing efforts in both the print and digital sectors.

“The Trust’s Board recognizes the strong demand for and limited supply of resources focused on publishing in the art community,” according to Executive Director Matthew A. Thurlow. “The organization receives dozens of requests for funding each year for publishing-related projects through our Prize for Excellence and Innovation and Failey Grant program and has supported a variety of books through those awards. This new venture establishes a commitment to sharing important art historical research as broadly as possible.”

The Trust will allocate funding to two separate grants. Building on its long tradition of promoting emerging scholars, the Trust will award an annual grant of up to $5,000 to a first-time author or a PhD graduate who is converting their dissertation into a book-length academic publication. Academic presses are also able to apply on behalf of authors currently under contract.

The second grant line is applicable to exhibition and collections catalogues and compilations of conference papers. The Trust will provide up to $50,000 per year for this purpose, and proposals can request funding from $5,000 to the full $50,000, depending on the level of need. Both nonprofit organizations and independent scholars are welcome to apply. Project and publication teams that include early career professionals will receive preference.

To steward the program and oversee the selection of grant recipients, the Trust created a new advisory committee overseen by Pritchard. The committee consists of museum professionals and academics with broad experience in publishing. The members are eager for the opportunity to support publications tackling the broad context of the Americas and to encourage projects that advance diversity in the study of American decorative arts and material culture.

The deadline to submit proposals for the inaugural round of grants is 31 March 2024. More information and submission guidelines can be found here.