Statement of Need

Artist / Individual Statement of Purpose

Made for: Individual (student, artist, etc.)

📝 The structure — fill in YOUR words

For fellowships, scholarships, and individual artist grants:

  1. WHO YOU ARE as a maker/learner (3-4 sentences — your
     practice, your medium, your direction).
  2. WHAT THIS OPPORTUNITY UNLOCKS — be specific about what
     changes if you get it (not 'it would mean a lot').
  3. YOUR TRACK RECORD — shows, grades, community work, anything
     that proves you finish things.
  4. WHAT COMES NEXT — how this fits your longer path.

✅ A good example

"I'm a ceramicist working in Miami's Little Haiti, making large vessels that carry Haitian proverbs... This residency would give me my first access to a gas kiln, letting me fire at the scale my work demands. I've shown locally three times and teach free youth workshops monthly..."

🚫 Common mistakes

Writing about why you DESERVE it instead of what you'll DO with it.
Art jargon with no plain-English anchor — reviewers aren't all artists.
No work samples referenced — if they allow attachments, use every slot.

💡 Tips

Name the specific thing the money buys — kiln time, tuition, materials.
Have a non-artist friend read it. If they're confused, rewrite.

This is YOUR application. We're your coach, not your ghostwriter — the structure is ours, but every word that goes to the funder should be yours.