ABOUT THE LIGHTNING FUND

LACE is thrilled to announce our sixth LACE Lightning Fund open call, a regional regranting fund made possible by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The LACE Lighting Fund is an annual grant for artists and artist-driven organizations, projects, and publications. In 2020 and 2021, the Lightning Fund provided emergency relief grants to over 100 LA-based artists. In 2022, the Fund pivoted to supporting artist projects.

This year, LACE will award 10 artist project grants in the amount of $6,000. Only applicants that are LA County residents, are at least 18 years of age, and are not currently enrolled in a college program, will be considered. Learn more about the selected projects for the 2025 Lightning Fund and Jacki Apple Award.

LACE is also accepting applicants for the Jacki Apple Fund, supporting one LA-based mid- or advanced-career artist with a $10,000 grant for work resulting in performance, media, exhibition, and/or publication within one year of the award. One artist will be selected through the Lightning Fund application process for this honor. Refer to the Lightning Fund requirements for eligibility. The artist selected for the Jacki Apple Award will have the added requirement of being a mid- or late-career artist. No additional application is required to be considered for this award.

To support applicants, LACE offered a virtual information session on Thursday, July 31, 2025, 1–2 PM PDT, via Zoom. This session included an overview of the Lightning Fund and Jacki Apple Award eligibility guidelines, application platform tips, and time for questions from attendees. This session was for anyone interested in applying to the 2026 Lightning Fund and Jacki Apple programs, and the recording is posted on our website.
 

GUIDELINES

Qualified applicant artists are required to live in Los Angeles County and maintain a visual arts practice. We have an expansive definition of visual art practice: in addition to more traditional forms such as drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, installation, and similar mediums, we are also open to artists practicing in film/video, new media, sound art, performance art, and social practice. 

Artists whose practices are firmly rooted in dance, theater, music, or industry/feature/documentary filmmaking, and/or nonprofit organizations and LLCs established for commercial enterprise are not eligible to apply. 

We are open to innovation, experimentation, and risk-taking in the field and are supportive of diverse approaches to visual art making. Lightning Fund project submissions should be innovative and socially relevant, as well as accessible to the public outside of traditional museum or gallery settings. The review process will prioritize presentations in Los Angeles County. Awarded projects are not intended for presentation at LACE.

Please submit an application through the Submittable portal after creating an account. Applicants must include the following items in their application:

1. Artist Contact Information – artist teams are welcome to apply, but provide one person’s information as the main contact. 
2. Website and/or social media if available
3. Brief description about yourself and your artistic practice – include past project experience (300 word max)
4. Project Title (working title OK) and description of your proposed project – this can be a new project or a continuation of work in your practice. Include information about your timeline and collaborators, materials, location, and any needs you have to make the project happen. (500 word max)
5. Outline of how a $6,000 grant would be used to fund or offset costs for a project in process. Provide a budget breakdown. The majority of the project should be achievable with the Lightning Fund grant. Artists may pay themselves a fee from the award. (500 word max)
6. Submit 1-3 strong work samples (images, video, audio, and/or links) that represent the project you are proposing for funding. Optional images can include:  audio, video, writing, links, supplemental materials, and/or related information. (Video 2 min max)

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of local and national cultural workers, artists, and members of the LACE Team. Panelists will evaluate applicants based on their proposals and active artistic practice. We encourage applications from artists whose communities are underrepresented in relationship to visual art opportunities, economies, and funding streams. Strong consideration will be given to Black, Indigenous, POC, elder, LGBTQ+, disabled, immuno-compromised, and immigrant artists. 

SELECTION CRITERIA

All proposals will be considered based on: 

• Overall concept, vision, and innovation 
• Relevance to a local social, cultural, and/or geographic context
• Accessibility of the project to the public outside of a museum or gallery 
• Capacity of the applicant to realize the project on time (within one year maximum) and within estimated budget
• Potential impact on the local community, the arts and culture landscape, and/or the artist’s growth

TIMELINE

Applications open Friday, August 15, 2025 at 12PM PDT and close Sunday, October 5, 2025, at 11:59 PM PDT. This deadline is firm. Applicants will be notified of decisions and funds will be issued by the end of January 2026. For questions, please contact lightning@welcometolace.org.