artists apply! 🎨matter of art grant - 2025

2025

Celebrating the Alchemy of Form and Vision

Presented by the Matter of Art Fund

A creative giving initiative from This Artists Dream

✨ What's the Matter of Art Grant?

The Matter of Art Grant is the first award presented through the newly launched Matter of Art Fund, a philanthropic initiative powered by This Artists Dream. This grant uplifts imaginative fine artists working in physical media — artists who shape form from vision and meaning from material.

📖 About the Matter of Art Fund

The Matter of Art Fund is a grantmaking initiative founded by artist and publisher David F. Heatwole, built to support artists who work with physical materials and imaginative intent. Funded by This Artists Dream, the Fund exists to return creative capital to the very community that inspires it.

🎯 What Makes This Different

• Created by artist and publisher David F. Heatwole
• This fund was founded by a working artist with over four decades of dedication to fine art, curation, and arts publishing.
• Fueled by sales from our own art-infused products
• Every purchase from This Artists Dream directly supports the Matter of Art Fund and future grant cycles.
• Supports artists working with matter, not just pixels
• This grant is focused exclusively on artists working in physical media — honoring hands-on craft in all its forms.
• Offers the possibility of future exhibition invitations in Cleveland, Ohio for finalists
• We’re developing opportunities to showcase selected finalists in future exhibitions in the Cleveland region.
• Built on transparency, purpose, and love for the creative spirit
• No hidden agenda. Just real support, created by artists, for artists.

Cancellation Clause

We truly value every artist who applies to the Matter of Art Grant. However, if we receive too few submissions or find that there are not enough applicants who meet the grant’s eligibility or artistic criteria, we may need to cancel the current grant cycle. Should that happen, any paid application fees will be fully refunded. While we hope this will never be necessary, this clause ensures the grant can be awarded in a fair and meaningful way.

📣 Help Us Spread the Word

Whether you’re an artist, collector, or art lover — we invite you to share this opportunity with your creative circles. The more support the Matter of Art Fund receives, the more we can grow this initiative into something truly transformative.

Let’s build a future where artists are not only seen — but sustained.

🖌️ About This Artists Dream

This Artists Dream is a fine art lifestyle brand founded by David F. Heatwole, blending functional products with original artwork. With the tagline “We Make You the Artwork,” the brand transforms clothing and goods into everyday canvases — and uses a portion of proceeds to fund arts-based philanthropy.

✍️ A Note from the Founder

“This grant is my way of giving back — not just to individual artists, but to the very spirit of creativity that shaped who I am. If you’re someone who turns thought into form, dream into matter, this fund was built with you in mind.”

— David F. Heatwole

Founder of This Artists Dream and the Matter of Art Fund