Administrative costs, jury review, and ensures the Matter of Art Fund can grow to support even more artists in the future. 100% of proceeds stay within this artist-led initiative.

**_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.

  
**📣 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_

  

**💸 2025 Grant Awards**

We’re awarding three unrestricted cash grants in our inaugural cycle:

* **1 Grand Grant – $1,000**
* **2 Runner-Up Grants – $500 each**

These grants are designed to fuel your creative momentum — whether that means buying supplies, covering rent, or giving yourself permission to explore. You decide what you need.

  
**🎨 Potential Exhibition Opportunity**

We are currently exploring the possibility of hosting a group exhibition in the Cleveland, Ohio region. If this opportunity comes together, up to **5 top applicants may be invited to exhibit** in a curated show celebrating recipients and finalists of the Matter of Art Fund.

(Participation in the exhibition is not guaranteed and will be offered separately from the cash awards.)

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