We Value You

About The Gift of Freedom

We are interested in supporting women who have a track record of commitment to their art and who are also making a substantial effort to be self-sufficient.

The successful applicant will have a well articulated creative project concept and a clear plan for how it may accomplished.

The next grant cycle will be in 2009.   The category has not yet been decided so please sign up to our email newsletter for updated information.

Expectations From Winners

A Room of Her Own has a "moral" contract with the recipient that requires the artist to commit to a specific goal which will result in a finished work.

A Room of Her Own assists women artists based, in part, on the future potential impact of the artist's works on the broader community.

During the period that a recipient is receiving a grant, the recipient is required to report and interact with a mentor on an ongoing basis. A written report setting forth the use of the funds and the progress of the recipients in her chosen field is required quarterly. At the end of the grant term a final written report is required to be submitted to AROHO. In the final report, the recipient is required to account for the funds granted to her and provide an account of her artistic progress while receiving the grant. Additionally, at the end of the grant period, each recipient is required to provide AROHO with documentation regarding the artist's work for the period. The form of submission to AROHO varies with the artist's chosen field.

In addition to the financial aspects of the Gift of Freedom Award, recipients are assigned an individual as a mentor, for advice and dialogue. Recipients also have access to members of AROHO's Advisory Council. Once a recipient has progressed in her art, she will be expected to mentor other AROHO recipients.

AROHO hopes to create educational programs which will instruct the public about the needs and contributions of women artists, including visits to schools and other educational opportunities in the broader community.

Guidelines

Each woman interested in receiving financial assistance from AROHO is required to fill out an application form. Application materials are available on this website closer to grant application cycle. Check back in spring of 2006. The application process for a Gift of Freedom Award includes essays on the applicant's artistic life, an example of the applicant's artistic expression, and questions involving educational, and employment history, as well as community service. Complete disclosure of an applicant's data and assets is required.

The awarding panel deciding the recipients of the Gift of Freedom Awards will be composed of members of AROHO's Board of Directors, Advisory Council and volunteers from a wide variety of backgrounds, with expertise in the arts, business, theology and psychology. These volunteers are selected by AROHO's Board of Directors based upon their expertise and interest in women in the arts. Each award is given based upon merits of the application presented to the awarding panel.

Grants are awarded to deserving women on an objective and nondiscriminatory basis. The Foundation reserves the right to not grant a Gift of Freedom Award for any award cycle, if it is determined, in the sole and absolute discretion of the Foundation's Selection Panel, that there is not an acceptable application among those submitted to the Foundation for the award cycle.