Bronx 2027 New Work Grant: Local Digital Artists Can Apply by 30 October
The Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) has opened applications for its 2027 New Work (NW) grant within the Community Engagement Grants programme. Bronx-based individual artists may request up to US $5,000 to develop and share a new artwork that actively engages communities in the borough. Applications must reach BCA's Submittable portal by Friday 30 October 2026 at 11:59pm New York time. The grant covers all artistic disciplines, including suitable digital and mixed-media art, rather than being restricted to technology projects.
A Bronx-based individual artist programme
Applicants must be based in the Bronx, have a primary mailing address in the borough, be at least 18 years old, and not be full-time students. The New Work category is specifically open to individuals creating new work; unincorporated artist collectives and nonprofits may instead fit the separate Arts Fund or Community Arts fund types. Previous BCA grantees must have completed required final reports before applying again. A New Work application is not a free-standing international award open to applicants living anywhere.
What kind of media or digital project qualifies?
The work must be new and the project must involve at least one Bronx community in a tangible way. Qualifying public engagement can include an exhibition, a community-facing presentation, a performance, an artist talk or participation by local residents in creating the work. The 2026 recipients demonstrate that experimental film, mixed-media digital projects and creative uses of technology are compatible with the programme when artistic and community-engagement conditions are met.
The project must take place from 1 January through 31 December 2027. A private studio experiment without community participation does not meet the engagement test, even if the work is digital. Artists should explain whom in the Bronx they intend to reach, how access and interaction will work, and whether the schedule, production methods and budget are realistic.
Costs and other grant categories
The New Work grant provides up to $5,000 for eligible project-specific spending. BCA lists artist fees, eligible materials, promotional or administrative project expenses, and equipment with stated cost caps; for the New Work fund, materials and permanent equipment purchases are each subject to a $1,000 limit. General operating expenses, hospitality and contingency are not eligible. From the 2027 cycle, BCA uses one Community Engagement Grants application that can request funding from multiple fund types for the same project; different applicant types and combined funding caps apply.
Application deadline and official instructions
Applications close 30 October 2026 at 11:59pm New York time through Submittable. Applicants should prepare a concise project summary, a longer project description, a budget, evidence of Bronx residence, and appropriate visual or media work samples. All BCA grant programmes require the applicant to follow the 2027 Community Engagement Grants guidelines; choosing New Work does not override the applicant and project rules.
Official grant rules
This article provides a summary. To avoid misunderstandings, please be sure to check the official page for full details. Information verified on 12 October 2026.
Our competitions
Aion Laboratory independently runs the Aion Digital Art Prize, which welcomes eligible artworks in digital, electronic and interactive media. Previously exhibited or awarded works may also qualify under its own rules. This separate international competition is not affiliated with the Bronx Council on the Arts.