Queens Arts Fund 2027 Arts Access Grant: $5,000–$10,000 for Local Art Groups
NYFA's 2027 Queens Arts Fund (QAF) Arts Access Grant will accept applications through Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 5:00pm Eastern Time. This funding category supports community-based nonprofit arts organizations and unincorporated artist collectives bringing public arts and cultural programmes to Queens residents. Projects may involve any artistic discipline, including digital and electronic arts or interdisciplinary media projects, provided they deliver suitable public engagement. This is a different programme from the individual-artist New Work Grant.
Who can apply?
Eligible organisations must be US 501(c)(3) nonprofits with IRS documentation; unincorporated artist collectives may also apply. Each applicant must have existed for at least one year and have had an operating budget below $100,000 in at least two of the previous three years. Applicants must be located in Queens and provide evidence of a Queens address. Registered for-profit businesses, public-sector agencies and full-time degree-seeking student lead applicants are not eligible.
The programme also excludes recipients of Arts Access funding for three consecutive years from 2024 to 2026, and applicants seeking certain other NYC Department of Cultural Affairs funding for the same fiscal year. An applicant cannot apply for both the 2027 Arts Access and New Work grants. A lead applicant aged at least 18 by 31 December 2026 coordinates the application.
What can a media arts group propose?
Grant requests range from $5,000 to $10,000. Projects must include a public component in Queens during calendar year 2027 that enables neighbourhood audiences to experience the work. The formal guidelines mention exhibitions, workshops, screenings, performances and festivals as possible formats; an eligible media-art programme may use physical or virtual presentation.
Where a project is delivered online, it must include live public participation such as an artist talk, guided viewing or Q&A targeted at Queens communities. Merely posting an artwork or recording online does not meet this requirement. NYFA particularly assesses the project's community engagement, artistic quality and realistic delivery arrangements, including the budget and public-access plan.
How and when to apply
The 2027 applications opened on 22 September 2026 and close on 17 November 2026 at 5pm ET through the NYFA Submittable portal. Applicants may submit only one QAF application for 2027. The submission asks for organisational history, funding eligibility documents, the proposed public programme, budget and artistic supporting materials. Applicants are also required to watch an information session or attend one live.
Official programme and application
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 digital art competition
Aion Laboratory independently presents the Aion Digital Art Prize for individual and collaborative works in digital and electronic media. It is unrelated to NYFA or the Queens Arts Fund.