Frequently Asked Questions

Artist Statement
How long should my artist statement be?
What is an artist statement?

Confidentiality, Privacy and Copyright
Do I retain the rights to my work?
Will my application materials be made public?

Disciplines
Are artists/writers who work in multiple disciplines eligible to apply?
Can I submit video?
I’m a parent, but my work isn’t about my kids. Is it OK to apply?
What disciplines do you support?

Eligibility
Are applicants who are pregnant, but do not yet have a child, eligible to apply?
Are artists/writers living in other countries eligible to apply?
Are previous awardees eligible to apply?
Can collaborators apply together?
I am a grandparent who looks after their grandchild/ren. Am I eligible?
I have an adult child (18 or older) with special needs. Am I eligible?
My child just turned 18. Can I still apply?

Portfolio
Can I apply with translated work?
Can I just link to my website to show you my portfolio?
Can I submit previously published work?
Is it a requirement that my work has been previously published or exhibited?

Racial Equity
How did you come up with the categories you’re using on your application?
How is racial identity used in your selection process?
Why are you factoring race into your decisions?

Re-Applying
Can I apply if I have previously received support?
Can I re-apply if I’ve applied in the past?

Recent Work
Your guidelines ask for “recent work.” What does that mean exactly?

Reviewers
Who are your reviewers?

Application Fee/Deadline

What is the application fee?

Our application fee is $20. 100% of this fee goes to our reviewers, who are all parent artists and writers themselves. This fee ensures that at least two reviewers will read each application and be compensated for their work.

During the first week of our application period, the fee is waived.

Our fee is modest, but we’re aware that you may be applying for many opportunities and these costs can add up. Please contact us if you need assistance with the fee, or if you would like to contribute to a fund to cover other applicants’ fees.

Due to the volume of applications, we cannot accommodate requests for fee assistance within 48 hours of our deadline.

Why is your deadline at noon pacific time?

We are parents too, and managing the deadline and the hundreds of questions from applicants that last day takes quite a bit of time. A noon deadline helps to keep this work sustainable for us and for our family.

Artist Statement

How long should my artist statement be?

A typical statement ranges between a paragraph and two pages (100-500 words). For a written statement, please do not exceed 500 words. For a video/audio statement, please do not exceed 3 minutes.

What is an artist statement?

Please give us a concise statement of your work and goals as an artist. This should not be a CV or list of accomplishments, but a description of what compels and informs your work. While your artist statement should reflect your practice and your voice, we can offer some sample artist statements.

Confidentiality, Privacy and Copyright

Do I retain the rights to my work?

Absolutely. All applicants retain complete rights to their work. We make no claim of ownership to your submitted work.

Will my application materials be made public?

No. We take confidentiality very seriously. The only people who will see your application materials are the reviewers who have been assigned to read them. These reviewers are parent artists and writers themselves with a built-in empathy towards the needs (confidentiality and privacy, among others) of their fellow artists and writers. No submitted content will be copied or disseminated in any form. The sole exception is that we will, with permission, share samples of award winners' work on our website.

Disciplines

Are artists/writers who work in multiple disciplines eligible to apply?

We don't recommend applying with multiple genres in a single application, as it's hard to demonstrate excellence with half the page or image count of an application focusing on a single genre.

We encourage artists and writers to submit a single application of their very strongest work.

Can I submit video?

We do not currently support applications in video, film, or other time-based work. Installation artists may include a link to video documentation, not to exceed 5 minutes, of an installation.

I’m a parent, but my work isn’t about my kids. Is it OK to apply?

Yes! Please take a look at our past award winners to see the varied subject matter which inspires their art.

Using your children as your subject can be challenging, and is not always successful. On the one hand, one’s children are accessible and familiar; they can be uninhibited and provide lots of material. However, it is difficult not to succumb to the cuteness factor, and to move beyond cliché in order to create an original and thought-provoking work.

Portfolios of writing or artwork created in a more personal vein for sharing with friends and family are not suitable.

What disciplines do you support?

Please refer to the Portfolio Requirements page for the full list of disciplines we support, and guidelines for assembling your portfolio.

Eligibility

Are applicants who are pregnant, but do not yet have a child, eligible to apply?

First of all, congratulations! However, you really need to have an “outside baby” to apply. The spirit of our award is to acknowledge the struggle of continuing one’s creative work while raising a child. This is not meant to diminish anyone else’s struggle, nor to suggest that pregnancy itself doesn’t impact one’s ability to work or focus. Applicants who are expecting should apply after the baby has arrived.

Are artists/writers living in other countries eligible to apply?

Yes. We have no geographic restrictions on our applicants. This applies both to U.S. citizens living abroad as well as to citizens of other countries.

Are previous awardees eligible to apply?

In the interest of supporting as broad and diverse a group of parent artists and writers as possible, we will not accept applications from previous awardees.

Can collaborators apply together?

The answer is a qualified yes. To apply as collaborators:

• the entire submitted portfolio must be work created jointly
• both collaborators must meet our eligibility guidelines: at least one dependent child under the age of 18 (or an older child with a disability or special needs)

Should you meet these requirements and decide to move forward with an application, please use the contact information for just one person, note that you are applying as a collaborator, and note your collaborator's name in the appropriate fields.

Collaborators should submit a jointly-written artist statement.

I am a grandparent who looks after their grandchild/ren. Am I eligible?

While we recognize that grandparents raising or helping to raise grandchildren face many of the same challenges and demands as parents, our program was created with specific eligibility guidelines requiring IRS approval. We are unfortunately unable to bend these rules.

If you are a documented legal guardian or custodian of your grandchildren, you may apply, although please contact us first for confirmation of your situation.

I have an adult child (18 or older) with special needs. Am I eligible?

Yes. We recognize that parents caring for adult children who are unable to live independently face the same—if not more—challenges as parents of younger children, and we are pleased to make our individual award program open to them.

Anyone with a child 18 or older, for whom they provide care due to the child’s chronic illness, disability, or special needs, is eligible to apply. We don’t want to burden our applicants with excessive paperwork, but should a parent of a dependent adult child be selected for an award, we will ask for documentation of that child’s dependent status, via a tax form, SSI/SSDI documentation, proof of conservatorship, or some combination thereof. If you have any questions about your eligibility, we encourage you to contact us before applying.

My child just turned 18. Can I still apply?

No. The only eligibility requirement for this program is that applicants have at least one child under the age of 18.

However, parents of older children with a disability or special needs may also be eligible.

Portfolio

Can I apply with translated work?

We do accept work originally written by the applicant in another language, and translated into English by the applicant him/herself. We do not accept:

• work written by the applicant in another language, but translated by someone else
• work written by someone else in another language, and translated by the applicant

Can I just link to my website to show you my portfolio?

No. It is not acceptable to direct us to your website to view your portfolio. The curatorial process is valuable: it is up to you to select the images that best represent your work. Additionally, we strive to keep our review anonymous and your website reveals your name.

Can I submit previously published work?

Yes, but please create a clean PDF with your name and publishing information removed. For legibility, do not submit scanned copies of published work.

Is it a requirement that my work has been previously published or exhibited?

No. That said, the rigor and critique involved in that process can certainly benefit the portfolio. Portfolios of writing or artwork created in a more personal vein for sharing with friends and family are not suitable.

Racial Equity

How did you come up with the categories you’re using on your application?

We adopted the format used in the 2020 United States Census.

How is racial identity used in your selection process?

Applicants, as always, will be selected on the strength of their submitted portfolios. Information regarding the self-reported racial identity of applicants remains anonymous in the preliminary review stages. For more on our process, please read our article, I Once Was Blind: Acknowledging Race in Granting to Individuals. Race is considered as an additional factor only at the final stage of decision making.

Why are you factoring race into your decisions?

Please read our statement on our website for more information about this decision.

Re-Applying

Can I apply if I have previously received support?

No. In the interest of supporting as broad and diverse a group of parent artists and writers as possible, we will not accept applications from previous awardees.

Can I re-apply if I’ve applied in the past?

Yes. Previous applicants may re-apply. If you re-apply, we strongly recommend submitting at least some new work.

Recent Work

Your guidelines ask for “recent work.” What does that mean exactly?

Please supply work created since becoming a parent and within the last 5 years, with a preference for more recent work.

Reviewers

Who are your reviewers?


Our reviewers are previous SAF awardees and finalists, who are all parent artists and writers themselves. The specific reviewers change from year to year.