Crafting Project Proposals for Small Grants, Residencies, & Other Opportunities
Instructor: Liz Sales | Dates: Thursdays, July 10 & 17 | Time: 6 - 8 PM ET | Tuition: $230 (Members) $270 (Non-Members) | Class Size Max: 8
Course Overview
Staring at a blank page before a deadline can be daunting. This online class helps photographers and other visual artists of all levels overcome writer’s block and craft compelling project proposals.
Across two focused sessions, learn how to write clear, persuasive proposals for small grants, residencies, exhibitions, and other opportunities that require a written proposal.
In addition to the two group sessions, students may meet with the instructor for a 30-minute one-on-one session to refine their draft
Image © Liz Sales. Courtesy of the artist.
Students will learn:
What specific jurors, funders, and community partners need to know about your project, and how its goals support their priorities,
How to brainstorm in order to cultivate ideas, develop insights, connect the dots, and articulate your vision,
How to translate technical or niche methods so readers can easily grasp your idea,
How to frame a project within current cultural, social, or historical conversations, noting where it builds on—or breaks from—established ideas,
Strategies to build a flexible proposal that can be adapted to future opportunities.
The class includes real‑world examples, short writing exercises, and personalized feedback. Participants will leave with a working draft and practical tools to keep their writing clear and purposeful.
If your desired tuition option is unavailable, please email info@penumbrafoundation.org and we will do our best to accommodate you. If the entire class is sold out, we can add you to the waitlist.
Liz Sales is an artist, writer, and educator based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the founder of I Write Artist Statements—a writing service for artists’ statements, résumés, project proposals, press releases, and whatever else an artist might need to make their practice viable. She has been a faculty member at the International Center of Photography, the City University of New York, the Penumbra Foundation, and the University of Connecticut. She writes for Mercuria Magazine, LensCulture, and Foam Magazine. Sales is the author of This Folder May Contain Clippings and Other Ephemeral Material (Conveyor Editions) and I Write Artist Statements (Daylight). iwriteartiststatements.com
A minimum of three students is required for all courses to run. In most cases, our registration deadline is 24 hrs prior to the start time of a workshop/class. If there is a workshop/class you would like to register for but it is not listed or if you have questions, please contact griffin@penumbrafoundation.org.
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