Trellis Art Fund has announced the recipients of its 2026 Milestone Grants, awarding twelve artists across the United States unrestricted grants of $100,000 each. Distributed over a two-year period, the grants are designed to support artists holistically, allowing recipients to invest in their practices, wellbeing and long-term development without restrictions.
Now in its third year, the Milestone Grant programme has quickly established itself as one of the most significant artist-support initiatives in the United States. This year’s cohort spans generations, geographies and disciplines, bringing together artists working across sculpture, painting, installation, filmmaking, photography and performance.
The twelve recipients of the 2026 Milestone Grants are Kelly Akashi, Ei Arakawa-Nash, Charles Atlas, Lisa Alvarado, A.K. Burns, Alex Da Corte, Michiko Itatani, Candice Lin, Miguel Luciano, Senga Nengudi, TT Takemoto and Rodrigo Valenzuela.
A notable feature of the programme is its emphasis on artists with caregiving responsibilities. Trellis places particular importance on supporting artists caring for children, partners and family members, recognising the unique pressures these responsibilities can place on creative careers. This year’s caregiver recipients include Ei Arakawa-Nash, Lisa Alvarado, Candice Lin and Rodrigo Valenzuela.
Selected from seventy-five applications reviewed by an anonymous jury of arts professionals, the 2026 cohort reflects the diversity of contemporary artistic practice in America today. According to Trellis, 78% of applicants identified as artists of colour and more than 40% identified as LGBTQIA+.
Emily Davidson, Program Director at Trellis Art Fund, said:
“We are once again humbled and impressed by the incredible pool of artists who were nominated to apply for our grants. The jury deliberated to assemble a cohort who vary in vision and experience. We celebrate each of these extraordinary artists for the indelible impact they continue to make on their area of focus, and are thrilled to see how these funds carry them forward.”
Unlike project-based funding, the Milestone Grants are entirely unrestricted, allowing artists to direct resources where they are most needed. Alongside financial support, recipients gain access to professional development opportunities, workshops and an annual retreat designed to foster connection and exchange between artists.
The programme has already demonstrated its impact. Reflecting on the experience, 2025 recipient Sofia Gallisa-Muriente described the grant as transformative:
“The Trellis Milestone Grant has given me the possibility of making long-term plans and a new sense of confidence in my ability to sustain a full-time artistic practice for the foreseeable future — which is nothing short of a miracle.”
As funding pressures continue to affect artists across the cultural sector, initiatives such as the Trellis Milestone Grants offer a model focused not simply on projects or exhibitions, but on sustaining artistic lives and practices over the long term.
About
Trellis Art Fund is a private organization based in New York City, dedicated to providing support to individual artists so they may pursue their creative endeavors. The foundation envisions a world where the work of individual artists is recognized for its intrinsic value. Trellis believes that visual art offers essential benefits to humanity, both as the quintessential expression of our times and as an unparalleled means to understand ourselves and connect with other human beings, and that its practitioners deserve recognition and sustained support to cultivate their work. To achieve this, Trellis creates a community wherein artists are supported as they deepen and expand their practices. trellisartfund.org
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Mark Westall
Mark Westall is the Founder and Editor of FAD magazine –
