The Grilled Cheese Grant (GCG) is an annual community fundraising event and emerging artist grant that provides financial support for undergraduate seniors at The Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) and The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) who are working towards completing their senior exhibition projects in the areas of Fine Arts and/or Design. The Grilled Cheese Grant was created in 2016 as a secondary platform for graduating seniors to receive financial support for their projects outside of their institution.
At the Grilled Cheese Grant, attendees donate $5 or more to receive a grilled cheese sandwich made with cheese and bread provided by local community organizations. In addition to grilled cheese, all attendees also receive a ballot to cast their vote for one of five selected finalists, chosen through an application process by a jury of creative professionals. Each selected finalist exhibits work at MARN ART + CULTURE HUB for the duration of the Grilled Cheese Grant, March 26-April 3, 2022. Voting and donations for the Seventh Annual Grilled Cheese Grant will be open online March 26-April 3, 2022.
Selected 2022 finalists Eduardo Zavala (MIAD), Sha’Tuon Simpson (MIAD), Lilly Luft (UWM), Olivia Lorber (MIAD), and Ava Hager (UWM) exhibit artwork that exemplify individual visions and explore concepts like queerness, female representation, familial dynamics, and storytelling. Grab a grilled cheese sandwich (for the first time in two years!), pick-up limited edition Grilled Cheese Grant merch, and vote for your favorite finalist.
The funds raised during the Grilled Cheese Grant are totaled and awarded to the selected finalists in the form of an artist/project grant to support their senior exhibitions. The grant amounts are determined by the money raised during the event. Selected finalists receive the largest portion of funds and a percentage is retained by GCG organizers, collaborators and partners for future programming support. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds are donated to Diverse & Resilient, a local organization that supports the LGBTQ+ community.
The results of the The Grilled Cheese Grant will be announced on the GCG website & social media the week of April 4, after all votes are tallied and all funds are totaled The selected finalists are ranked first through fifth based on collected votes. Grant award amounts are based on the total funds raised and each finalist’s proposed budget is considered when funds are awarded. The Grilled Cheese Grant aims to fully fund the first place winner’s senior exhibition project and partially fund all other finalists’ projects. The first place finalist will receive a solo exhibition scheduled in collaboration with a local, Milwaukee gallery space in addition to their financial award. Awardees for second, third, fourth, and fifth place receive financial support for their senior exhibition projects. One additional finalist will receive a professional development opportunity facilitated by members of the GCG team.
Virtual Artist Q&A with Grilled Cheese Grant Finalists
Tuesday, March 29th, 6-7:30pm via Zoom