PUBLISHING GRANTS FOR COLLECTIONS, EXHIBITIONS, AND CONFERENCES

The Decorative Arts Trust’s publishing program awards grants to support book-length publications tied to collections, exhibitions, and conferences that increase the awareness and appreciation of important areas of research in the decorative arts including catalogues, and compilations of conference papers.

Deadline

Grant applications must be submitted no later than March 31 each year. Successful applicants will be notified prior to June 30. If selected, we will require reports at the conclusion of the publication project as well as additional deliverables as stipulated in the grant agreement.

Amount and Allocation

The Trust will provide up to $50,000 per year in funding, and proposals can request funding from $5,000 up to $50,000, depending on the level of need.

Guidelines

Please review these specifications before applying:

• We use the terms decorative arts and material culture in relation to three-dimensional objects but will also consider proposals that focus on decorative painting, prints, maps, and wallpaper as well as those that analyze the interiors for which objects were designed or in which they were placed.
• Proposed topics should focus on objects made or used in an American context, defined as North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean.
• The Trust encourages projects that advance diversity in the study of American decorative arts and material culture.
• Publications are expected to contain original research which yields information of high scholarly value.
• Proposals from authors located outside of the United States will be accepted.
• We support in-print as well as digital publications, with an expectation that in-print books will have some level of digital accessibility.
• Publication teams that include early career professionals will receive preference.
• Independent scholars and nonprofit organizations are welcome to apply.
• Acceptable costs for printed publications are: printing, binding, design, layout, editing, indexing, and production. Funding cannot be used for authors fees, overhead, photography, or licensing, reproduction, copyright, and marketing costs.
• Publications do not need to be under contract at the time of application.
• As part of our funding guidelines, institutions that receive grant support are expected to have at least one staff member maintain a Trust membership for the duration of the project. Our website outlines the various membership levels. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about this requirement.

Please follow the application procedures below. 

Step 1. Complete the online application form, which will ask for:

• Name, email, phone number, and mailing address of the primary contact
• Name, title, and institutional affiliation of the project leads
• Title of the publication
• Amount requested
• Estimated publication date
• Estimated print run, if applicable
• Publisher, if known
• Description of the book specs, if applicable, including size, cover type, word, image, and page count
• Name, email, phone number, and mailing address for a colleague unaffiliated with the publication or the organization submitting the proposal who will provide a confidential letter of reference for the publication’s importance by the March 31 application deadline

If you encounter issues submitting this form, please contact us at grants@decorativeartstrust.org.

Step 2. After completing the online application form, we request that you email the following items as a combined PDF attachment to grants@decorativeartstrust.org:

• Section I (no more than 2 pages)
  • Applicant name and institution
  • Title of the publication
  • Description of the publication subject matter and significance of the outcomes
  • Publication timetable
  • Description of the digital access points to the publication or whether the publication will be fully digital
  • A description of the anticipated audience and how the publication will be distributed
  • Description of allied programming planned in conjunction with the publication (e.g. lectures, conferences)
  • Other sources of funding either committed or applied for
• Section II (no more than 2 pages)
  • Detailed actual budget or editor-arranged budget for the publication
  • If the publication is part of a larger project (e.g. exhibition, conference), include costs for the full scope
• Section III (no more than 2 pages)
  • Table of contents
• Section IV (no more than 4 pages)
  • Proposed list of illustrations
  • Images of 5 or 6 key objects to be included in the publication with captions (maker, title, date, location of creation, etc.). Please include at least one image for which you have existing permission or that is in the public domain or creative commons, and please indicate this image in the caption.
• Section V (no more than 8 pages)
  • Brief CVs of project leads highlighting professional and academic achievements (e.g. publications, awards, conference papers)
• Section VI (no page limit)
  • If the applicant is a nonprofit institution, the most recent IRS Form 990

Download PDF template document.

Step 3. Ask a colleague unaffiliated with the publication or the organization to email a confidential letter of reference for the publication’s importance to grants@decorativeartstrust.org by the March 31 application deadline.

Past Recipients

2025

• Recipients Overview
• The Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL
• Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, CT
• The Preservation Society of Newport County, Newport, RI
• Victoria Mansion, Portland, ME

Questions? Contact us at grants@decorativeartstrust.org.