YVR Art Foundation offers travel grants to BC or Yukon First Nations visual artists and community researchers who wish to further their art or community research practice through the research/study of BC and Yukon Indigenous art collections at a YVRAF museum partner. Travel grants of up to $4,000 are available to support the grant recipient’s travel from their home community to a specific YVRAF museum partner for an in-person collections visit.
For applicants who would like to conduct a virtual or one-day collections visit at a participating museum partner, please visit the Microgrant program page.
YVR Art Foundation is also pleased to offer a Community Researcher grant again this year! The Community Researcher travel grant will be awarded to a First Nations artist or community member of BC or Yukon First Nations ancestry to support their art, archival and/or other cultural heritage research and/or the assembly and sharing of community archives.
YVRAF Museum Partners
Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program travel grants will be awarded through a formal application and selection process to BC and Yukon First Nations artists or small groups of artists to travel to one of the following museum partners:
- American Museum of Natural History in New York, USA
- Bill Holm Center for the Study of Northwest Native Art at the Burke Museum in Seattle, USA
- Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Québec
- Field Museum in Chicago, USA
- McCord Museum in Montréal, Québec
- Museum of Vancouver in Vancouver, BC
- Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, UK
- UBC Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, BC
- Ethnologisches Museum Berlin, Germany
Grant applicants propose a research/study project on specific categories or pieces in the collection they wish to see. The grants awarded are for the purpose of covering the travel costs to the museum from the applicant’s home community (e.g. flights, ferry etc.), accommodations and meals during the visit. Grant recipients are responsible for making their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
Grant Application Guidelines and Grant Application Form
Download a copy of the Travel Grant Application Guidelines and Travel Grant Application Form.
Review the Application Guidelines and Apply Online by clicking the Apply Now button at the top of the page.
OR
Download a copy of the Grant Application Guidelines and Grant Application Form listed above, complete it and mail or courier it to the address listed in the application form.
The Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program is named in honour and memory of long time YVRAF Board Member Bill McLennan (1948 – 2020).
Bill spearheaded the development of YVRAF’s Masterpiece Study Program and he was instrumental in helping establish many of our partnerships with museums and cultural institutions. Bill was a distinguished curator at the Museum of Anthropology and was well-known for his kindness, sharing his extensive knowledge, and his support of First Nations artists throughout his career.
Learn more about Bill and his work with the Museum of Anthropology here.
To be eligible for a YVR Art Foundation Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program travel grant applicants must:
- Be a practicing artist of BC or Yukon First Nations ancestry (or for the Community Researcher grant, be a community member of BC or Yukon First Nations ancestry).
- Be a group of practicing artists or a collective of BC or Yukon First Nations ancestry.
- If you choose to apply as a group or collective, a maximum of two representatives are eligible for funding (this option is only available for applications to BC museums).
- Live in BC or the Yukon.
- For visual artists: Wish to further their art practice through the study/research of BC or Yukon Indigenous artwork currently held in the collection of one of YVRAF’s museum partners.
- For Community Researchers: wish to further their art, archival and/or other cultural heritage research and/or the assembly and sharing of community archives through the study/research of a collection held at one of YVRAF’s international museum partners.
If your application is successful and you are approved for a travel grant, recipients will:
- Be able to travel to the proposed museum for the collection visit no earlier than January 2025 and no later than June 2025.
- Identify a category or specific pieces in the museum collection that they wish to view and will confirm this with the museum’s contact person (collections visits should be arranged at least six weeks in advance of their proposed collections visit date).
- Provide YVRAF with a confirmation letter/email from the museum confirming their collections visit has been booked.
- Organize and book their own travel arrangements to the museum (transportation, accommodations etc.) from the recipient’s home community.
- Provide proof of travel insurance within one month of travel (if applicable e.g. international travel).
- Hold a valid Canadian passport at time of travel if travelling outside of Canada.
- Be able to provide proof of full Covid-19 vaccination, and any testing or other requirements, as required when travelling and by the destination country and/or museum and follow any Covid-19 related policies in the country the museum partner is located in, as well as any general policies the museum partner may have in place.
- Submit a written report within one month of concluding their travel/research project.
Eligibility Notes
- Applicants who have received YVR Art Foundation Scholarships may not apply for a BMMSP travel grant in the same year in which they have received an Emerging Artist Scholarship or Mid-Career Artist Scholarship.
- Artists may receive a maximum of two BMMSP travel grants (not including microgrants).
- If you have questions about your First Nations eligibility, please contact the Program Coordinator at programs@yvraf.com or by phone at 604.276.6261.
Review frequently asked questions about the Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Travel Grants program below. If you have further questions, please contact us at programs@yvraf.com or by phone at 604.276.6261.
When will my trip take place?
The grants are awarded in November and your trip must take place between January and June following the award date.
Can I submit a joint application with a group of artists?
Yes, you may submit an application jointly with other artists or with a collaborator, such as a curator. In your application clearly state why this collaboration is important to your research. If you submit an application including more than one person, your budget for the entire group must still be under the maximum allowable amount for one application.
This option is currently only available for research/study visits at museum partners located in British Columbia.
What type of artistic disciplines are eligible?
Artists working in the visual arts are eligible to apply for the Masterpiece Study Program Travel Grant. This includes artists working in mediums such as painting, carving, film and textiles. Dance and performance art are not currently eligible.
Can I apply to travel to one of the international partner museums if I don’t have a valid Canadian passport?
All international Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Travel Grant recipients must have a valid Canadian passport at the time of travel. If your passport application is already in process, please indicate this in your application.
Please Note: your Canadian passport must be no less than six months from expiring at the time of travel. Passports less than six months from expiring are not considered eligible for travel outside of Canada.
When can I apply for this grant?
All Travel Grant applications will open in August, with a deadline in early fall (date to be announced). Watch this site for the announcement that applications are being accepted. Applications submitted at any other time will not be considered.
How many times can I receive a Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Travel Grant?
Artists are eligible to receive a maximum of two Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Travel Grants. Please note, there is no maximum for Microgrants that support virtual or local collections visits.
What is a community researcher?
A community researcher is someone who wishes to do research at a specific museum collection to support the assembly, documentation and creation of cultural archives that can or will be available to their community. The Community Researcher does not have to have an active art practice and can include community members, curators, programmers or administrators.
For further information, please contact YVRAF at programs@yvraf.com or by phone at 604.276.6261.
Can I apply for a Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Travel Grant if I have received other scholarships and awards from the YVR Art Foundation?
Yes.
What ages are eligible to apply for the Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Travel Grants?
There is no age restriction for the Bill McLennan Masterpiece Study Program Program Travel Grants, however, the grant is primarily awarded to experienced artists who would like to expand their knowledge and skills by researching cultural artifacts at our partner museums.
What happens after I submit my application?
All applications will be reviewed by a selection committee composed of Indigenous artists or curators and all Travel Grant applicants will be notified of the results by November of each year. If your application to your proposed museum partner is not successful, you may be recommended for a research/study trip to another museum with a relevant collection, or to a local museum for preliminary research.
Is there an exhibition component to the Travel Grant?
No. Travel Grants are only provided to support research/study at a YVRAF museum partner. There are no exhibition opportunities for this funding program at this time.
