Arts Fund X, a financial resource for artistic endeavors and cultural projects

The XARTs Fund at Oberlin College has announced its call for applications for the upcoming winter term (January 2026) and summer (May - August 2026). The fund supports multi-disciplinary artistic projects and offers grants of up to $4,000 for creative and focused endeavors.

All current students of the Oberlin College of Arts & Science or Conservatory of Music, who are in good academic standing, are eligible to apply. However, students on leave are not eligible for funding.

To prepare for the application process, applicants are encouraged to attend workshops, courses, and seek advising from the Office of Conservatory Professional Development and the Creativity and Leadership Program. Susan Ellinger, Associate Director of Professional Development, should be consulted prior to submitting the application.

The application process requires several components, including a project title, summary, amount requested, narrative, budget, biography, transcript, letter of support, and supporting files. An available document titled "Sample Expense Document" can provide guidance for preparing the budget. Another useful resource is the "Award Terms and Conditions" document.

If the project includes the research of human subjects, the Oberlin's Institutional Review Board (IRB) process should be reviewed, and Susan Ellinger should be contacted prior to submitting the application. It's important to note that each discrete project may be funded only once by the XARTs Fund.

The budget has stipulations on expenditures, including a limit of $100 for acquired capital goods, a prohibition on paying oneself a salary, and a prohibition on spending award money on liquor.

The search results do not provide the name of the head of the support team for the XARTs fund who reviews applications. However, the primary contact for the project is Susan Ellinger.

The Fall application deadline is October 29, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST. The Spring application deadline is April 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST. The exact date for the information session is yet to be determined.

It's worth noting that the XARTs Fund does not support an individual's participation in a group winter-term project unless the individual's use of the grant is to support distinctive work separate from that of the group project. A project is considered multi-disciplinary when it involves collaboration of disciplines working towards a single project outcome.

Applicants are advised to sign into their Oberlin account to access the application form. For more information or assistance, please contact Susan Ellinger.