The Trellis Art Fund has announced the selection of twelve artists from across the United States as recipients of its 2025 Milestone Grant program. Each artist will receive an unrestricted $100,000 award distributed over a two-year period, providing significant financial support for their creative endeavors.
The 2025 Milestone Grant recipients represent a diverse group of established and emerging artists: Willie Birch, Julie Buffalohead, Nao Bustamante, william cordova, Sofía Gallisá Muriente, Harmony Hammond, Maren Hassinger, Guadalupe Maravilla, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Walid Raad, Amanda Ross-Ho, and Diana Thater. The Trellis Art Fund's mission centers on celebrating artists' work for its intrinsic value while sustaining and uplifting their creative practices within a supportive community environment.
"While this year's grantees vary greatly in their career stage, many mentioned how meaningful the grant is, not only as a financial boost but as encouragement to keep going during this challenging economic and cultural moment," shared Program Director Emily Davidson. "We're excited to see how these funds, and being in community with one another, might impact these grantees over the next two years and beyond."
Now in its second year, the Milestone Grant program operates through a comprehensive nomination and selection process. The organization invited 56 artists, curators, and arts professionals nationwide to nominate eligible artists living in or authorized to work in the United States. From an applicant pool of 81 candidates, an anonymous jury composed of five art leaders carefully selected the 12 recipients based on specific criteria including their demonstrated commitment to their practice, unique contributions to their respective fields, and sustained quality within their body of work.
The Trellis Art Fund has made a special commitment to supporting artists who serve as caregivers, recognizing the additional challenges they face in maintaining their artistic practice. The organization reserves a designated number of grants specifically for artists who are caregivers to children, seniors such as parents, and other family members in need of support. In this funding round, four artists received recognition under this designation: Julie Buffalohead, william cordova, Tuan Andrew Nguyen, and Amanda Ross-Ho.
Beyond the substantial financial support, the Trellis Art Fund provides recipients with valuable professional development resources and community-building opportunities. This November, the 2025 cohort will participate in a special retreat in Upstate New York, where they will gather alongside last year's grant recipients. This retreat is designed to facilitate meaningful connections among the artists and help build a supportive community network that extends beyond the grant period. For additional information about the program and the Trellis Art Fund, interested parties can visit trellisartfund.org.
