Twining Humber Award

The Twining Humber Award is an annual unrestricted grant of $10,000, established to honor and support female visual artists residing in Washington State who are 60 years of age or older and have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to artmaking over at least 25 years. This award is administered by Artist Trust, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and sustaining individual working artists across Washington State. The award is made possible through a generous legacy gift by painter Yvonne Twining Humber (1907–2004), who created the Irving and Yvonne Twining Humber Fund for Artistic Excellence. Humber's intent was to support female artists who often face disruptions in their creative careers due to familial responsibilities. The fund embodies this commitment by recognizing outstanding women artists in the later stages of their careers, affirming their artistic excellence, professional accomplishments, and continued engagement in the visual arts. The Twining Humber Award is open to applicants working in any visual arts discipline and who reside in Washington State at the time of application and grant payment. Eligible applicants must identify as female and be at least 60 years old by March 24, 2026. Furthermore, applicants must have dedicated 25 years or more to creating visual art. This program does not accept applications from currently enrolled students in any degree program as of the March 23, 2026 deadline, nor from individuals who have received another Artist Trust grant in 2026. Applications from companies, nonprofits, community groups, or collectives are not permitted. In addition, past recipients of the Twining Humber Award are ineligible, and those who have received the SOLA Award may not reapply for it but are eligible for the Twining Humber. The application for the 2026 cycle opens on February 23, 2026, and closes at 11:59am on March 23, 2026. Key application support milestones include the release of the official guidelines on January 23, 2026, an informational webinar on March 3, and virtual office hours on March 4 and 5. All applications must be submitted through the Submittable platform; late, emailed, or physical submissions will not be accepted under any circumstance. Artists may request edits to submitted applications if done prior to the deadline, but such requests close to the deadline are not guaranteed due to the high volume of inquiries. Application components and guidelines are available online, and successful past submissions can be reviewed in the linked Reference Guide. The selection process involves a panel of three visual arts professionals from across Washington State. Panelists are selected for their diverse expertise, such as painting, sculpture, or installation art, and they review applications through Submittable over a period of several weeks. Evaluation is based on artistic excellence, professional background, and ongoing commitment to the visual arts. Importantly, Artist Trust emphasizes a racial equity framework in its selection process, encouraging panelists to prioritize applications from Black and Indigenous artists, those residing in rural areas, and those identifying as LGBTQIA+, in recognition of the structural and historical barriers these communities face. The 2026 panels will be held virtually via Zoom. Award decisions are finalized by a vote of the Artist Trust Board of Trustees in May, with notification of award status occurring shortly thereafter. The public announcement of the award recipient will be made in June. Only one artist will receive the Twining Humber Award per cycle. Previous awardees include visual artists from various counties in Washington, demonstrating the program's commitment to geographical as well as demographic diversity. For those with questions beyond what is answered in the extensive FAQ, direct inquiries can be sent to Program Director Lydia Boss via email. General contact details for Artist Trust include [email protected] and (206) 467-8734.

Emphasize high-quality documentation of work samples; start written sections early and get peer feedback.