2026 Twining Humber Award and SOLA Awards
Deadline: March 23, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST
ABOUT THE TWINING HUMBER AWARD
The Twining Humber Award is an unrestricted award of $10,000 given annually to a Washington State female visual artist, age 60 or over, who has dedicated 25 years or more to creating art. The award is made possible by a generous gift from the painter Yvonne Twining Humber (1907-2004), who established the Irving and Yvonne Twining Humber Fund for Artistic Excellence to support the grant through Artist Trust in recognition of female artists who oftentimes must interrupt or postpone art-making in order to answer the demands of family life. Read more about Yvonne Twining Humber here.
ABOUT THE SOLA AWARDS
The SOLA (Support Old Lady Artists) Awards are ten unrestricted awards of $5,000 given annually to Washington State female visual artists, age 60 or over, who have dedicated 25 years or more to creating art. The awards were created by artist Ginny Ruffner. Read more about Ginny Ruffner here.
Of the ten awards, one award will specifically honor a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) artist.
We define BIPOC artists as individuals identifying as one or more of the following ethnicities:
Alaskan Native, Asian/Asian American/Pacific Islander or Hawaiian, Black/African/African American, Latinx, Middle Eastern, Native American or Indigenous, or South Asian.
Before starting your application for either award, please read the 2026 Twining Humber and SOLA Awards Guidelines.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE
The Twining Humber Award and SOLA Awards are open to female visual artists, age 60 or over, who have dedicated 25 years or more to creating art. These awards recognize artistic excellence, professional accomplishment, and longstanding dedication to the visual arts. Artists may apply themselves or be nominated for these awards.
All applicants (if eligible) will be considered for the Twining Humber Award & SOLA Awards. You only need to submit one application.
Artists of color, artists outside of King County, and artists who identify as LGBTQIA+ are strongly encouraged to apply. For support with your application, see the Help with Your Application section below.
APPLICANTS MUST BE:
- A female visual artist; 60 years of age or older by March 23, 2026;
- Washington State residents at the time of application and payment;
- A practicing artist who has dedicated 25 years or more to creating art.
APPLICANTS MUST NOT BE:
- Graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at the time of both application and payment (payment will be made June 2026);
- Recipients of another Artist Trust grant in 2026;
- Applying on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, or community group;
- Current Artist Trust staff, Board of Trustees, honorary committee members, current Twining Humber / SOLA panelists, or their immediate family.
The Twining Humber Award and SOLA Awards may only be received once. Previous recipients of the Twining Humber Award may not apply for the SOLA Awards. Previous recipients of SOLA may apply for the Twining Humber Award.
HELP WITH YOUR APPLICATION
Applying for grants can be hard, and we want to help you. Artist Trust offers the following support services and resources to guide you through the application process:
2026 THA/SOLA Info Session Attend this Info Session on Tuesday, March 3, 5:30 – 6:30 pm to learn about the 2026 Twining Humber and SOLA Awards! During this event, our Programs Team will share general information about applying for 2026 THA and SOLA Awards. This is not a private session, but rather a space for learning and asking basic questions about the application process. Register for the Info Session
How to Apply for the 2026 Twining Humber and SOLA Awards A brief walkthrough of how to apply for the 2026 Twining Humber and SOLA Awards, the process, and selection criteria. Watch the webinar on YouTube
Office Hours 20-minute consultations with our staff provided in person, via Zoom or by phone, on March 4 and 5. Available by appointment.
Reference Guide Review examples of successful applications from past year’s grantees at artisttrust.org/resources/twining-humber-sola-awards-reference-guide.
Contact Us We are happy to answer questions about your application. Please note: it’s hard for us to answer questions on the day of the deadline. Start your application early and don’t wait to contact us with questions.
ARTIST TRUST'S COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY
Artist Trust is a nonprofit organization that helps Washington State artists of all disciplines thrive through direct support, community building, and advocacy. We believe a fair and just society ensures artists of all backgrounds and identities are included in its cultural narratives.
Artist Trust Racial Equity Statement:
Artist Trust is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization, and to working against the systems of racism we have inherited, upheld, and perpetuated. We know we are not there yet. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have been systemically oppressed, and we are committed to partnering with them to eradicate white supremacy throughout our organization and to support historically marginalized artists across Washing- ton State.
More information about our work towards racial equity and how it affects our grantmaking programs can be found here.
CONTACT ARTIST TRUST
Monday–Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 3 p.m. PST
- with questions about application requirements, guidelines, eligibility, etc.
- for any accessibility accommodations needed for you to complete the application
- if you need to access or edit a submitted application prior to the deadline of March 23, 2026.
Naomi Day (she/her) // Program Coordinator naomi@artisttrust.org: (206) 467-8734 x23
Anna Teiche (she/her) // Program Manager anna@artisttrust.org: (206) 467-8734 x26
Lydia Boss (she/her) // Program Director lydia@artisttrust.org: (206) 467-8734 x25
CONTACT SUBMITTABLE
- with website access issues
- with questions about uploading or formatting files
- with other technical support needs