The Focus Grant is a program that encourages student creativity and expression through art. This committee of students, faculty and staff gives out up to 16 grants per school year to students in all kinds of majors who are making their creative dreams come to life.
Focus promotes all types of artwork, including: visual art, apparel design, writing, theatre, dance, music and anything in between. The program is funded by the Student Government every year.
Applications are due Oct. 1 in the fall and April 1 in the spring.
Student Government’s finance director, Noah Kammeyer, shared some of his opinions on the program.
“I think it’s really cool that students get the chance to create and sort of compete to make the best possible piece of art,” Kammeyer said. “I think to a certain extent, most students at Iowa State, including myself, enjoy creating some kind of art form.”
After applications are submitted and the winners are chosen, the projects are displayed by mid-March. Visual projects are displayed in the Memorial Union and a reception is held to celebrate the artists and to present performing and literary projects.
“The exhibit day is an amazing opportunity for all students to be able to see what their peers have been working on all year,” Kammeyer said.
Project proposals are evaluated based on three different criteria. Students will have to show on their application the extent to which the applicant presents a convincing rationale for funding the project, the extent to which the funding of the project will contribute to the artistic development of the applicant and the extent to which the methodology proposed will result in the successful completion of the project.
Overall, advisors on the committee are looking for three things: reasons why students need the funding for their projects, if the project will increase the artistic ability or involvement and if the project is realistic considering the amount of time and money the student will receive.
Students will also have “hearings” with their advisors so that the advisors have a chance to ask questions or students have the chance to explain their project a little more.
The program has been contributing to student projects since 1972 and has seen many different tools and processes being used in creative ways.
“Also, especially the last two or three years with the inception of AI images and artwork, it’s really cool to see people still using their individual skills and talents to make these forms,” Kammeyer said.
The next application deadline for Focus will be Oct. 1, but there will be another in April.
For more information, or to apply for Focus, check out the ISU Student Engagement page.
