No other grant is this gooey. For 10 years, the Grilled Cheese Grant has supported emerging visual artists by selling the namesake sandwich at an annual fundraising event, and this year’s event on March 15 at Vanguard Sculpture Services is no exception.
How does it work? The five finalists present their creative projects while attendees – with a donation of $10 or more – grub on grilled cheeses (with toppings of choice) and vote for their favorite. The first-place winner receives the most funding, although the past two events have raised enough money to fully fund every project – over $5,800 in 2024.
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“It’s this beautiful, community-centered event that’s nothing like I’ve ever been to before,” says A. Van Anderson, one of five organizers.
“The event was very welcoming, eclectic, warm and approachable,” says 2024 finalist Stella Koslowski, who said that her experience with the grant gave her confidence in her creative choices. “It was really nice and affirming that I was doing something that obviously was interesting to people.”
The grant was created in 2016 by the now-dissolved artist collective After School Special, made up of mostly Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design students who recognized a need for artist funding in the city.
They were inspired by Sunday Soup, a short-lived microgrant in Lebanon, New Hampshire, that funded creative projects through cheap community meals of bread and soup. The Grilled Cheese Grant took the same approach, swapping soup for grilled cheese and adding beer to make it Milwaukee.
To apply, artists propose their thesis project and provide a projected budget. The organizers then select five finalists to show their work and have a chance to receive grant money.
As the event has grown, it’s raised enough money to fund more than one finalist a year. In the past two years, it has been able to fully fund each of the five finalists’ projects.
Last year, the grant opened eligibility from just MIAD and UW-Milwaukee students to all independent artists in southeastern Wisconsin. “Not everyone can go to college,” says Van Anderson. “And not every artist goes to college.”
Looking ahead, the grant’s organizers are considering changing the funding model to better meet the community’s needs. This means expanding to hosting shows, dance parties and workshops in partnership with Cactus+ and investing in existing local mutual aid efforts.
“I think it’s an integral part of who I am as a person that I want to give back; this is just the perfect way to do so,” says Van Anderson, adding that other funding opportunities are in short supply for artists.
“Considering Wisconsin’s second-to-last position among states when it comes to public art funding, the grant seems like a vital source of support for emerging artists,” says 2024 finalist and filmmaker T.J.
Blanco, who was able to continue working with 16mm film beyond film school with the funding from the Grilled Cheese Grant.
With the organizers’ stretch goals, the Grilled Cheese Grant becomes a larger undertaking each year. “We go through it year after year, and we’re like, whoa, that was crazy. Are we doing that again?” says Van Anderson. “And the answer is always yes.”
This year’s event is March 15 at Vanguard Sculpture Services.
