Artists Living with Cancer

The RHMF Artists Living with Cancer Grant provides direct financial support up to $10,000 to New York City–based visual artists undergoing active cancer treatment. Once an application is submitted and meets eligibility requirements, it will be entered into a randomized lottery system.

The program addresses urgent, treatment-related financial instability at moments when uninterrupted care is critical. The program is one-time grant assistance.

The program recognizes the urgency of caring for and helping one another and, while artists are famously self-sufficient, it encourages artists to ask for support when needed.

This initiative builds on the legacy of the Rema Hort Mann Fund’s rapid-response cancer grants, adapting the model to the specific economic vulnerabilities of contemporary artists.

The Artists Living with Cancer program builds on RHMF’s legacy of rapid-response Peter Hort Quality of Life cancer grants, addressing the urgent financial and emotional challenges artists face during active treatment, and reinforcing care as a core equity issue within the arts.

The program provides one-time grants of up to $10,000 to NYC-based visual artists, helping cover essential expenses—from medical bills and housing to caregiving and studio costs—so recipients can remain in treatment.

The initiative will officially launch at RHMF’s 30th Anniversary Gala on October 28, 2026, anchored by honoring Jacolby Satterwhite, aligning the program with a powerful narrative of resilience, artistic excellence, and community care.

Rooted in compassion, dignity, and urgency, the program affirms that no artist should have to choose between treatment and survival, preserving not only individual well-being but also the broader cultural contributions of artists.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

• Be an artist working in visual arts.
• Be 21 years of age or older by the application deadline.
• Reside in the New York Metropolitan area.
• Have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of: $80,000 or less for individual filers, or $180,000 or less for joint filers, averaged over the two most recent federal tax returns if you do not have a tax return please contact us for an alternative method.
• Be undergoing active cancer treatment occurring within the NYC area.
• Demonstrate recent and sustained professional activity in their artistic discipline
• Not be enrolled in any degree-seeking academic program at the time of application
• Once an application is submitted and meets eligibility requirements, it will be entered into a randomized lottery system.

• Application Portal Opens: November 1, 2026
• Application Deadline: January 3, 2027
• Notification of Decisions: By March 1, 2027