Madeleine Taylor Grants Programme

BASA has set up a grants programme for its members in memory of Madeleine Taylor, whose estate left a bequest to BASA to be used in the pursuit of excellence in Botanical Art. Applications are considered twice a year on January 31 and July 31.

The purpose of the grants is to enable or assist BASA members to fulfill the Society’s overall aims:

“To foster and promote the development of Botanical Art nationwide and to bring together people who have a love of plants and of the Botanical Art form by:

• Pursuing excellence in botanical painting and drawing
• Embracing both classical and innovative approaches to Botanical Art
• Conducting exhibitions of Botanical Art
• Stimulating interest in plants, conservation, horticulture and the environment through Botanical Art
• Promoting and protecting Australia’s extraordinarily rich diversity of plant life by all reasonable social and other appropriate means.”

The grants are intended to promote activities that extend current audiences of Botanical Art and have a lasting impact, such as through physical or digital presentations and publications, or formation of new collaborations with schools, community groups, local Botanic Gardens, galleries, museums, etc.

Most of these activities are likely to be based in Australia, but activities promoting Australian botanical artists or Australian native flora overseas will also be considered.

Such activities might include:

• A study of endangered plants, the outcome then to be published or exhibited.
• A series of workshops to teach how to illustrate local bush food and/or medicinal plants.
• Subsidising the costs of gallery hire and/or freight costs for exhibiting botanical art to educate and engage with new audiences. This might include taking existing exhibitions to new venues.
• Introducing children to botanical art through developing colouring-in books of Australian native plants, or workshops encouraging children to draw what they see in the bush.
• Setting up workshops in regional areas to promote botanical art.
• A subsidy for an individual to enable them to exhibit artworks of Australian native plants internationally.
• Travel within Australia or overseas to study unique collections of plants or Botanical Art that will inform and enhance ongoing botanical artwork of the applicant/s.

Eligibility

Applicants can be individuals or groups, all of whom should be current financial BASA members and have been BASA members for at least one year at the close of applications. BASA members collaborating with non-member artists on a large project should name the non-members and state their roles in the project in Item 7 on the form. However, to be eligible for a grant, BASA members should take a lead role in the project and be accountable to BASA for the progress and outcomes of the project.

Members can apply in future funding rounds if initially unsuccessful, but successful applicants must wait three years before reapplying.

Feedback to unsuccessful applicants will be given on request, to assist with future applications.

List of Successful Grants

See the Grant List page for examples of successful grants.

How to Apply

See the Grant Applications page in the Members' Area of the website for the current guidelines and application forms.