About the Abbey Mural Prize

Created in 1932 through an endowed bequest in honor of illustrator and muralist Edwin Austin Abbey NA, the Abbey Mural Prize awards grants to support the creation and restoration of public murals in the United States. Since 1940, the National Academy of Design has awarded funds to hundreds of individuals or organizations who are building on a tradition of public murals as instruments of social activism, neighborhood revitalization, and community engagement.

Juried by artist and architect members of the National Academy, the Abbey Mural Prize supports projects with grants ranging from $10,000 to $40,000. Grants are awarded to create or restore public murals, especially those that promote accessibility and serve local audiences. While murals are conventionally defined as paintings or mosaics on a wall, the prize also encourages proposals that broaden and expand the definition of what a contemporary mural can be.

Applications must be uploaded through Submittable. Submit a detailed proposal describing the mural project, as well as the reason and rationale for applying for this award. Include images and renderings.
Proposals that address potential community involvement in, or the impact on the community of your work will be prioritized.
Include the intended start date for the mural project; only projects with intended start dates before June 30, 2025 will be considered.
An itemized budget must be included. Please find a template below in the example application. The total project budget field is for the amount of funding requested from Abbey Mural along with any outside funding.