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 typically 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. The Abbey Mural Prize awardees are selected by a jury composed of National Academicians.

Grants
Grants typically range from $10,000 to $40,000 USD in minimally restricted support for the production and installation of mural(s) on and within public buildings and on buildings owned by charitable institutions. The jury reserves the right to award grantees full or partial funding, in any amount, up to the $125,000 total awarded annually.

Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

• Applications are open to all artists, architects, designers, as well as arts organizations, community-based organizations, and nonprofits.
• Lead artist must be selected prior to application submission.
• Project Leads must be at least eighteen years old.
• Projects must be for public buildings or buildings owned by a charitable institution
• Project location must be selected with necessary permissions/approvals procured from legal owners. Applications will be required to provide a letter of commitment from the organization, on their letterhead.
• Projects must be for public buildings or buildings owned by a charitable institution.
• Project proposals must be for sites located within the United States, Tribal Nations, or U.S. territories, including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Projects must have an intended start date before June 30, 2027.

Selection Criteria

• Conceptual strength or compelling justification of impact as outlined in the proposal.
• Applicants’ and/or Project Leads’ demonstrated ability to execute a high-quality end result.
• Feasibility of the project scope within the budget outlined in the application and appropriate use of Abbey Mural Prize funds.
• Connection or relationship to the community that will be impacted by the project.

Application Instructions

The 2026 Abbey Mural Prize Call is now accepting proposals through May 18, 2026. Apply here: https://nationalacademyofdesign.formstack.com/forms/2026amp