About National Sculpture Society
Excellence in sculpture inspired by the natural world. For more than 120 years, NSS creates, exhibits, collects and supports the evolving tradition in American sculpture and promotes the commissioning and appreciation of high-quality sculpture.
Focus Areas
SculpturePublic artArtist grants and prizesResidenciesScholarshipsArts education
Who They Fund
individual students/scholars (scholarship recipients)individual award or prize recipientsapplicants/competition entrants
Funding Style
prize-based fundingmerit- and recognition-driven awardsscholarships (individual education support)
About National Sculpture Society
National Sculpture Society Inc. centers its funding on annual prizes, scholarships, and residencies for sculptors, with awards tied to excellence in sculpture and to specific traditions such as figurative, realist, animal, portrait, and bas-relief work. Recent grant records show repeated support for the same recipients across multiple years, including Warren King, who received $5,000 in 2024 and 2025, and Fan Yu, who received $5,000 in both 2024 and 2025. That recurring pattern sits alongside one-time awards and juried competitions, suggesting a program structure built around recognition and professional advancement rather than large operating grants. The society also supports named awards for emerging sculptors, including the Augusta Savage Grant, a $2,500 unrestricted annual prize for a talented emerging sculptor who self-identifies as Black or African American, and the NSS Sculptor Residency at Chesterwood, which provides lodging, studio access, and cash support to an emerging sculptor working in bas-relief. Across the grant list, the organization’s emphasis is clear: honor technical skill, support artist development, and sustain sculpture as a practiced discipline through recurring annual awards.
What National Sculpture Society Funds
Within sculpture-specific funding, the society backs several distinct strands of work. For figurative and realist sculpture, it awards the Alex J. Ettl Grant, a $7,500 annual prize for a figurative or realist sculptor. For animal sculpture, the Marilyn Newmark Memorial Grant provides $5,000 to a sculptor specializing in that form who has shown commitment and outstanding ability. Portrait and life-modeling work also appears in the Richard McDermott Miller Competition, where selected competitors model a bust from life and can receive participation scholarships and prize awards. The residency side of the portfolio is equally specific: the NSS Sculptor Residency at Chesterwood supports an emerging sculptor working in bas-relief with lodging, studio access, and cash support. These programs show a mix of prizes, scholarships, and residency-based support tied to defined sculptural practices.
How National Sculpture Society Gives
Typical awards are small to mid-sized: the 25th percentile is $200, the median is $750, and the 75th percentile is $2,000. The recent grants list shows repeat recipients across years, indicating recurring annual award cycles rather than isolated one-off gifts. National Sculpture Society Inc. does not fund individuals outside its award and scholarship structure; the programs are prize-based, competitive, and recurring. Several active programs also accept unsolicited applications, including the Augusta Savage Grant, the Chesterwood residency, the Richard McDermott Miller Competition, and the Laura Ziegler Scholarship.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$156K
Total Assets
$18.7M
Total Revenue
$1.9M
Total Expenses
$1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $200 and $2K, with a median of $750.
25th Percentile
$200
Median
$750
75th Percentile
$2K
Geographic Reach
National23 states funded
About 17% of grants go to recipients in NY.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where National Sculpture Society Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for National Sculpture Society.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 107 | $148K | 98.2% |
| 2 | Canada | 2 | $8K |
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