For Immediate Release:
July 30, 2026
The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation Announces 2026 Rubys Artist Grants Awardees
This Year’s Fellows Will Be the First Cohort Under the Program's Reimagined Structure
BALTIMORE, MD — The Robert W. Deutsch Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Rubys Artist Grants, the inaugural cohort selected under the program's newly reimagined structure. This cycle, the Rubys will provide $180,000 in direct funding to 12 artists working in Performance and Visual Arts — the first two disciplines in the program's new two-year rotating cycle — as well as two $25,000 Jane Brown Alumni Ruby grants to previous awardees and two $2,500 Rubys Material Grants.
Beginning this year, the Rubys focus on two artistic disciplines per cycle, with the four disciplines — Literary, Media, Performing, and Visual Arts — rotating on a two-year basis. This new structure ensures that all four disciplines continue to be supported on a regular cycle, while strengthening cohorts, honing support within each field, and continuing to grow opportunities for future, current, and alumni grantees.
This year also marks a special milestone for Foundation President and program founder, Jane Brown. After 31 years with the foundation, Brown will transition from her impactful role as President and CEO of the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation later this year to make way for a new generation of leadership. To mark that occasion, the Rubys has renamed its alumni award the Jane Brown Alumni Ruby, acknowledging her catalytic role in supporting artists and investing in their big ideas. To further mark the magnitude of this shift, the foundation is proud to award two Jane Brown Alumni Rubys this cycle — the program's first and only year granting two alumni awards.
Now in its thirteenth year, the Rubys Artist Grant program is rooted in the belief that artists should be paid for all parts of their creative work, not only for the final outcome. In addition to funding, the program provides professional development, network building, artist services, and technical assistance for awardees. Through partnerships with other Deutsch Foundation grantees — including Open Works, BmoreArt, Connect + Collect, and Motor House — the Rubys provide recipients with access to tools, technologies, equipment, performance and event space, and dialogue relevant to their work.
Launched by the Deutsch Foundation in 2013, the Rubys Artist Grant program draws inspiration from the national work of New York City-based Creative Capital Foundation and is named in honor of its visionary founder, Ruby Lerner. Past Rubys recipients have gone on to achieve critical acclaim and received residencies and fellowships from prestigious institutions such as Creative Capital, the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, United States Artists, and Halcyon Arts Lab. They have also showcased their projects at renowned venues like the New/Next Film Festival, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the Baltimore Museum of Art.
Brief profiles of the 2026 Rubys Artist Grant recipients and their respective projects can be found in the PDF version of this release, followed by profiles of this year's jury panelists — many of whom will also serve as mentors to the awardees
Supporting more than 200 artists since its inception, the Rubys Artist Grants program remains a vital resource for Baltimore-area artists. Full details can be found at www.rwdfoundation.org/rubys
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