The Grants Department is another first for the Moon and Stars Project and for the Turkish-American community as a whole. This department is focused solely on funding artists through a grants program – competitively awarded grants for burgeoning artists, exhibition awards, and merit-based grants for established artists. Designed to promote greater two-way cultural exchange, these grants will provide artists with the funds to travel to either Turkey or the United States, facilitate their exposure to artistic trends, stimulate and encourage their artistic development, and allow for networking and collaboration with the local artistic community. In addition, the Grants Department is interested in working with like-minded organizations to initiate cultural exchange and participate in international residency programs.

October 2009

Awarded a grant to Emily Wing-Yin Hui for her international residency at the Cooperative for the Evaluation of Priene Rug and Carpet Weaving and Development of Women for carpet-making based on the local traditions of Güllübahçe, Söke, Turkey. The program, which focuses on community-based arts and raising 'awareness by art' for ecological and cultural project efforts in the local environment was initiated by Peter Hristoff.

June 2009
Co-sponsored the scholarship program with American Turkish Society, for the School of Visual Art’s Summer Residency Program. Ayse Nur Ipek was selected by SVA to receive this award.

May 10 - September 27, 2009
Tarjama / Translation Exhibition at the Queens Museum of Art 

February 2009
Supported a recital by internationally renowned pianist
İdil Biret, presented by Turkish Women's League of America

December 2008
Co-sponsored "Filmmaker in Focus: Ferzan Özpetek" at MoMA, organized by Jytte Jensen, Curator, Department of Film at MoMA, Camilla Cormanni and Paola Ruggiero, Cinecittà Holding, Rome

December 2008
Co-sponsored "Staged Reading: Concubine Sultan Hürrem" by Özen Yula, presented by LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (LPAC) in collaboration with The Martin E. Segal Theatre Center, Actors Without Borders–ITONY and The American Turkish Society

June 2008
Continued to co-sponsor the scholarship program with American Turkish Society and School of Visual Art for SVA’s Summer Residency Program, and Sinem Disli was selected by SVA to receive this award.

May 2008
Co-sponsored “Tribute to the Life and Work of Ilhan Mimaroglu,” a recital by Meral Güneyman with special guest artist Janis Siegel.

November/December 2007
Co-sponsored the release parties of "Clashes"  by Alper Yilmaz Project.



October/November 2007
Co-sponsored "Bring Me The Head Of...,"  a visual arts culinary experience by Serkan Özkaya as part of Performa 07.

July 2007
Co-sponsored a second student with MAC Art Gallery, in Istanbul for SVA’s Summer Residency Program, and Hayal Incedogan was selected to receive this award.

June 2007
Co-sponsored the scholarship program with American Turkish Society, for the School of Visual Art’s Summer Residency Program. Burcu Yagcioglu was selected by SVA to receive this award.


September 2006
Co-sponsored Gülay Alpay’s “Sound of Silk: An Exhibition by Gulay Alpay” exhibition at the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, curated by Tchera Niyego.

June 2006
Continued to co-sponsor the scholarship program with the School of Visual Art for SVA’s summer residency program, and Dilek Tina Winchester was selected by SVA to receive this award.

April 2006
Awarded a grant to NY Ensemble Theater to support their participation to “15th Istanbul International Theater Festival” and their performance of the play “Beware of the Dog”.

Awarded a grant to Munson Williams Proctor ARTS Institute in Utica to support Ipek Duben’s exhibition as a part of the project “Substance and Light: Ten Sculptors Use Cameras”.

Awarded a grant to Tash Taskale for his international residency at Gumusluk Academy Cultural Foundation for the Arts and Center for Scientific Research in Bodrum, Turkey.

Co-sponsored the Madison Square Garden Theater performance of “Fire of Anatolia”.

Awarded a merit-based grant to Elif Shafak, whose "The Saint of Incipient Insanities" has been published in the U.S.

Awarded a grant to Archipelago Books for the translation and publication of Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar's "Huzur" ("Peace of Mind").

Co-sponsored Peter Hristoff's "Dua" exhibitions at the Hagia Sophia Museum and C.A.M. Gallery. The co-sponsorship extends to the project's future exhibitions in the U.S.

Awarded a grant to The Sculpture Center’s “Artist-in Residence” program for Ayse Erkmen for “Busy Colors”.

Co-sponsored "Rapture" a play written by Noyah Einav and directed by Kaan Nazli.

Awarded a grant towards curatorial expenses of the "Global Feminism" project to the Brooklyn Museum Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art.

Started the scholarship program for the School of Visual Art's summer residency program and Deniz Aygun was selected by SVA as the first Turkish artist to receive this award.

Co-sponsored congenitally blind artist Esref Armagan's exhibition presented by the Art Education for the Blind and hosted by Connie Collins, Ahmet Ertegun and David Rodriguez.

Provided support for xurban's participation in "The Future of the Reciprocal Readymade" curated by Stephen Wright and presented by apexart.

Awarded a project grant to "40 Stations / New York", a photography project by Muammer Yanmaz and Selen Akçali.

Awarded a grant to Koken Ergun for his international residency at Location One.

Awarded a merit - based grant to Haluk Akakce.

Co-sponsored Haluk Akakce's "No Way Out" at the Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art.

Co-sponsored "Recent Paintings," an exhibition by Orhan Taylan at the
National Arts Club, New York City

Awarded our second project grant to Attila Durak for "Ebru", a photography project that traces the rich ethnic heritage of Turkey. The American Turkish Society, FUJIFILM TURKEY, and Open Society Institute are co-sponsors.

Awarded our first project grant to Mevlut Akkaya, a Turkish-American film director, for "Kanake", a short film dealing with racism in Germany.