May brings a fresh crop of residencies, fellowships, and grants for artists, writers, and creative workers seeking funding and time away from the grind. The Bennett Prize offers support for emerging visual artists. Oak Spring Garden Foundation backs projects exploring gardens and their cultural significance. There's money here for painters, sculptors, photographers, installation artists, and researchers. Writers can tap into fellowships designed specifically for novelists and essayists. Smaller pots exist for art workers, curators, and people doing less visible labor within the cultural ecosystem. Application deadlines cluster in early and mid-May, so anyone serious needs to lock in their submissions now. Most require strong portfolios or writing samples, artist statements that articulate a genuine vision rather than buzzwords, and realistic budgets. Some are international. Some target early-career practitioners. Others go to established names looking to expand their practice. The landscape of arts funding remains fragmented and exhausting to navigate, but May's opportunities span enough disciplines and levels of experience to make the search worthwhile.