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Welcome to ArtMail for May 6, 2009! Monday marked the first of our spring grant deadlines. We received 87 applications for $3,000 grants that support the creation of new work--nearly twice the number we usually receive in this category. Unfortunately, reduced revenue from the Legislature and private sector means we will only be able to fund about a dozen applicants. There will undoubtedly be many worthy artists who will not make the cut.
We are anticipating an onslaught of applications next Wednesday for the Art Jobs Grant Program and for Community Arts Grants on June 1st. We already know that funding requests for these programs will exceed the monies available.
Regardless of all the other support and services the Council offers, when programs don't get the funding they need, individuals and communities suffer.
The Arts Council is the state's primary source of funding for the arts and we're asking for your help. We need to raise $75,000 by June 30th to meet our commitments to Vermont artists, organizations, schools and community groups. The need is greater than ever but with your help, we can keep the arts working in Vermont.
Please contribute today!
Quotable: "The artist is not a special kind of man, but every man is a special kind of artist." (A.K. Coomaraswamy, Sri Lankin philosopher, b. 1877)
WHAT GIVES A COMMUNITY ITS VITALITY? - A couple of weeks ago a former trustee paid me a visit. He told me a story about how he recently took some heat in his community for remarks he made about how important the not-for-profit cultural organizations were to the economic health and vitality of his town.
I don't have access to the full story and its reportage, but it sounded like quite a few people took offense at his suggestion that the cultural institutions in his town were what drew people to visit, live, work, and raise families there. (What about the restaurants, the bookstore, the artist collaborative?, they cried. What about the grocery stores, the car dealership, and the movie theater? What about the hiking, biking, and fishing that was conveniently located within minutes of the downtown? What about the people, the finely built homes, the attractive downtown?) Read more
JOHN NASSIVERA TO BE HONORED AT ANNUAL MEETING - The Arts Council's Annual Meeting will take place on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at the State House in Montpelier. In addition to a short business meeting, Dorset Theatre Festival's founder John Nassivera will be given the Walter Cerf Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. Jane Lendway will receive a Citation of Merit. Council grantees Anais Mitchell, Brian Cohen and Stephen Cramer will be on hand. Click here for a schedule of events plus information on trustee nominees and proposed changes to our ByLaws.
ART OF VERMONT EXHIBIT BACK ON TOUR - In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Art in State Buildings Program, the Vermont Arts Council and Department of Buildings & General Services have created a traveling exhibit featuring approximately 50 of the 1,000 pieces in the Vermont State Art Collection. Four venues are on the schedule for this summer and fall. The first stop is River Arts in Morrisville, May 8 - July 7. An opening reception is taking place on May 8, 5-7 PM. Read more.
STUDY: CREATIVE SECTOR AND THE ECONOMY - "A new study shows that Texas’ creative sector is growing faster and paying higher wages than jobs in other arenas. But the study warns that more funding is needed to continue that momentum. During tough economic times it may seem intuitive to cut these initiatives, but these are the very projects that can help the economy recover," the report states. "Equally important is arts education. The report argues that skills such as communication and critical thinking are essential in the classroom--helping prepare students for the 21st Century workforce. The study proposes two primary recommendations: increase arts funding to $1 per capita and elevate arts education to the core curriculum in the state's schools." Click here to see the full report.
SERVE AMERICA ACT SIGNIFICANTLY BENEFITS THE ARTS - On April 21, President Obama signed The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act (H.R. 1388), which reauthorizes the federal volunteer programs as administered through the Corporation for National Service. In addition to greatly expanding the number of service members, the legislation creates an “Education Corps…that identifies and meets unmet educational goals.” Among the eligible activities outlined in the legislation is a program that calls for artists and/or musicians to promote community unity in low-income communities with citizens of all ages. This will be the most significant inclusion of the arts into national service to date. Click here for more information on the Serve America Act.
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UPCOMING GRANT DEADLINES:
- Art Jobs Grant Program (Orgs)
Application Deadline: May 13, 2009
Notification Date: July 30, 2009
- FY 10 Community Arts Grants (Orgs)
Application Deadline: June 1, 2009
Notification Date: August 1, 2009
- FY10 Cultural Facilities Grants
Application Deadline: October 1, 2009
Notification Date: December 16, 2009
Reminder: All grants MUST be completed online.
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VAAE CALL FOR PROPOSALS - Vermont Alliance for Arts Education is planning their 2009 Fall Conference, and they want to hear from you – what’s on your mind? The theme this year is “SERIOUS PLAY: Bringing the Arts into the Classroom.” One of the more compelling movements in teaching and learning is that of bringing the arts into every classroom in a way that enhances core subjects. To do that, our hardworking teachers in these core subjects need to be introduced and sold on how easy it is to work with arts teachers to enhance their curricula. To do that, arts teachers can use techniques that are easily transferable to any classroom. VAAE is looking for workshops that will benefit both arts and classroom teachers alike. Do you have a workshop that will make participants get their hands dirty? Or where they need to play hard all the way through the workshop? More importantly, can we do this in a world of fewer resources? This year VAAE is allowing workshop sessions be extended to be two or three-hour time periods. If you would like to propose a workshop or conduct one yourself, please submit the following information by mail or email to Thomas Stevens, Executive Director, Vermont Alliance for Arts Education, P.O. Box 33, Waterbury, VT 05676-0033:
- Workshop title and brief description (no more than 1 page);
- Technical requirements such as power, slide projectors, tables, screens, easels, sinks, natural light, minimum space requirements, etc.;
- Materials and expected extra charge;
- Brief bios of workshop leaders (no more than 1 paragraph for each presenter);
- Contact information for presenters which includes name, address, phone, email, and web address (if applicable).
All submissions must be received by VAAE no later May 29, 2008.
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CLASSES:
WEBINARS:
CONFERENCES:
VIEW MAY & JUNE CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS/LECTURES IN THE VERMONT ARTS CALENDAR: Clicking the links below will direct your browser to display listings as they appear in the Vermont Travel Planner (which is connected directly to the Vermont Arts Calendar):
Conferences & Workshops
Lectures & Readings
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VERMONT CHAMPION IN TOP 12 AT NATIONAL POETRY COMPETITION - Audrey Kiely of Morrisville was one of the 12 finalists in the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. She was among 53 state finalists from a group of nearly 300,000 national participants. Audrey received a $1,000 award and her school, People's Academy, will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry books. CONGRATULATIONS, AUDREY! Click here to read the article published in the Burlington Free Press.
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If you would like a shot at being featured in the column of events listings on our web site and in ArtMail, you must start by listing your event in The Vermont Arts Calendar. Both areas are reserved for events that are listed in the Calendar, and you'll have a better chance of getting featured if you have a photo of your event on your web site
AFTER YOU HAVE ENTERED YOUR EVENT in the Calendar, if you would like us to consider it for inclusion in the right hand column, feel free to email us to ask us to consider it; you may also attach a photo for publication.
Events listed in the Arts Calendar also post in the following locations:
- the Events calendar at vermontvacation.com,
- electronic kiosks in the State's Welcome Centers
- system administrators also email event listings to over 40 media outlets in Vermont
- selected "featured events" will also post in a sidebar on the Council's web site
We encourage all artists and presenters to use this free tool to help you spread the word about your arts events.
OK, I HAVE AN EVENT TO PUBLICIZE. HOW DO I GET STARTED? Click here and we'll walk you through it.
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Jobs | Calls to Artists | Funding Opportunities
JOBS:
ARTS JOB LISTINGS - For a list of current job openings in the arts, visit the Jobs page of the Cultural Commons. For arts management positions, see Americans for the Arts' job bank. Other links to arts jobs listings include www.backstagejobs.com, www.playbill.com/jobs/find, New England Theater 411's Call for Production Team, and TCG's ArtSEARCH.
CALLS TO ARTISTS:
CALL FOR NEW ENGLAND AREA INSTALLATIONS - The Worcester Cultural Commission (MA) invites artists from across New England to forward submissions for up to three existing sculptures or installations for a juried outdoor exhibition in Elm Park, MA, July 27–September 31, 2009. Artists are encouraged to enter particularly large-scale work for installation on the grounds, floating in one of its three shallow ponds, or suspended from trees. Deadline: May 8, 2009.
VIDEO CONTEST FOR ARTISTS - ArtId.com, a social and business website for artists, is hosting an Art Video Contest for artists who want to gain more exposure for themselves and their artwork. The video contest is free and open to visual artists of all mediums and career levels. Categories for winning videos are: Best Montage, Most Humorous, Most Informative, and Most Creative. A winner will also be named in a fifth category: Most Views. Deadline: May 8, 2009.
CALL TO ARTISTS: ART VS. DESIGN - Artists Wanted presents Art vs. Design, an international open call for art & design that asks the question: In a world of images, which has shaped our lives more: Art or Design? To find the answer, we need YOU to enter the dialogue. The Top Artist or Designer will be selected by a panel of judges, and will have their work presented in a massive scale gallery opening at the New Museum in NYC. The winner will also receive:$2009 cash grant, International Publicity, a feature in Filter Magazine, $500 in clothes from Akademics. Every entrant will receive: An online portfolio, a thank you package worth $70, including gear from Akademiks, art supplies from Utrecht Arts, and a free subscription to Time Out New York. Images are powerful, but only one medium will be the victor. Deadline 11:59pm May 31, 2009. One artist will come out on top in the battle of Art vs Design. Submit now! Formats that will be accepted include (but are NOT limited to):
- Art: Mixed Media, Book Art, Crafts, Drawing Arts, Glass, Installation, Painting, Performance, Photography, Print Making, Sculpture, Street Art, Tattoo Art and all other art.
- Design: 3d Design, Advertising, Animation, Architecture, Art Directing, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Photography, Graphics, Poster Design, Typography, Web Site Design
IN FULL BLOOM - The Smithtown Township Arts Council is now accepting entries for In Full Bloom, July 18- Aug. 14, 2009. Seeking original artwork (realistic or representational) in any two-dimensional medium that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of flowers, such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, botanical illustration, colored pencil or pastel. (Sorry, no photography or computer generated art). Juror: Botanical artist Rose Pellicano’s whose work has been exhibited throughout the U.S. and Japan, and has been included in numerous prestigious exhibitions at the Horticultural Society of New York, the Bruce Museum, the U.S. Botanic Garden, and Chicago Botanic Garden, among others. Entry Deadline is June 10, 2009, and must be submitted as 300 ppi jpeg files on CD only. Click here for prospectus or send SASE to STAC, 660 Rte 25A, St. James, NY 11780.
CALL FOR MEMBERS - Vermont Hand Crafter is looking for creative and artistic Vermonters to join this not-for-profit organization dedicated to furthering the excellence of fine crafts and art that is created in Vermont. 2009 jury applications are now available online. All applicants must be legal residents of Vermont who produce original handmade functional art and craft items. Applicants selected for membership will join a nurturing and inclusive community of Vermont’s best artists. One of the best benefits of being a Member of Vermont Hand Crafters is the ability to participate in the annual Fine Art Craft Show held at the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center in S. Burlington the third week in November. This annual show is a long standing tradition in the Burlington area and is the largest event of Vermont-only artisans in the state attracting over 7000 customers from the greater New England area. Application Deadline is June 12, 2009. Click here for more information, or to apply.
KATHERINE PATERSON PRIZE FOR YOUNG ADULT AND CHILDREN'S WRITING - Hunger Mountain, the arts journal at Vermont College of Fine Arts, announces a new writing contest for writers of young adult (YA) and children’s literature. The contest, which is open to all writers, awards $1,000 and publication in Hunger Mountain’s new online arts journal, due to launch this summer. “We created the Katherine Paterson Prize because we wanted to support the work of young adult and children’s writers,” says Hunger Mountain managing editor Miciah Bay Gault. “We wanted a new way to honor the writers in this exciting field,” notes Gault. The Katherine Paterson Prize is open to writers of young adult fiction, middle grade fiction, and picture books. Entries must be unpublished and no more than 5,000 words. There is a $20 entry fee. Entries must be postmarked by June 30, 2009. Click here for more information.
NYFA CLASSIFIEDS – The New York Foundation for the Arts web site lists opportunities and services for artists in its classified section, one of the best free national online sources for artist opportunities and services. These include calls for entry, services such as photography of art work and accounting, space for rent, and many others.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES:
2009 SAVE AMERICA'S TREASURES - The National Park Service is awarding grants as part of its Save America’s Treasures program. Grants are available for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and historic structures and sites like artifacts, documents, works of art, historic districts, buildings, and structures. Grants are awarded to federal, state, local, and tribal government entities and nonprofit organizations through a competitive matching grant program and administered by the National Park Service in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Deadline: May 22, 2009.
NATIONAL FILM PRESERVATION FOUNDATION SUMMER GRANTS - The National Film Preservation Foundation's (NFPF) Summer Grants are available to public and nonprofit archives in the United States, including those that are part of federal, state, or local government. The grants target films made in the United States or by American citizens abroad and not protected by commercial interests. The grants, usually between $3,000–$18,000, allow nonprofit and public archives to conduct film preservation work at laboratories and post-production houses. Deadline: May 26, 2009.
NEA CHALLENGE AMERICA - National Endowment for the Arts Challenge America: Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants. This program offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations – those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. Deadline: May 28, 2009.
SAVE OUR HISTORY GRANT - The History Channel Save Our History Grant Program inspires youth to become the preservationists in their communities. Museums, historic sites, historical societies, preservation organizations, libraries, and archives are invited to partner with a local school or youth group and apply for funding to help preserve the history of their communities. Maximum award: $10,000. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) history organizations. Deadline: June 5, 2009.
ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS LENORE MARSHALL POETRY PRIZE - A prize of $25,000 is given annually for an outstanding book of poems written by a living U.S. citizen and published in the United States during the previous year. A jury of three poets will select the winner. Publishers may submit four copies of books published in 2008 with a $25 entry fee by June 15. Call or visit the web site for complete guidelines. Academy of American Poets, Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, 584 Broadway, Suite 604, New York, NY 10012.(212) 274-0343, ext. 18. Emily Hunt, Awards Associate.
FOX FOUNDATION RESIDENT ACTOR FELLOWSHIP - TCG is now accepting applications for the Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship (application and online registration deadline: June 15, 2009). Recipients in the Extraordinary Potential category demonstrate strong interest and a commitment to continued training, are in their early- to mid-career and have completed their training within the last fifteen years, will receive $15,000 and up to $10,000 in student loan repayment. Recipients in the Distinguished Achievement category have demonstrated considerable experience in professional theatre with a substantial body of work, and will receive $25,000. The TCG member host theatre receives $7,500. This Fellowship is a wonderful opportunity for exceptionally talented actors. By supporting actors of both Extraordinary Potential and Distinguished Achievement, the Fox Fellowship seeks to transform and deepen the relationship between an actor and a not-for-profit theatre. The Fellowship is driven by the actor’s artistic and professional goals, and asks the theatre to collaborate with the actor in pursuing their goals and working outside of their comfort zone. For more information, Please visit the TCG website. You can find a list of TCG member theatres here.
FIRST PERSON AMERICA: IN THESE HARD TIMES - A national competition seeking the best videos, photographs, and stories describing how individuals, families and communities are managing during these hard times. One of the unexpected outcomes of the Great Depression was a decade of creative outpouring that covered the U.S. map. Under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), thousands of artists fanned across the country documenting the experiences of everyday Americans as they worked to maintain their families, their communities, and their way of life in the face of a national economic crisis. Now, as Americans are again experiencing financial hardship and uncertainty, First Person Arts invites artists to document how this generation of Americans is coping. Artists: We are looking for short memoirs and essays, documentary films, and photographs that depict Americans from all walks of life. We are especially interested in stories that are unique to your family, your community, your town, your region – that capture the idiosyncratic things that are happening where you live - the slices of life that, taken together, will give us a First Person picture of America in 2009 – the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. Guidelines: Writing submissions – up to 2,500 words. –up to five minutes, excluding credits. Photography submissions - may include up to five photographs, with or without accompanying text of up to 100 words per image. Submission deadline: June 30, 2009.
ASSOCIATION OF PERFORMING ARTS PRESENTERS: CREATIVE CAMPUS INNOVATIONS GRANT PROGRAM - The purpose of the Creative Campus Innovations Grant Program, administered by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, is to support cross-campus interdisciplinary collaborations that integrate the work of performing arts presenters in the academy and the surrounding community. In 2010, Arts Presenters will award between eight and ten one- to two-year project grants, ranging from $100,000 to $200,000, to college and university presenters for projects that go beyond conventional practice and perspectives, feature innovative or experimental approaches, connect with arts and non-arts constituencies, and stimulate discussion and debate. Funded projects should incorporate a variety of campus-based activities that integrate the work of presenters into the life of the academy and the community by working collectively with other college and community partners to maximize resources in the performing arts. The application deadline is June 30, 2009. Program details and online application information are available on the Association of Performing Arts Presenters website.
JAZZ.NEXT GRANTS - Jazz.NEXT is a national jazz initiative designed to encourage the application of technology in substantive and innovative approaches to broaden and deepen relationships with new and existing audiences, promote enhanced communications with the public, more effectively market and distribute the work of jazz artists, and build links that create a more informed and cohesive jazz community better equipped to meet the challenges of a fast-changing marketplace. The program is intended to foster creative thinking that can result in the development of new models to help shape future operating practice for jazz artists, organizations, and presenters across the United States. Jazz.NEXT will support project planning and the implementation of fully developed plans that incorporate innovative uses of new technologies towards audience development, communications, distribution, marketing, and network building. Grants may support plans and projects that are new to the grantees or clearly represent taking their current technology efforts to the next levels of development. The program will also convene annual meetings among grant recipients to foster dialogue and share information on planning and project development. Findings that emerge from the program will be disseminated through selected case studies to a broad array of jazz stakeholders, including artists, presenters, service organizations, and funders. Deadline: July 1, 2009. Click here for guidelines.
ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES: FESTIVAL GRANTS PROGRAM - The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Festival Grants Program provides grants of up to $30,000 to a wide variety of film festivals based in the United States. Grant recipients include major international film festivals, independent and alternative festivals, and those that support social and cultural diversity. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that make festival events more accessible to the general public, give screening access to minority and less visible filmmakers, and bring the public into contact with filmmakers. Grants are available only to festivals that have been held on at least five occasions over at least five years. Applications must be received by July 1, 2009. Grant range information and application guidelines are available on the Academy's website.
FROST PLACE RESIDENT POET AWARD - A prize of $2,000 and a two-month residency at Robert Frost’s former home in Franconia, New Hampshire, is given annually to a poet who has published at least one poetry collection. Submit four copies of five poems, a resumé, and contact information for two references with a $20 entry fee by July 3. Send an SASE, call or visit the web site for complete guidelines. Frost Place, Resident Poet Award, P.O. Box 74, 158 Ridge Road, Franconia, NH 03580. (603) 823-5510. Therese Reger, Administrator.
FOUNDATION CENTER RFPS - Philanthropy News Digest, a service of the Foundation Center, hosts a web site listing funding opportunities, requests for proposals, and other listings of interest to artists and arts organizations.
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LOW-RENT PRIVATE CABIN AVAILABLE TO ARTISTS - Space available in Middlesex: This is an opportunity for artists to work, display and sell out of their own low-rent private cabin. There are 17 cabins located at the historic Camp Meade complex in Middlesex, VT. 7 cabins are still available, and the owners would like to fill them with interesting, qualified artists. If you are interested in this opportunity, please click here to send an email.
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WEB WATCH - ArtBabble was designed and launched by the Indianapolis Museum of Art in partnership with several other leading arts institutions. Created to spread the various forms of art through video, ArtBabble is supported primarily by a grant from the Ball Brothers Foundation. On the ArtBabble web site, visitors can view and rate videos collected from numerous sources. Videos can be found by artist, series, channel, and partner. Notes beside a video include links to information and resources that may be of interest to the viewer, including other relevant videos, Web sites, Wikipedia entries, books sold on Amazon, and works of art from partner museums. See what ArtBabble has to offer today!
TECH TIP: 6 TIPS TO MAKE YOUR EMAIL SOCIAL - Email by itself is kind of like… a one legged stool. It can’t stand on its own. To be effective and useful, combine email marketing with search, social marketing and blogging. Most Business-to-Business (B2B) marketers are still trying to figure our how to apply social marketing techniques to their business. Find out how to make YOUR email social.
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ARTMAIL SUBMISSIONS: If your event involves the performing or visual arts you must first enter it in the Vermont Arts Calendar in order to be considered for inclusion in ArtMail. Please take a close look at our submission guidelines, as they have been recently updated.
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THE FINE PRINT: If you have something for us to consider publishing in ArtMail, please read our submission guidelines. The Vermont Arts Council makes every reasonable effort to ensure that the information provided herein is accurate. We cannot assume responsibility for any consequences (good or bad, although we love to hear about the good) experienced by readers as a result of the information they obtain from this newsletter. Readers are advised to confirm time sensitive information such as performance dates, deadlines, and requirements with the sponsoring organization.
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