This grant supports artistic innovation in the production and presentation of media and/or performance work of artists.
- Deadline: April 5, 2013
- Maximum grant amount: $2,000 (Organizations must show an in-kind and/or cash match)
- Project must take place between June 14, 2013 and June 13, 2014
- Funding will be available after June 14, 2013
Innovation can be in the form of materials used, production methods, project concepts, technology integration, and/or location use. Innovation can also come in the form of timing, placement of work, means of distribution or the manner that it is presented. The proposed production should have public presence or community impact. All applications should explain the way in which innovation is being expressed.
The proposed production should have public presence or community impact. It should also be compelling and demonstrate excellence in the field. An application may request funding for a segment of a production, or a production in its entirety. If the request is for partial funding, the source for the other funds to complete the project must be explained. All applications should address the continuum of the creative process from artist to audience, and explain the way in which innovation is being incorporated.
Who is Eligible to Apply
A profession Maine artist is eligible to apply if s/he has a valid Maine address and has resided full-time in Maine for a minimum of two years at the date of application, is 18 years of age or older at the time of the application, and is not enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student and the application is not a required part of their course of study.
or
A professional Maine arts organization is eligible to apply if it is a nonprofit organization, legally established in the state of Maine, and has tax exempt status 501(c)(3) from the Internal Revenue Service.
All applicants must have completed and filed all final reports required for previous Maine Arts Commission grants.
An organization applying must demonstrate a fiscal structure that allows them to legally and responsibly utilize grant funds. This applicant must provide a minimum of 1:1 cash or in-kind match. This demonstrates the applicant’s ability to take on the project. This match must be documented as part of the application package.
Any applicant becomes legally accountable for complying with the above eligibility requirements upon submission of this request.
Review Process
Applications are reviewed by a committee of public members who are selected for their expertise in specific artistic fields. The committee will be chaired by a member of the Maine Arts Commission.
Grant recommendations will be presented to the executive committee or the full Maine Arts Commission, at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The approval of the review process, making the grant official, takes place at that time.
The review process and delivery of funds may take up to four months. This means that grant funds may be used to reimburse costs incurred for the project after the grant has been approved. Please plan accordingly.
Review Criteria
Grant proposals are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:
- Artistic excellence
- Evidence that the proposal has public element(s) to it and/or community impact
- Innovative component(s) that enhance(s) artistic presentation and/or production
- Ability to use the funds appropriately as demonstrated by a project budget
- Evidence of efforts to reach persons with disabilities
Examples of Successful Grants
This grant will be supported Limitations & Possibilities, a series of temporary installations to contextualize conversations and exercises curated to help shift perspectives on human and situational limitations and potential.
This grant supported an installation of colorful wallpaper with dynamic lighting by Milan artists Carnovsky.
Required Application Materials
Please review the following required materials carefully in preparing your application materials. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in disqualification of your application. Only complete applications will be accepted. Make copies of all application materials for your records prior to submitting them.
The preferred format for text files is .pdf, but .doc or .rtf files will be allowed. No other format will be accepted. Failure to save a document correctly may limit its ability to be uploaded through eGRANT and jeopardize the application. Instructions for submitting artistic work samples, if required, can be found below.
- eGRANT Application
- Application Budget Form (form below) No substitutions for the budget form are allowed (Organizations must provide evidence of 1:1 cash or in-kind match).
- Application Narrative (form below) Clear, specific responses to each of the questions, addressed sequentially and numbered. Responses can not exceed two pages. The project description is the central element of the grant request.
- Resume(s) For key staff members involved with the organization. Artists to be employed by the project may be included as well.
- Vendor Form (form below) To be provided by a first time applicant or those who’s contact information has changed. This is information used by the Treasury to generate a check if the grant is awarded. Applicants should be sure to indicate the address the check should be sent to
- Assurances Form for Organizations only (form below) Form must include the original signature of an authorizing official. Please mark with name of applicant.
- Work Samples As outlined below. Please pick one format only for submitting your samples.
Artist Work Sample Submission Guidelines
There are up to ten opportunities to submit work samples with your application, although not every application will ask for ten samples. Work samples are a crucial aspect of your application and it is essential that they are of professional quality and appropriate representations of your current abilities.
Naming of all files should use the following convention: last name_title_year of work (Eg: Doe_Untitled_2010.jpg). There is a maximum of 72 characters file name limit and the name should NOT contain spaces or characters other than letters, numbers, underscores and hyphens.
A Description of Work Samples must be included to provide an additional reference for the submissions. Information on this document should list the work and include artist name, title, medium, size (if applicable), year of creation, and any other (brief) information that will better inform the reviewers about the artwork.
Represented work must be current; preferably within the past three years.
For Individual Artist Fellowship applications only: The review process is anonymous therefore there should be no evidence of your name anywhere on your actual samples. You are asked to submit a work sample description with your name that only staff will see during the review
FORMAT REQUIREMENTS FOR WORK SAMPLES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Literary
Preferred format PDF, but WORD documents will also be accepted. Literary samples should be examples of an artists literary creation(s), submitted in the way that corresponds to the application. Manuscripts should include works of prose or up to five poems. Script and playwriting applicants should include one act or scene. Manuscripts in all genres must not exceed 20 pages. Selections from a longer script or work of prose may be accompanied by a synopsis of the complete work. All materials must be legible in 12-point or larger type and double spaced.
Images
Preferred format JPEG, but PDF images will also be accepted.Optimal image size is 1920 pixels on the longest side (to accommodate HD viewing) at a resolution of 72 dpi and a file size under 5mb. Images can be a digital photograph or a digital scan.
Audio
Preferred format MP3, but WAV or AIFF files will also be accepted.Optimal audio submissions should be an audio file under five minutes in length in a file size under 10mb. If the audio file is longer than five minutes listening points should be indicated on the explanatory document about how to listen to the work sample(s). Links to audio files that are housed online can count as audio submissions.
Video
Preferred Format MPEG-4, but MOV and AVI files will be accepted.It is preferred that time-based works submit at least one video work sample. Optimal video submissions should be a video or video clip under five minutes in length in a file size under 20mb. If the video file is longer than five minutes viewing points should be indicated on the explanatory document about the work samples. Links to a video URL that is housed on a hosting site such as Youtube, Vimeo, or the artist’s website can count as a video submission.
If you are unable to upload your materials or you wish to submit files that are copy-protected you may submit the work samples on a CD or DVD. If you do this you must send six copies of the material. Please write the appropriate information to identify the application on the disc itself (not on the case).
Web
Website URL address in a PDF, but WORD documents will also be accepted.If the artist has their materials in an online resume or some other networked means of exhibition they can direct reviewers to the material by providing a URL. The URL should link to a specific page containing the work sample. An applicant should not assume the reviewers will navigate into the site if directed to the home page. The applicant may suggest preferred web browsers for optimal viewing of submitted materials in the explanatory document about the work samples. Mail or fax (207/287-2725) the assurances form and vendor form (if required) to the Maine Arts Commission, 193 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333-0025.
Stop!
Each applicant must speak with Kerstin Gilg at 207/287-6719, kerstin.gilg@maine.gov, about the project before submitting an application. Failure to do so will disqualify the application.
How to Apply
Applicants are required to apply through the Maine Arts Commission eGRANT system. An eGRANT application will be accepted until 5:00 pm, on the date of the application deadline. Because of the volume of eGRANT submissions on the day of any grant deadline, we strongly recommend you give yourself a 24-hour buffer.
Applicants who are unable to apply through eGRANT must contact Kathy Ann Shaw at 207/287-2750 or kathy.shaw@maine.gov to discuss an alternative prior to applying. Alternative submissions will not be accepted without prior authorization.
The agency will not accept late or incomplete applications under any circumstance.
Grant information is available in large print format by request. All Maine Arts Commission programs are accessible to people with disabilities. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.
Apply Now!
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