INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
The Individual Artist Fellowships reward artistic excellence, advance the careers of Maine artists, and promote public awareness regarding the eminence of the creative sector in Maine.
- Deadlines:
- Literary arts - May 14, 2010
- Visual arts - May 27, 2010
- Performing/Media arts - June 4, 2010
- Fellowship amount $13,000
Who is Eligible to Apply
Any individual Maine artist who:
- has a valid Maine address and has resided full-time in Maine for a minimum of two years at the date of application, and
- is 18 years of age or older at the time of the application, and
- is not enrolled as a full-time student in a field related to the application, and
- has completed and filed all final reports required for previous Maine Arts Commission grants.
Creators only are eligible to apply. A creator is an artist who consistently produces original work. For example, an artist may apply as a composer, but not as a singer; as a choreographer, but not as a dancer. Applicants must apply with their own original work.
Multi-artist applications must represent a team or group who consistently work together to produce a single body of work. Multi-artist applicants must also own the legal rights to the name being used.
Artists may submit only one application for an Individual Artist Fellowship during a single grant period. Artists who have previously received Individual Artist Fellowships from the Maine Arts Commission may not apply for the next ten grant cycles within that discipline. An artist may be awarded a maximum of three Individual Artist Fellowship awards in a lifetime.
Review Process
Jurors are selected for expertise in a specific field, as well as for a broad-based familiarity with other relevant fields. Every attempt will be made to select nationally renowned jurors. Due to the competitiveness of the Individual Artist Fellowship program and to avoid conflict of interest, all jurors selected for this program reside out of state. Because the sole criterion for selection is artistic excellence, the jury may, at its discretion, decline to grant an award.
All applications are reviewed anonymously to ensure equity. Supporting materials, including resumes and statements of intent, are only reviewed at the specific request of a juror. Separate juries are assembled to review visual, literary and performing arts. Therefore, the bulk of the review is based on artistic materials alone. The jury’s recommendations are presented to the Maine Arts Commission who approves the selection process at its next regularly scheduled meeting. Applicants will receive notice following that meeting.
Required Application Materials
Please do not submit work in elaborate file folders or packaging. Make copies of all application materials for your records prior to submitting them.
Preparing your documents for submission - All word documents must be saved as .doc or .rtf files and follow the following naming convention: lastname_firstname_TitleOfDocument.rtf (example: veilleux_lisa_resume.doc or veilleux_lisa_narrative.rtf).
- eGRANT Application
You will upload all supporting documents (with exception to video, audio or images) through eGRANT.
- Biographical Information
Resume, curriculum vita, or biographical sketch that speaks to your experience as a practicing artist. The jury will not favor one format over another, but please send only one version. This material is referenced only if requested by a juror. Staff also uses biographical information to promote the fellows once they are selected.
- Vendor Form (form below)
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. You must mail form with your signature to our office. Faxed copies are not accepted.
- Artistic Materials
Artists must submit materials in the required formats. Artistic materials are the most important aspect of your presentation to the jury, and it is essential that they are of the professional quality necessary to represent your artwork well. Each applicant must submit, via CD or DVD, one complete set of properly labeled artistic materials through the mail. A list describing these samples, including titles, dimensions, length of performance, title of poems, etc., must be included.
- Visual submission (CD Rom):
- The application package must include one set of ten images, depicting individual pieces, installations, designs models or products. Detail shots may be included.
- Required image format is a digital/scanned image saved as a .jpg. The image needs to be at least 500 x 360 pixels in size with a maximum single dimension of 1024 and saved at a resolution of 72 dpi.
- Save your image using the following convention:
- Artist name_title of image_year of work.jpg (Example: JaneDoe_Untitled_2004.jpg).
- Maximum of 72 characters in the file name.
- Name cannot contain any spaces or characters other than letters, numbers, underscore or hyphen.
- Work samples must be accompanied by a list that includes titles, dimensions, materials and date for each image submitted.
- Represented work must be current, preferably within the past three years, except in the case of large-scale installations.
- Audio and video submission (CD Rom or DVD):
- The application package must include quality recording(s) in CD ROM or DVD format. Please submit 4 copies.
- Required formats are:
- Video: .avi or .mov files
- Audio: .mp3 or .wav files
- Recording selection(s) set at a maximum of 15 minute review time and can include a single piece or multiple pieces as edited by the artist to best present the artists work and concept.
- If an artist is submitting a commercially produced CD or DVD then they must clearly indicate selected tracks or portions of tracks. These submissions should allow for jurors to hear/watch selected segments of larger works without viewing the entire piece.
- DVDs and CDs should contain enough space between selections to alert the jurors that they are beginning to assess a new work.
- Must include a separate sheet listing the artist’s name, title(s) of work(s), date(s) of completion, running time(s) when applicable, format of support material, best viewing platform (PC/MAC) and any special presentation instructions, and additional production credits.
- Represented work must be current, preferably within the past three years.
- Send audio and video artistic materials to the Maine Arts Commission, 193 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333-0025.
- Manuscript submission (upload in eGRANT using the letter of support upload field):
- 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.
- All materials must be legible in 12-point or larger type and double spaced. The name of the author should not appear on any manuscript material.
- Selections from a longer script or work of prose must be accompanied by a synopsis of the complete work.
- The manuscript must not include evidence of publication. Copied, published material that is not in original manuscript format will not be accepted. Authors who illustrate their own work may send in unpublished renderings.
- Represented work must be current; preferably within the past three years.
- Include a cover sheet with your name and address and title of work(s). Your name should not appear anywhere else on the manuscript(s).
Mail audio and video artistic materials and the vendor form to the Maine Arts Commission, IAF, 193 State Street, Augusta, Maine 04333-0025.
How to Apply
Applicants are required to apply through the Maine Arts Commission e-GRANT system. E-GRANT will accept applications until 11:59 pm, E.S.T., however; agency staff is only available to answer questions until 5:00 pm, E.S.T. Because of the volume of e-GRANT 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 e-GRANT must contact Kathy Ann Shaw at 207/287-2750, 877/887-3878 TTY/NexTalk User ID: kathy.shaw 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.
If you have any questions before you begin the application process, please review the Frequently Asked Questions or contact Donna McNeil, Director at 207/287-2726, donna.mcneil@maine.gov or TTY/NexTalk 877/887-3878.
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