TRADITIONAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
Whether it's French fiddling, Wabanaki basketry or North woods canoe making, mastering a traditional art calls for an understanding of a particular style or choice of materials, as well as a deep connection to place and local practices. These influences play an essential role in shaping a traditional artist's work and/or repertoire. The Traditional Arts Fellowship Program seeks to honor Maine artists who have devoted their lives to keeping these traditions alive. Through their creativity and commitment, the cultural identity of an entire community is celebrated and reaffirmed.
- Deadline June 18, 2010
- Fellowship amount $13,000
What are Traditional Arts?
Traditional arts are passed down through the generations, reflecting the values and practices of a shared culture based on geography, language, religion, occupation, ethnic heritage, tribal affiliation or family background.
Boat building, basket making, wood carving, chain saw carving, fly-tying, instrumental and vocal music, step dancing, canoe making, snowshoe making, quilting, hooked or rag rug making and knitting are a few examples of traditional arts that are practiced in Maine. These arts are usually learned through observation and imitation at the hands of a master practioner rather than through classes, books, the internet or academic training.
Who is Eligible to Apply
Any individual Maine artist or group that:
- is a practitioner of traditional art, 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 a valid Maine address and has resided full-time in Maine for a minimum of two years at the date of application, and
- has completed and filed all final reports required for previous Maine Arts Commission grants.
Artists may submit only one application for a Traditional Arts Fellowship during a single grant period. Artists who have previously received Traditional Artist Fellowships from the Maine Arts Commission may not apply for the next five grant cycles. An artist may be awarded a maximum of three Traditional Artist Fellowship awards in a lifetime.
Review Process
A jury of out-of-state traditional arts specialists review applications.
The jury’s recommendations are presented to the Maine Arts Commission which approves the selection process at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
Review Criteria
Traditional Arts Fellowship Grant proposals are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:
- Artistic excellence.
- Cultural significance.
- Authenticity.
- Artist's contribution to sustaining traditional art.
- Role of artist in their community.
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.
- A two page biographical statement including the following:
- An overview of your traditional art form.
- A description of how you learned your art including who taught you as well as other family, tribal, ethnic, occupation influences on your work.
- How long have you been practicing your art form?
- Describe the community where you practice your art. What is your role as an artist in this community?
- Why is this art form important to you? To your community?
- Please include a description of local, state or national recognition of your work.
- Letters of support Submit up to three letters of support by a community member stating the qualifications of the applicant.
- 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.
- 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.
- Manuscript submission (CD Rom):
- 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.
Mail audio and video artistic materials and the vendor form to the Maine Arts Commission, TAF, 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 contact Kathleen Mundell, traditional arts specialist, 207/236-6741 or mainetraditionalarts@gmail.com.
Apply Now!
