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Letter from the Director

I recently paid a visit to the program staff at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in Washington, D.C. with contemporary art & public art associate Donna McNeil. We both came away from a series of 14 meetings with a strong sense that the NEA's program staff is willing to discuss program plans and ideas with individual artists and organizations in Maine.

As with any granting organization, be it a state or federal arts funding agency or a private foundation, getting to know the program staff is an important step in applying for funds. Not everyone can find the time or resources to travel to Washington, D.C. but there are several other steps you can take to enhance your chances of receiving funding in a competitive environment.

When applying for NEA funding, I suggest that you first review program guidelines on the endowment's Web site at www.nea.gov. The guidelines clearly outline each program area. Look over the guidelines in your area of interest and find out if your idea meets the goals and criteria of the program in question. Second, I suggest that you call NEA staff members who are responsible for various arts disciplines and discuss your plans with them.

While Donna and I were in Washington, D.C. the National Endowment for the Arts program staff stressed again and again that they welcome your calls. They also said that new initiatives often emerge that are not immediately entered into guidelines and, by staying in touch with endowment staff, you will know about these initiatives when they are in the planning stages.

You can find e-mail and telephone contact information for NEA staff members at www.arts.gov:591/staff/staff.html.

While Maine generally does well in receiving competitive NEA funds, we can always do better. For example, there is a very simple grant process for Challenge America Fast Track Review grants of $10,000. This program was established by Congress specifically to reach areas of the country often underserved by other NEA funding. The Challenge America grants are a perfect fit for Maine's rural and small city/town demographics. Also, some of our large cities may well be eligible for local arts agency funding to support infrastructure and special projects.

Finally, remember that while the NEA only funds individual artists in literature and folk arts, there are many other ways for artists to participate in NEA-supported projects.

I hope that within the next year a number of NEA program staff will visit Maine and hold open sessions on granting programs. In the meantime, please call the NEA with questions about your ideas and their programs. I also welcome your calls if you have questions about how the endowment funding is allocated to the Maine Arts Commission and to specific projects in the state. Feel free to contact me directly at alden.wilson@maine.gov or 207/287-2720.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Alden C. Wilson
Director