An applicant who meets these criteria may apply:

• Is an individual practicing artist.
• Is a current Maine resident.
• Is a new, developing or change of career artist.
• Is 18 years of age or older by the application deadline.
• If applicable, has completed all Final Reports, required by the Maine Arts Commission for previous awards.

Notes:

• An applicant cannot apply for the Artist Project Grant and the Springboard Grant in the same grant cycle.
• Awardees of the Maine Arts Commission Apprenticeships are still eligible to apply.

 

Eligible Expenses

Awards may be used for the creation of work and the advancement of their artistic goals for things like:

• Materials or equipment
• Productions or installations
• Planning and preparation
• Tours or exhibition costs
• Residencies
• Hiring other artists or assistants

 

Ineligible Expenses:

• Debt or loan repayment
• Equipment purchases over $5,000
• Home office or home studio rent and expenses
• Activities for which undergraduate or graduate level education credit is given
• Projects that support or oppose a particular political party or candidate for public office
• Projects that are exclusive to members of a particular religious faith group

 

 

Grant applications are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

1. Project Feasibility (50%):
   •  Is it well-thought out?
   •  Can it be achieved in the proposed timeframe?
2. Impact (20%):
   •  Does the project support the artist’s goals and practice in meaningful and clearly identified way?
3. Budget (10%):
   •  Is the budget realistic for the project and the applicant?
   •  Is the artist’s time on the project taken into consideration, even as in-kind?
   •  If anyone else is involved in the project, are they compensated appropriately?
4. Artist Excellence and Artistic Merit (20%):
   •  The applicant demonstrates a commitment to their creative practice, to increasing their skills, and the work is meaningful to its intended audience.

 

 

All applications and materials must be submitted using the online Application Portal.If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to carefully review these details and call us with questions prior to beginning an application. Please give yourself plenty of time to write a strong application and be sure to start the process early!

• Create a Maine Arts Commission account. Create Now! Once you start an application, you can make changes anytime before you submit. Get your application going by using the application worksheet!
• Answer application questions (to be competed in the application portal):

1. Tell us about yourself and your creative work. Think of this like your artist bio/resume. (1200 characters)
2. Tell us about the project you want to be funded. (1200 characters)
3. What is the timeline of your project? (750 characters)
4. How will the success of this project support your goals as an artist? Be as specific as you can based on your unique project. (1,200 characters)

• Complete the budget form. (show overall budget including cash and in-kind contributions, not just what you want the grant to cover).
• Upload support materials:

Required Support Materials:

• Artist samples: This includes images, samples, audio, or video materials (max length: five minutes each) prose samples, poetry. Only 5 total artist sample uploads of any type will be reviewed.

Required Support Materials Guidelines:

 

** For ANY link submitted for review: 1 Link = 1 Sample. For example, a link should go directly to one image OR one video OR one text sample.  

 

The Maine Arts Commission may use submitted artistic samples solely for the non-commercial promotion of the artist and/or Maine Arts Commission programs.

 

 

Submitted applications are first reviewed by staff for completion, eligibility, and adherence to these funding guidelines. Applications are then reviewed by a diverse panel of arts and culture professionals; these panelists review each application and submit scores based on the review criteria (see below). These scores help us determine how we will allocate the funding.

 

Review Criteria

Grant applications are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

1. Project Feasibility (50%):
   •  Is it well-thought out?
   •  Can it be achieved in the proposed timeframe?
2. Impact (20%):
   •  Does the project support the artist’s goals and practice in meaningful and clearly identified way?
3. Budget (10%):
   •  Is the budget realistic for the project and the applicant?
   •  Is the artist’s time on the project taken into consideration, even as in-kind?
   •  If anyone else is involved in the project, are they compensated appropriately?
4. Artist Excellence and Artistic Merit (20%):
   •  The applicant demonstrates a commitment to their creative practice, to increasing their skills, and the work is meaningful to its intended audience.

 

Award Process

If your application is funded, you sign a letter of agreement with the Maine Arts Commission, and you must comply with all requirements stated in that agreement. Your award money may take up to 12 weeks from the time you are notified. This means you may need to pay costs upfront with your own money and then be reimbursed when you receive funding from us. Award funds can be used to reimburse past eligible project costs incurred between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.

All applicants are notified, whether approved or declined, by email. If you receive an award, you will also receive future emails with next steps.

Awardees are required to submit a final report (a template will be provided) for each grant received. Final reports are due 14 days after the end of the fiscal year. You may not be eligible to apply for another Maine Arts Commission grant if you do not submit your final report.

Our goal is for all potential applicants to have the resources they need to submit a competitive application. If you have questions about your project or the application process, please call us at 207-287-2724. We are happy to help!

 

If you have questions about the technical aspects of the application form, or questions about electronic submission, please contact: Eli Cabañas, Grants and Web Manager, vog.eniam@sanabac.ile or call 207-287-6746