Making Money Through Art

1. Making Money Through Art Applying for Artist Grants

2. 2013 Regional Artist Project Grant Program Guidelines What it is, who can apply, and basic guidelines

3. What is Funded? • The Regional Artist Project Grant is intended to fund a project that has the potential to significantly advance one’s career as a professional visual, performing, literary, and/or inter-disciplinary artist. • The applicant should have at least some basic education in their art form. • The applicant should also have a reputation of artistic accomplishment, according to the stage of their career. • The grant has no specific limits on its possible monetary amount; awards may range from $500-$2500. • Applicants can receive either full or partial funding for their projects.

4. Who is Eligible? • Individual artists • Small groups of unincorporated artists • Must have a formal partnership. • This group collaboration has to be something that would further each member’s career. • Examples: A jazz quartet, a dance duo, or visual artist partnership. • Artists 18 and older that are not currently enrolled in a degree or certificate program. • Artists living in Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Pender, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland counties must have been a resident in one of these counties for at least a year prior to their application being submitted. • Previous award winners are not eligible to apply for consecutive years.

5. Examples of Fundable Projects • Promotion/Presentation • The cost of producing a demo tape for a composer • A video demo for a choreographer • A portfolio for a visual artist • Editorial assistance for a writer • Travel • Costs for transportation • Lodging and food associated with a specific art-related workshop/seminar • Completion/Production • The cost of purchasing materials for the completion of a significant new work of visual art • The cost of renting a facility for the public presentation of a new play • Training • Advanced study or coaching that will advance the artist’s abilities • Equipment • The cost of purchasing a kiln for a potter • Digital equipment for a photographer • Supplies for visual artists

6. Application Process Complete your application and submit via e-mail to the Arts Council. The Arts Council then issues each applicant an user id for their File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program. This is where each artist’s application is resubmitted, along with all support materials (pictures/examples of work, etc.). All submitted entries are judged by a panel of artists art educators. Their selections are then reviewed by a separate panel of multi-county judges who are professional artists, art educators/administrators, and arts advocates. The final recommendations from these panels must then be approved by the Board of Trustees of the Arts Council.

7. Criteria for Evaluation Overall excellence of the artwork Demonstration of exceptional talent Serious professional commitment to their art form Contribution of the proposed project to the advancement of the artist’s career development Feasibility of the proposed project

8. Submitted Materials: • Application • Project Narrative • A one page statement about the proposed project that describes not only the project, but also how its completion will advance your career as an artist, briefly explains where you are in your artistic/professional goals, and includes a timeline for the project’s completion. • Budget Form • A provided form that outlines the costs of the proposed project. Additional pages may be attached to explain specific items (ex: “supplies” might need to be given as an itemized list on a separate page). • Resume or Biographical Statement • Up to two pages that include education, employment, and exhibition history, as well as the artist’s most recent performances, publications, commissions, grants, and awards. • Letters of Recommendation • Two (2) current signed letters of recommendation from people in your field of art, familiar with your current work, and willing to support your application. These are not character references; the letters should support the idea that you are qualified in your field.

9. Submitted Materials • Work Samples • Include one set of recent documentation material exemplifying work completed within the past 2 years. Make sure that you keep all original documentation and only send in duplicates. • Promotional/Marketing Plan • If this is part of your request, attach one page that describes how materials will be used and the expected outcome. • Conference/Workshop Information • If you want the grant to attend a conference or workshop, include a description of the event along with the speaker’s/instructor’s qualifications. • Extras Accepted • If you want to include additional information, such as a stellar review, feel free to include it. Just make sure that you have 11 copies that are three-hole punched and/or in three-hole punched sheet protectors.

10. Tips for Your Grant Application • Treat the grant application like a job interview. • This application is representative of you. • Be professional. Present a neat application and resume with all of the required materials, and be sure that you have followed all of the guidelines. • Don’t get in your own way. • Do not try to make an impression by submitting your application on colored paper to prove your bold sense of color; it is distracting and will not make the impression that you want it to. Again, treat this like a job application.

11. Tips for Your Grant Application • In order to provide a persuasive Project Narrative, make sure that the project is both feasible and a logical step for you. • Do not propose a project that seems beyond your capacity in terms of cost, access, etc. Unless you have credible answers to reasonable questions about the scale or ambition of your project, it is best not to shoot for the moon. • It should make sense why whatever you are requesting would be relevant or helpful to you at this point in your career. You never want a panelist to furrow his brow in confusion. • While this request may seem intuitively logical to you, do not rely on the panelist to connect the dots. Go ahead and explain as specifically as possible why you need a website, or need to attend that workshop, etc. • Use simple, declarative sentences and an active voice—and get to the point. • You are asking strangers for money; if a stranger asks you for money, what do you want to know? Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Make sure that your application addresses these basic queries.

12. Tips for Your Grant Application • Provide detail in your budget. • Provide supporting documentation; prove that you have done your research and did not simply pull numbers at random. • This also shows that you have a clear concept of how to implement your project, making your case even stronger. • Show that you are investing personal income into the project as well. • This gives proof of your commitment to the project . • Keep resumes and bios brief, but concise, focusing on your accomplishments and activities as an artist. • An ideal length to aspire to is 2-3 pages.

13. Tips for Your Grant Application • Make sure that work samples are strong. • Proofread manuscripts and captions, check that CDs or DVDs work correctly, make sure that photos of visual art are correctly focused and cropped to best portray your work. • It is best to submit visual art via digital images on a CD or as slide images so that all panelists can experience the work together. It shows foresight and professionalism on the part of the artist. • Make sure that the submitted works somehow relate to your proposed project. • Recent works are preferred since they show the current quality.

14. Need More Information? For more information, contact your local Arts Council, or check the resources on their website at http://www.theartscouncil.com/rapsgrant.php.

15. This presentation is from Visual Art Exchange’s “Business of Being an Artist” educational series. For more information, visit www.visualartexchange.org.