Grants, Calls for Art, Deadlines

Saw this license plate yesterday in downtown Plymouth. And, because I love the idea of artists creating and receiving monies/attention for their efforts, let's talk about grants and calls for art! (it's a long post with lots of information, but could be helpful to artists.)


First, calls for art...

Downtown Art Stroll
North Street, Plymouth, from Shirley Square to the base of Cole's Hill.
Sept. 24/Sat (rain date Sunday, Sept 25)
Free (to members) register by Sept. 17, 2011
Call The Plymouth Guild for more info (between 10AM - 4PM): 508.746.7222

Falmouth Artists Guild Fall Juried Show  Sept. 29 – Oct. 23
Deadline/receiving art @ Falmouth: Tues., Sept. 27, 9am-7pm
Show/s Info, PDF prospectus

Wax-Inc., National Show juried by Brian T. Allen, Director,
Addison Gallery of Art
South Shore Art Center Cohasset, MA
Deadline: October 3 - Wax-Inc., Entry forms and images must be received by this date at SSAC.
Prospectus available here or PDF here

The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod
Fall for the Arts Masquerade Ball at Wychmere Harbor Club
Call to Artists for original mask designs. Note 2 different mask types + deadlines, described below.

Deadline: Oct.10, 2011
Wearable Masks:
Let your imagination take over and create a unique mask inspired by the "Venetian" theme! These masks will be for sale at a Masquerade Mask Fair on Saturday, October 15, 2011.
Deadline: Oct. 24, 2011
Centerpiece Masks:
These pieces will go on each table at the Masquerade Ball and will be entered into a competition with prizes being awarded at the end of the event.
Notify them of intent to submit ASAP:  fftaATartsfoundation.org (replace AT with @)

The Sketchbook Project 2012
You purchase a sketchbook for $25, fill it, send it in. The tour will stop in lots of places - Boston will be one of the stops this year/2012.
Get a sketchbook...
Sign up by Oct 31, 2011
Postmark your book by Jan 31, 2012 
Tour starts April, 2012

OK, now grants...
The MA Cultural Council (MCC) allocates money to many local arts councils in MA, which local councils award, based on proposals sent in to them.
Postmark deadline: Oct.15, 2011
Application guidelines
Send finished/filled in applications to local council(s) directly:
Plymouth Cultural Council, P.O. Box 1785, Plymouth, MA 02362-1785

From the MCC site:
"Individuals, schools, and cultural organizations are eligible to apply for project support from their local council."
"...grants from LCCs are reimbursement-based. (The applicant expends their own money, and if approved for a grant, then submits paperwork for reimbursement.)"

Now what I find kind of curious is that just one of the local grants (Plymouth Cultural Council) was awarded to an individual artist last year. (See link to article about this person, farther down.) Is this because we haven't applied, haven't had "worthy" projects, filled out the forms wrong? Let's rectify that!

Local (Plymouth, MA) council guidelines and forms
The Plymouth Cultural Council (PCC) has had $9080 allocated for the fiscal year. You can see other 2011 town allocations here.

You may attend an info meeting with MCC representatives to get info on the grants and how to fill out forms. Here's one:
Mashpee: Tues., Oct. 4
Registration/Networking - 6:00 PM
Workshop - 6:30-8:00 PM
Mashpee Public Library, 64 Steeple St., Mashpee, MA
To register/workshop info at top right at link.

Maybe we could also discuss this informally, artist to artist, at the library meeting on 9.19?

If your project/proposal would benefit the public in different towns, apply to those local councils too! It seems that many of the organizations have been awarded monies from many surrounding towns. So consider these (and other towns) if you can show that your projects etc would benefit them...check out their funding guidelines, mailing addresses and past awards. Very enlightening!  ;-)

Kingston Cultural Council
Bourne
Carver
Duxbury 
Middleborough
Pembroke 
Wareham

Maybe you'd find it informative to read about one individual who has been awarded monies from many local cultural councils, not necessarily in the town where he resides. (Note: the article is about the programs he presents - I just happened to notice in looking at various towns' award recipients, that this person, who was awarded money from the Plymouth Cultural Council, also received money from many other local councils.)

• One more...The MCC also awards Artist Fellowships.

This year, they're awarding the following:
Drawing, Painting, and Traditional Arts
Online application available: August 15, 2011
Application deadline: October 7, 2011
Grants announced by February 2012

Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry
Online application available: December 15, 2011
Application deadline: January 30, 2012
Grants announced by June 2012

Good luck!