Painting & Writing Fellowships, Residencies Overseas and More for the New Year!

Greetings all...Thanks to www.re-title.com, FundsforWriters.com and Poets & Writers for a couple of the following opportunities!

(ARTISTS) The British School at Rome: Artists Residencies & Fellowships: Applications are invited for a number of residencies in the visual arts. They offer an en-suite studio and bedroom, meals taken together in a communal dining room, 24-hour access to a historic library collection, a research grant, and at least one group show; they are tenable for three, nine or twelve months.

The awards available for 2011–12 include: Abbey Scholarship and Fellowships; Australia Council Residencies; the Derek Hill Foundation Scholarship; and the Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting and Sculpture. See http://www.bsr.ac.uk/ or contact the Registrar, Gill Clark, at bsr@britac.ac.uk Closing dates for applications: mainly January 2011
(see http://www.bsr.ac.uk for precise details and dates)

(POETS) Martin Dibner Fellowships—Fellowships of up to $1,000 each are given in alternating years to emerging Maine-based poets and fiction writers to attend writing workshops or complete writing projects. For this year’s fellowships, poets may submit a writing sample of five to seven pages and a resumé by January 15, 2011. There is no entry fee. Visit the Web site for complete guidelines: www.mainecf.org/DibnerFellowship.aspx

(ALL) The Wellcome Trust Arts Awards—The Wellcome Trust is inviting organizations and individuals to apply for funding through its Arts Awards. The Arts Awards support projects that engage the public with biomedical science through the arts including dance, drama, performance arts, visual arts, music, film, craft, photography, creative writing or digital media. Applications are invited for projects up to £30,000.

The aim of the awards is to support arts projects that reach new audiences which may not traditionally be interested in science and provide new ways of thinking about the social, cultural and ethical issues around contemporary science. The scheme is open to a wide range of people including, artists, scientists, curators, filmmakers, writers, producers, arts workers and education officers. Deadline: 28 January, 2011. Further Information - http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/arts Email: arts@wellcome.ac.uk

(ARTISTS) Visual Arts Residencies—One-month residencies for visual artists are being offered in America's oldest working art colony on Rocky Neck in Gloucester, Ma. Included is a waterfront studio/ gallery/ living space, and access to a rich, cultural community.

June - October 2011. Application fee is $25. Deadline is March 1st, 2011. rockyneckartcolony.org for application and info. Ruth Mordecai, Director Residency Committee rglouc@comcast.net

(WRITERS) Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, United States/Japan Creative Artists Residency—Up to five five-month residencies, each of which includes a monthly stipend of 600,000 yen (approximately $7,100) for living expenses, housing, and professional support, are awarded annually to published U.S. poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers to live in Japan and pursue creative projects. The residencies are sponsored by the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission in conjunction with the National Endowment for the Arts. The residencies also each include a travel grant of up to $6,000. Submit 10 pages of poetry or up to 15 pages of a long poem or work of prose, two letters of recommendation, a resumé, and proof of publication by February 1. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for the required entry form and complete guidelines. Deadline: February 1, 2011. www.jusfc.gov/programguidelines.asp E-mail address: artists@jusfc.gov

Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, United States/Japan Creative Artists Residency, c/o Margaret Mihori, 1201 15th Street NW, Suite 330, Washington, D.C. 20005. (202) 653-9800.

(WRITERS) David T. K. Wong Fellowship: A one-year fellowship at the University of East Anglia, including a £26,000 (approximately $41,300) stipend, is given annually to a fiction writer for a work that “deals seriously with some aspect of life in the Far East.” Submit up to 2,500 words of fiction with a £10 (approximately $16) entry fee by January 17. Visit the Web site for the required entry form and complete guidelines: http://www1.uea.ac.uk/cm/home/schools/hum/lit/awards University of East Anglia, School of Literature and Creative Writing, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom. Natalie Mitchell, Fellowship Administrator.

(WRITERS) Charles Pick Fellowship—A six-month fellowship at the University of East Anglia, including a £10,000 (approximately $16,000) stipend, is given annually to a fiction writer or creative nonfiction writer who has not yet published a book. Submit up to 2,500 words of prose and a letter of reference by January 31. There is no entry fee. Visit the Web site for the required entry form and complete guidelines: www1.uea.ac.uk/cm/home/schools/hum/lit/awards University of East Anglia, School of Literature and Creative Writing, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom. Natalie Mitchell, Fellowship Administrator.

(WRITERS) Stadler Center for Poetry/Philip Roth Residency—A four-month residency, including a $4,000 stipend, at the Stadler Center for Poetry at Bucknell University is given annually to a poet, a fiction writer, or a creative nonfiction writer. The 2011 Philip Roth Residence is open to U.S. fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers who are over the age of 21 and not enrolled in a college or university. Using the online submission system, submit up to 20 pages of prose, a curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation by February 11. E-mail or visit the Web site for complete guidelines.

Stadler Center for Poetry, Philip Roth Residence, Bucknell Hall, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837. Andrew Ciotola, Operations Manager. Deadline: February 11, 2011. Web site: www.bucknell.edu/stadlercenter E-mail address:

ciotola@bucknell.edu

(ALL) Byrdcliffe Art Colony Residencies—The Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild offers month long Artist in Residence (AIR) opportunities for visual artists, composers, playwrights/screenwriters, and writers of fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Longer residencies are available for ceramic artists. The AIR sessions generally occur during the months of June, July, August, and September. Our goal is to provide solitude in a community and uninterrupted time in which to concentrate on creative work alongside fellow artists. Opened in 1903, the Byrdcliffe Art Colony was placed on the National Register of Historic Sites in 1979 for its architectural and historical significance. It is located in the Catskill Mountains, 1.5 miles from the center of Woodstock, New York. For more information or to apply, please go to http://www.woodstockguild.org/artist_in_residence/index.html Deadline is March 1, 2011.

New Residencies & Grants and a My Words Project Update

Hey everyone, thanks so much for all your letters of support and all your donations to the My Words Are My Shelter project. It apparently struck a deep chord in many people and the response has been amazing. The update is this: In the very first day, I got $507! That is enough to send a box of journals, pens and pencils to every single woman at my mom’s shelter. I haven’t even checked my P.O. box for checks yet and today, some other donations came in. What I decided to do with the extra money, is to use the money for a ticket to go to Cleveland to the shelter (no need for housing as I have friends there) and do a poetry workshop with the women there this coming February. Any left-over money from this My Words project after that will be donated to the shelter in either check form or in the form of more journals or books (they really need books too!). So that’s the update. I’ll run this project until December 20th for now. I think that it will become an on-going project for the future and I hope that it inspires other such actions across the globe. Actually, it already has---I have heard from several people around the world who said they were going to do the same thing. Very cool! And all because of YOU!

Okay...onward and upward! I have a couple opportunities and will post more tomorrow or Friday. Have a great day and thanks once again for your support. I’ll keep you updated on the project.

Cheers,

Mirabee

(CA ARTISTS) The Creative Work Fund – Grants of $10,000-$40,000 for projects by San Francisco Bay Area artists and organizations. Projects must feature one or more artists collaborating with a nonprofit organization to create new works. Artists may be working in media (film, video, video or sound installations, radio, or computer-based media) or traditional arts (including performance). The Creative Work Fund celebrates the role of artists as problem solvers and the making of art as a profound contribution to the intellectual inquiry and strengthening of communities. for more info, call 415) 402-2793 or visit the website: www.creativeworkfund.org. Check website for guidelines.

(WRITERS & ARTISTS) Provincetown Residencies—The Provincetown Community Compact is accepting applications for residencies in two dune shacks in the Cape Cod National Seashore (Provincetown, MA USA). These primitive dwellings in a magnificent setting provide one to three week stays, one with a $500 fellowship for a visual artist, and two funded writers' weeks. For details go to: www.thecompact.org

(MN or NY ARTISTS) The 2011 Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant Program—will award grants to emerging creative artists (composers, sound artists, playwrights, creators of performance art and experimental theater, and visual artists). Minnesota-based executive and program administrators working for nonprofit organizations in music, theater, and visual arts are also eligible to apply. The deadline for applications in Music, Theater, and Visual Arts is February 28, 2011.

The Travel and Study Grant Program places emphasis on individual exploration and growth. The program supports such activities as research leading to the creation of new work, the development of collaborations, participation in specific training programs, time for reflection and individualized study, investigating artistic work outside of Minnesota or New York City, and dialogue on aesthetic issues.

The application and guidelines are available at www.Jeromefdn.org If you have questions, please contact the Foundation office at 651.224.9431 or 1-800-995-3766.

(MUSICIANS & COMPOSERS) Music Omni Residency: Each August, approximately a dozen musicians--composers and performers from around the globe--gather for two and a half weeks to share in a unique collaborative music making residency program. Music Omi encourages its residents to participate as members of an international musical community; sharing ideas, performing each others works and writing music for one another while exploring their own musical vision. Music Omi invites applicants from all musical disciplines who wish to broaden their artistic horizons and engage actively with a diversity of other musicians.

Unlike most artists residency programs, where artists come to work in isolation, Music Omi actively encourages the exchange of ideas and the sharing of cultures through active collaboration. A singular feature of the Music Omi experience is the presentation of two public concerts at the conclusion of the program (one on the Art Omi campus itself near the conclusion of the residency, and the other at a New York City venue the day following the conclusion of the residency).

Applicants may be primarily composers, improvisers or performers, but have some proficiency in each of these areas. Music Omi welcomes academically trained musicians, musicians "of the street," players of traditional instruments, concert instruments, vocalists, and sound artists of all kinds. "Pop," "jazz," "classical," "folk," "experimental," and other such labels have no bearing on the selection process, only musical excellence and a wish to collaborate. It is recommended that applicants come not with specific projects in mind, but rather with a willingness to share their skills and sensibilities, and an openness to working together with others on jointly conceived musical projects.

All awarded fellows commit to remaining for the entire residency and to participating in the concluding concerts. Everyone accepted to Music Omi receives full room and board during his or her stay (note that Art Omi is unable to provide travel funds).

Contact Information

Contact Name:

Jeffrey Lependorf, Music Omi Director

Contact Email:

musicians@artomi.org

Contact Information:

Omi International Arts Center, Inc.
55 Fifth Avenue, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10003
Google Map

URL:

http://www.artomi.org/music.htm

$40,000 Prize for Creativity, UK Writers Grants and More!!

Hi Everyone,

Thanks so much to all of you who sent me those sweet little get-well notes! That was very kind of you. I'm still a bit under the weather but I wanted to pass along a couple opportunities for you to think about. I also wanted to say something about grant rejections and why, even if you get rejected, good things sometimes occur.

Recently I was notified that while I was in the last batch of writers considered for a large fellowship, I did not make the final cut. Okay, well, try again next time. I wasn't upset at all, just slightly disappointed. But then I got a lovely email from one of the judges who said that after the judging process, he asked if they would reveal the name of the person who wrote the piece I submitted. Long story short: he's not only an author who I've always wanted to read and whose last book I had literally just ordered but he also happens to review books for several major magazines and newspapers and he is interested in reviewing mine when it comes out. A similar thing happened a few years ago with another large fellowship. I didn't get it but one of the judges also tracked me down afterward and said she was an editor for a literary journal and would I be interested in submitting a piece. So you see, gentle readers, sometimes even rejections can turn into something quite positive. The point is that you are putting yourself out there and getting others who are movers and shakers in your genre to see your work. This is a good thing.

Another thing that happened this past week is that Mira's List was listed in a collection of websites and organizations that give funding or offer funding info to Massachusetts artists. So for those of you in my home state, check this link out: http://bit.ly/dwakn9

Okay, on to a couple other things. Here is a very unusual large grant that is based not on a specific discipline but rather on an artist's creative process. It's called the Thatcher Hoffman Smith Prize and it is offered every two years from the University of Oklahoma's College of Arts and Sciences. The award is also called the Creativity in Motion Prize. The award is for $40,000 and is not for a completed project but, as I said, how amazing the artist's creative process is. The deadline is August 31st. If they are doing things the way they have in the past, it means a letter of intent and then if they like your idea, they ask you to apply. But double-check all this on their website: http://cim.ou.edu. You may also request application materials by contacting Kristi Morgan at (405) 325-2347 or email her at: kcain@ou.edu.

The following two announcements are from Hope Clark (FundsforWriters.com). Thanks Hope! These are for all you UK writers and artists out there!:

(UK ARTISTS/WRITERS etc.) Turn2us: Turn2us is a new independent charity that helps people access the money available to them - through welfare benefits, grants and other help. Their free, accessible website is a comprehensive and invaluable resource that helps you find sources of financial support, quickly and easily, based on your particular needs and circumstances. https://www.turn2us.org.uk

(WRITERS) The Author's Foundation Grants: The Foundation provides grants to writers to assist them while writing books. There are two rounds of grants each year, awarded in the summer and in the winter. The next closing date for applications is 30th September 2010. To apply the author must meet one of the following conditions:

1. The author has been commissioned by a commercial British publisher to write a full-length work of fiction, poetry or non-fiction and needs funding (in addition to the publisher's advance) for important research, travel, or other more general expenditure.

2. The author is without a contractual commitment by a publisher but has had at least one book published commercially by a British publisher, and there is a strong likelihood that their next book will be published in Britain.

For more info, please go to: http://www.societyofauthors.org/sites/default/files/Guidelines-Authors'%20Foundation_0.pdf

There are lots of residency deadlines coming up and many, many grant applications due in September. If you are thinking about applying for a major fellowship or grant in September, or a residency for that matter, now is the time to start that process and to get the word out to those people who will write recommendation letters for you.

More posts soon....I'm off to nap!

Cheers,
Mirabee

RESIDENCIES IN INDIA, SARDINIA, ESTONIA AND MORE!

Hi there...I'm still on deadline and walking around like a headless chicken but gee whiz I missed you...so I thought I'd send you all a couple little residency notices that have come my way. More stuff this coming week, particularly for musicians....and once again, sorry if the formatting is funky. I still have to figure out how to copy and paste from other sources on Blogger without everything going all wonky on me.

(ALL) Le Ville Matte Residency Program in Sardinia, Italy: International call for the residency program in Cagliari, Sardenia, Italy. The program for visual artists will take place in Sardinia from 14 April to 15 May 2010 in Villasor, a town a few kilometers from Cagliari. This initiative is part of LE VILLE MATTE – artist residencies, a wider project promoted by the Province of Cagliari, through the Cultural Policy Office, with the purpose of offering artistic study and research residencies in Sardinia, stimulating new productions in the field of music, writing and visual arts. The call is open to artists from all over the world, with no age limit (but the applicants must be over eighteen). Deadline for visual artists: February 28th, 2010!

Participation in the residency program is free, and includes the following services: a studio with internet connection; open space area for group activity; town library and multimedia library for documentation; production expenses managed by the visiting professor on the basis of each artist's requirements. Travel expenses are to be covered by the participants. For more information, please visit: www.levillematte.it. LE VILLE MATTE includes other two residencies: one dedicated to music, from 25 June to 24 July 2010, and one dedicated to writing, scheduled between September and October 2010. At the end of the entire project a final publication will be released.

(ARTISTS) Polymer International Artist-in-Residency Program in Estonia: Culture Factory Polymer, a multidisciplinary cultural center in Tallinn, Estonia, situated in an old toy factory, is now accepting proposals for it’s international artist in residency program. Artists (both groups and individuals) from any country and all artistic fields are welcome to apply for a residency at Polymer. Their interest lies in genre bending, cross-cultural exchange and interaction with the local artistic community through workshops and public dissemination. They are currently accepting proposals on a rolling basis. For more information on the program and application guidelines, please visit: http://www.kultuuritehas.ee/residency/

(ARTISTS/CURATORS) CURATE THIS! 2010: is the second installment of the CURATE THIS! exhibition series created by BECA: Bridge for Emerging Contemporary Art. It has evolved from one exhibition location into a global art + design exhibition and arts + cultural exchange event located in multiple cities around the world from July 1 – December 31, 2010. Through the introduction and exhibition of works of new art + new design and related projects by artists, designers, duos, groups and collectives around the world, The BECA Foundation aims to facilitate an experimental, cross-pollination of new ideas for creative innovation in diverse locations around the world. Artists + Designers may learn more and register to participate at: http://www.curatethis.org/for-artists-and-designers.php. Organizations, universities, galleries and other businesses may learn more and register to participate at: http://www.curatethis.org/for-venues.php.

**I don't know much about this one above---and I normally don't publicize exhibition opportunities (too many other great sites do that) but this particular one looks like it also involves awards.

(ARTISTS) The Rocky Neck Art Colony in Gloucester, MA: is currently accepting applications from visual artists for the sixth year of the Goetemann Residency at Rocky Neck Art Colony Program, which runs from June 1 through October 7, 2010. The artists selected will evidence high-level accomplishment, originality and seriousness of purpose. One applicant will be selected for each of three four-week residency terms. The program includes prime studio/gallery/living space (including utilities), press coverage, art sales opportunities, and access to a rich cultural community. Deadline is March 15th, 2010. For more info, go to: www.rockyneckartcolony.org.

(ARTISTS) Hasta Gallery Summer Residencies in India: One to three month residencies open to all International artists. Residencies are near the port city of Mangalore, India. Artists are provided with accommodations and studios for a nominal fee. Artists can also work with local artisans to explore traditional art forms if they are interested. For more information, please visit: www.hastagallery.com or www.artsiti.com. Or contact:

Nemiraj Shetty, Director, Hasta Gallery Projects, 2-76/9 Pinto Garden Lane, Opp Vikas College, Konchadi Post, Mangalore- 575008, Call: +919886642636

JUNIPER SUMMER WRITING INSTITUTE SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE

Hi everyone...sorry I've been a bit out of touch. I'm in the middle of a big deadline and frankly, I'm pooped! But I will have a lot of new opportunities to post in about a week. Maybe even sooner. In the meantime, here's a deadline that is for writers....see you soon!

The April 1 deadline for scholarship applications to the 2010 Juniper Summer Writing Institute is fast approaching! From June 20-26, poets and writers will gather at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to explore the creative process and advance their craft. Renowned faculty members Charles D'Ambrosio, Mark Doty, Noy Holland, Paul Lisicky, Dara Wier, and Matthew Zapruder will offer workshops in poetry, fiction, and memoir. Writers in residence (including James Tate, Joy Williams, and Thomas Sayers Ellis) will give readings, lead craft sessions, and participate in Q&As. For application forms and more information, visit http://www.umass.edu/juniperinstitute. Workshops fill quickly, so applicants are encouraged to submit their materials soon!

INTERVIEW WITH DAN BLASK, PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS CULTURAL COUNCIL

Greetings all! Recently I was fortunate to interview Dan Blask from the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) who spoke candidly and quite encouragingly about applying for fellowships and grants. Dan coordinates programs for individual artists at the MCC, including grants for filmmakers, composers, and writers of fiction, nonfiction, dramatic writing, and poetry. He also writes for ArtSake, MCC's blog about new art and the creative process. Dan received his MA in Creative Writing (Playwriting) from Boston University and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. By the way, although MCC is regional program in Massachusetts, the things he talks about are applicable to many grant programs both here in the US and abroad.



Dan, thanks so much for joining us! I know this is a busy season for you. Anyway, I noticed on your bio that you studied playwriting at Boston University. How do you balance your creative life while working full-time at the MCC as well as writing for ArtSake, the MCC's blog?

A lot of the staff members at MCC are also artists: writers, painters, dancers, musicians. I think the job lends itself to doing creative work, since the hours are, for the most part, consistent, and we’re all exposed to a lot of different ideas and art in all disciplines. But finding that life/work/artwork balance is a big, ongoing, back and forth struggle for almost every artist-with-a-day-job I know. Do you work an arts-related job and risk spending creative energy you should save for your own art? Do you work in an unrelated field and risk not enjoying it or being detached from daily exposure to a field you love? I certainly don’t know. You try different things, I guess. For now, I’m trying this, and I’m enjoying it.

You certainly nailed the classic dilemma of a working artist! And speaking of dealing with that balance and trying to find extra funding, what advice do you have for someone applying for a grant or fellowship for the very first time?

Basically, I advise a sort of zen hyper-focus/total emotional detachment. (Not possible, I know, but a worthy goal.) In other words, focus on exactly what the grant is asking for, and shape your grant application accordingly. Then, after it’s sent, you have to disallow yourself from getting too attached to any one grant or fellowship application. This is really, really hard to do. But you’re doing yourself a disservice if you dwell on, or, even worse, count on, receiving a competitive grant, because while receiving a grant means your work spoke to someone, not receiving a grant doesn’t mean the opposite of that. There are inevitably more artists of excellence than there are grants, fellowships, or slots at a residency. I know not winning a grant feels like it has a deep meaning, about you, about your work. But believe me, all it means is that this group of individuals, on this particular day, went a different direction. So, onward.

As to other thoughts: send your strongest work as your work sample, especially in a grant review like MCC’s Artist Fellowships, where it’s anonymously judged based only on artistic quality and creative ability. If you have any doubts about what is your strongest work, it’s always a good idea to ask the opinion of a trusted associate what work that is. Another viewpoint can be very helpful. And otherwise, my advice would be to prepare yourself but don’t be intimidated. If you need some clarification, don’t hesitate to contact the organization. I know I’d rather hear from an applicant than receive a mishandled application, or worse yet, receive no application at all because the applicant was discouraged.

That's great advice. So what are some things in an application that make someone really stand out from the crowd?

It’s an interesting question. In the Artist Fellowships, there are two rounds of review. The first round is an elimination round of sorts, and standing out in the wrong way – generally, because the craft is weak – can get you eliminated. So you have to make sure the craft is there.

Then, in the second round, the panelists are really drilling down and looking closer. And here, an artistic voice that feels truly unique and fully realized can stand out in the best way, especially when you’re dealing with dozens of applications. As you pointed out, I have a theater background, and in drama we talk about “lean forward” moments, a point in a play where an audience member is so suddenly drawn in that there is almost a physical reaction. That can happen in any discipline. Think of the panelists as people seriously in love with art (which they almost certainly are) rather than bureaucrats (which they probably aren’t). Most of the panelists, despite their fancy-pants titles, are just reg’lar humans who want to be moved by art. So don’t let other considerations overwhelm your work’s ability to transport them.

I always tell people that same thing when I speak about this subject—that panelists are real people who participate in these things out of their love for art. I've been a panelist for competitions before and I'm certainly no bureaucrat! So thanks for mentioning that. On the same note, I know that some of my readers would be curious to know how the MCC picks the judges for the artists fellowship program. Would you mind telling us a little bit about how that process works?

My colleague Kelly Bennett and I divide up the disciplines, then each solicits panelists and (if applicable) first-round readers for the different panels. The panels are anonymously judged, and the range of the work submitted is, aesthetically, very wide. So we have to make sure the panel represents as many aesthetic perspectives as possible and is diverse in every way, including background, geography, and gender, as well as the different perspectives of artists, presenters, critics, etc. We search online, we ask for recommendations, we read trade magazines, we look at other grant and award programs. There is a mixture of in-state and out-of-state panelists, and we work hard to ensure there are no conflicts of interest.

Obviously we want knowledgeable and accomplished panelists, not only for the functional reason that they’re doing a very important job for us – the most important for the purposes of this grant - but also because applicants deserve to know that their work was reviewed by respected voices in their respective fields.

Dan, do you have any encouraging words for readers out there who might be discouraged about the economy and funding for the arts in these hard times? I like to instill optimism in my readers as much as I can!

My broadly optimistic comment would be that artists are uniquely qualified to find creative solutions in troubled times. A perfect example would be your terrific blog, which is, it seems to me, a creative person’s creative solution to the always tricky issue of finding funding and other support as an artist. More specifically, I’d point to the fact that, though our budget is somewhat reduced from last year, the MCC is still giving direct funding to individual Massachusetts artists through our Artist Fellowships Program. We’re accepting applications from Massachusetts artists in the categories of Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry, through January 25, 2010. Check here for more info: http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/programs/artistfellows.html.

Dan, thanks so much for your time and for your great comments! I'm sure they will be most enlightening to a lot of my readers. And have a great holiday!

Have a great holiday break and stay tuned for more interviews coming up, as well as some new deadlines for residencies and grants. Best wishes, Mirabee

ATTENTION MASSACHUSETTS ARTISTS! THE ARTISTS CONGRESS 2009

Creative Massachusetts: The Artists Congress 2009
Welcoming Artists of All Disciplines to a Discussion of Our Creative Future

November 7-8, 2009
Boston Public Library
700 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116

For more information, go HERE:
http://www.artistsunderthedome.org/program.html

I wanted to tell Massachusetts artists about this event coming up on November 7th and 8th in Boston. I was supposed to be on one of the panels and couldn't make it but there are many other arts professionals participating who you really should hear. Some of the topics discussed on panels will be: Networking tools for artists, Free and low-cost technology for artists and artist-run businesses and projects, grants and resources, copyright and IP protection, how to market, price, network and negotiate, info on artists residencies and more. This event is FREE and open to artists of all disciplines and is co-sponsered by the Kirstein Business Branch of the Boston Public Library and the Massachusetts Artists Leaders Coalition.

A PRIMER ON GRANTS & RESIDENCIES

Hi everyone. So today, Artsake, a great arts blog sponsored by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), posted a shortened version of an older post of mine, "Finding Money for Your Dreams," The condensed version, "A Primer on Grants and Residencies," can be found here: Artsake. Although the blog's focus is on Massachusetts I find it very useful for anyone in the arts. There are up-to-date opportunities for everyone, not just Mass artists.

What Artsake says about itself on their blog:
ArtSake is a place to dig into the creative, innovative work of Massachusetts artists. It’s hosted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), the state’s arts agency. We chose the name ArtSake because support for the arts is often framed in terms of its additional benefits: to education, to the economy, to communities. But we wanted to carve out a space where we celebrated art and art-making for its inherent merits, for its own sake. We’ll use this space to celebrate our state’s innovative and creative minds, highlight new projects, and feature ideas and content straight from the artists. Above all, we hope to encourage readers to participate in the advancement of Massachusetts arts - especially their own.

I hope you check out my post on Artsake and see what other artists are doing in Massachusetts...talk to you later, Mira