ArtSake

If you own artist space in Massachusetts, you might be interested in the latest news from Massachusetts Cultural Council’s ArtistLink Initiative:

ArtistLink is announcing up to four Systems Replacement & Maintenance Planning Grants to owners of artist live-work or work-only buildings in Massachusetts. The goal of the Planning Grant is to provide owners of artist buildings with the tools they need to prioritize their capital maintenance needs.

Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis. The RFP is available online. Contact Jay Paget to confirm eligibility and to discuss any questions.

ArtistLink is a program of the MCC that promotes the development and maintenance of affordable artist live-work spaces and studios in Massachusetts.

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The deadline for Artist Fellowships applications in Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry is this Monday, January 30, 2012.

If you are a Massachusetts choreographer, writer, and/or poet who meets the eligibility requirements, apply! (Monday is a postmark deadline.)

The fellowships are anonymously-judged competitive grants for Massachusetts artists. Fellowships of $7,500 and finalist awards of $500 are awarded based solely on the artistic excellence of the work submitted. Check out our tips on applying.

Read full program guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application instructions and apply online.

Image and Media: photo of books by past MCC Fellows (l to r) SUCCESS OF THE SEED PLANTS by Leslie Williams, THE FOREIGNER by Francie Lin, CLOISTERS by Kristin Bock, MRS. SOMEBODY SOMEBODY by Tracy Winn, excerpt from DEEP by Ariel Cohen and Kellie Ann Lynch.

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The Massachusetts Cultural Council is honored to announce the 2012 MCC Artist Fellowship awards in Drawing, Painting, and Traditional Arts. Fifteen artists will receive fellowships of $7500 and another 16 will receive $500 finalist awards. See a complete list of this year’s fellows and finalists.

The awards are anonymously judged, based solely on the artistic quality and creative ability of the work submitted. Applications were open to all eligible Massachusetts artists. A total number of 866 eligible applications were received; 317 in Drawing, 531 in Painting, and 18 in Traditional Arts.

Hear Irish-American button accordion-playing by Traditional Arts Fellow Joe Derrane.

The Drawing panelists were Dina Deitsch, Jan Howard, Kate McNamara, and Evelyn Rydz. The Painting panelists were Margaret Burgess, Masako Kamiya, Al Miner, and Susan Stoops. The Traditional Arts panelists were Winnie Lambrecht, Rebecca Miller, and Lynne Williamson.

Learn more about the fellows/finalists at Gallery@MCC.

Later this year, we will award artists in Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry. The deadline to apply in these categories is Monday, January 30, 2012.

Images: August Ventimiglia, UNTITLED (YELLOW RADIAL) (2010), yellow snap-line chalk on paper, 22 1/4×22 in; Joo Lee Kang, BOUQUET OF NATURE #1 (2010), Ballpoint pen on paper, 55×43 in; Daniela Rivera, GROWTH (2011), oil on canvas on board, 8x30x30 ft; Elaine Spatz-Rabinowitz, UNTITLED WAR RELIEF (2011), oil and cast pigmented Hydrocal, 20x9x2 in; Yari Livan, ELEPHANT POT (2006), White stoneware clay, glaze, 9x10x10 1/4 in, photo by Jason Dowdle.

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So, you’re a New England film, video, and/or media-maker, and you’re scoping out the local terrain for grants funding.

Well, come say howdy to LEF Foundation, MassHumanities, and us (MCC)!

We’re pleased to let you know about a workshop organized for area film, video, and media-makers to learn more about the grants available to them. Program officers from media funders LEF Foundation, MCC, and MassHumanities will talk about what makes a strong grant application and take your questions about their organizations.

The workshop is happening from 5-7:30 PM on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at Aloft @ NEFA, 145 Tremont Street, 7th Floor, Boston MA (map). Please RSVP to LEF Foundation.

Also: apply for LEF Foundation’s Moving Image Fund Letter of Inquiry deadline for Production and Post-production funding. Deadline: Friday, January 27, 2012 at 5 PM. How to apply.

Images: still from SWEETGRASS by Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, artists funded by both LEF Foundation and MCC; still from LEFT ON PEARL by Susan Rivo, an artist funded by both MassHumanities and MCC.

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Son of a Bug Trailer from Nicky Tavares on Vimeo.

Raising money for a creative project can be a daunting proposition. Crowdfunding sites, if matched with the right project campaigns, can provide a useful template for attracting funds.

If you’re curious about starting a crowdfunding campaign of your own, check out how some Massachusetts artists are using the site Kickstarter:

Nicky Tavares (Film & Video Fellow ’11) has a campaign to fund her next documentary film, Son of a Bug. The project has already surpassed its $6000 funding goal before its Jan. 2 deadline (on Kickstarter, projects must reach their fundraising goal or no money changes hands). The trailer (see above) might reveal why the campaign has found success; its offbeat humor is as appealing as the film’s subject, the first Pakistani rock band, The Bugs.

The Balagan Film Series, founded by Alla Kovgan (Film & Video Fellow ’09) and Jeff Daniel Silva (Film & Video Finalist ’09), showcases unexpected, experimental works of film and video. The video for the campaign (which ends Jan. 12), does a nice job laying out the background of the series, the part it plays in the local community, and the reasons to support its 2012 season.

In Fall 2011, Steven Bogart (Playwriting Finalist ’09) worked with writer Neil Gaiman, songwriter Stephin Merritt, and actors from the American Repertory Theater to develop an original play about the Grand Guignol Theatre of Victorian Paris. A documentary film project about the process is seeking to raise funds (by Jan. 21), and I like how the campaign borrows its over-the-top tone from the subject of the play.

For further research, check out other local projects:

• Thomas Oboe Lee is a prominent local composer seeking to produce a double CD of his concertos, released under the Boston Modern Orchestra Project label (by Jan. 15).
• Non-Event is a presenter of new, experimental music, seeking support (by Jan. 18) for its 2012 concert season for artists fees, venue rental, and all the other aspects of putting together a fully-realized, like-no-other performance series.
• The Charles River Swimming and Diving Team (a Cantabridgian movie-making troupe) are trying to raise funds to rent the Brattle Theatre to screen the first three episodes of The Central Square Detective Agency (by Jan. 18).
• Documentary filmmaker Alice Stone is seeking funds (by Jan. 26) to complete her documentary Angelo Unwritten, about a boy who escaped the foster care system to a loving family – but not the struggles that continue to mire him.

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The Massachusetts Cultural Council is pleased to announce that we are now accepting 2012 Artist Fellowships applications in the categories of Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry.

The deadline for Artist Fellowships applications in Choreography, Fiction/Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry is January 30, 2012. Read the program guidelines and apply online.

The Artist Fellowships are competitive, anonymously judged fellowships of $7,500 and finalist awards of $500, direct support to individual artists in recognition of artistic excellence. Read our tips on applying.

As a reminder, the deadline for applications in Drawing, Painting, and Traditional Arts has passed. Award results in these categories will be made at the end of January 2012.

Media and image: excerpt from MY OWN PERSONAL (#2) by Sarah Slifer (Choreography Fellow ’10); Allan Reeder (Fiction/Creative Nonfiction Fellow ’10, ’06) read at Porter Square Books. Allan recently received a Promise Grant from the Sustainable Arts Foundation.

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Collage Art The Cambridge School of Weston’s Thompson Gallery is currently accepting entries for an exhibition on collage-based art. All media considered. Learn more.
Deadline: December 31, 2011

Media Art Massachusetts Convention Center Authority and Boston Cyberarts is issuing a call for media art for display on the new marquee outside the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. This 80-foot-tall marquee offers more than 3,000 square feet of display area on 7 screens, providing full-motion video. They are looking for ten 30-second videos, animations or computer generated work, using the entire marquee in colorful and creative ways. Learn more.
Deadline: January 3, 2012

Cape Cod Dune Shack Residencies for Artists & Writers Applications are now being accepted for the Dune Shack Residencies for Artists & Writers. Residency applications for 2012 are for the Fowler and C-Scape Dune Shacks in the Cape Cod National Seashore. One to three weeks stays available, including a 3-week $500 fellowship for a visual artist, and two funded weeks for writers. Learn more.
Deadline: January 15, 2012.

Cell Phone Photography Entries are now being accepted for Color Coded: An Instagram/Postagram Themed Exhibition. Color Coded explores the ever-expanding creative roll of cell phone photography and its image manipulation/publication via the popular Instagram/Postagram app. The exhibition will feature Instagrams that explore the colors Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. All submissions should be sent via the Postagram App. Send entries to: East Georgia College/Color Coded, 131 College Circle, Swainsboro GA 30401. Learn more. Questions: dpurcell@ega.edu.
Deadline: January 20, 2012

Documentary Filmmakers The next Letter of Intent (LOI) deadline for requests to the LEF Foundation’s Moving Image Fund for Production and Post-Production support is 5 PM on Friday, January 27, 2012. LEF supports independent film and video artists creating new work of documentary film. Learn more.
In-hand deadline: January 27, 2012

Call to Artists The Maud Morgan Arts and the Chandler Gallery are now accepting entries for the 2012 Small Works Salon 2D Exhibition to take place in Spring 2012. The juror is Victoria Munroe of Victoria Munroe Fine Arts. Learn more.
Deadline: February 3, 2012

Call to Artists and Writers Triple Canopy, an online magazine, workspace, and platform for editorial and curatorial activities, has announced its third annual call for proposals. Commissions will be considered under six project areas and published in the course of the next year. Learn more.
Deadline: February 13, 2012

Craft Artists Residency The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft in Texas is now accepting applications for their Artist Residency Program. Media Accepted: Wood, Glass, Metal, Fiber, Clay, and Mixed Media. Includes 3, 6, 9 or 12-month residencies; monthly stipend; quarterly living/materials bonus; free studio space. Learn more. Questions: 713-529-4848 x112 or mmendoza@crafthouston.org.
Deadline: March 15, 2012

Funding for Women Artists The Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund awards grants of up to $1,500 to poets, fiction and nonfiction writers, visual artists — as well as for a mixed-genre category (illustration and text) — who are feminist women. Application fee is $20. Two application deadlines each year: December 31 (art and fiction) and June 30 (nonfiction and poetry). Fund does not maintain email, phone, or website. To request application materials, write to  Susan Pliner, Executive Director, Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, Inc.
P.O. Box 309, Wilton, NH 03086. Be sure to include a SASE.

Call for Proposals The Dorsky Gallery Curatorial Programs (DGCP) has an open call to curators, writers, art historians, and artists to submit proposals for exhibitions. Proposals are reviewed quarterly, and if accepted, curators are awarded a $2,000 curatorial fee at the time of the exhibition. Learn more. Questions:  info@dorsky.org or  718)-937-6317.

Image credit: Photograph of children and a dog on a street in East Brooklyn, NY, 05/1973 by the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Call for Proposals Montserrat College of Art’s alternative display space, Frame 301 Gallery is now accepting proposal submissions. Eligibility to apply is open to all artists: regional, national and international. The process for selecting artists for Frame 301 will reflect the artist’s creativity as well as the artist’s understanding of art in the community. Learn more. Questions: sara@santarsiero-art.com.

Filmmakers The Independent Film Festival of Boston is now accepting entries. Learn more.
Deadline: November 30, 2011

Call for Work December Art Sale at Mobius. Sales will be split 50/50 between the artist and Mobius. All work considered: pottery, jewelry, sound pieces, private performances, cassettes, DVD’s, CD’s of your work, etc. Artists submitting jewelry must have their own display cases or other ways of keeping their work separate. No entry fee. Questions: cathy@mobius.org.
Updated Deadline: Drop-off through November 30, 2011

Printmakers and Book Artists Organized by the University Galleries at William Paterson University, American Impressions is an annual juried printmaking exhibition featuring traditional and digital print media and book art. Select works will receive Purchase Awards and become part of the University’s permanent collection. One artist will be selected to have a solo exhibition at the University Galleries. Learn more.
Deadline: December 6, 2011

Call for Artists Postcards From the Edge, a benefit for Visual AIDS is now accepting entries. Learn more. Questions: nsantos@visualAIDS.org.
Deadline: December 9, 2011.

Filmmakers National Geographic All Roads Seed Grants is now accepting applications. Grants range from $1,000 – $10,000 for indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture filmmakers from around the world. Grants are also available to filmmakers who have been designated by indigenous or minority groups to tell their stories. Funds development and production of feature films, long documentaries, short documentaries, narrative shorts, animation, and music videos. Grants may be used for equipment, travel for research, editing time, etc., and may be solicited in addition to funds from other sources. Learn more. Questions: 202-857-7660 or allroads@ngs.org.
Deadline: December 15, 2011

Glass Artists The Corning Museum of Glass Rakow Grant for Glass Research is now accepting applications. Grants may be used to cover travel, living expenses, or other expenditures necessary to conduct the research or to publish it. Awards will be based on the merit of the projects proposed, the nature and extent of the contributions to glass studies, and an evaluation of the ability of the applicant to accomplish the goals as stated. Learn more.
Deadline: February 1, 2012

Image credit: Claudia Ravaschiere and Michael Moss’ Street Cathedral is a jewel-toned sculptural installation anchored to the light poles at several locations in Boston’s Fort Point neighborhood. These pieces  invoke the reflective quality of cathedrals with a post-modern sensibility. They also evoke the contemplative character of stained glass with a sense of whimsy and discovery as pedestrians travel through the Fort Point neighborhood. Photos by George Vasquez.

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The Boston Phoenix has an interesting article on how microfunding is proving to be an effective alternative form of support for artists.

Boston-based groups like Feast Mass, the Awesome Foundation, and the Cambridge Center for Adult Education’s CSArt program aim to make community-sourced funding more democratic and accessible. In a cash-strapped economy where arts funding has been deprioritized, such solutions have been particularly valuable.

Read more. One friendly clarification: the article references our Artist Fellowships but suggests that their scope is limited to full-time artists. (“Traditional arts grants cater to full-time visual artists… whereas community-based micro-grants are accessible to all.”)

In fact, our fellowships are not limited to any career level. Grant decisions are based solely on the strength of the work submitted, not on the resume or credentials of the artists submitting.

In other words: yes. Yes to creative, alternative funds to support artists. Yes to continued support from the state for individual artists. Yes to new art. And, while I’m at it, yes to the Clay Pigeons by Kate Marten, included above. (Because I think they are cool looking.)

Image: Kate Martens, CLAY PIGEONS (2008), Terra cotta and underglaze, 8x4x3 in (each). Kate is one of the artists selected for the inaugural CSArt Program at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

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Still from THE WAKE, a film-in-progress by Jesse Kreitzer, currently fundraising on Kickstarter

So, you have a creative project (a yet unfinished film, music album, novel, interactive crochet installation, etc.) and you want funding so you can adequately – nay, spectacularly – realize your vision.

Instead of relying solely on traditional grant programs (such as our Artist Fellowships or Local Cultural Council grants), which may or may not match up with your project’s timeline, you might consider using a crowdfunding web site as part of your fundraising strategy.

Artists crowdfund by soliciting donations from many individual supporters, directing donations to one central web presence. There are a number of crowdfunding web sites for artists to choose from, which generally have these things in common:

• they make it easy for individuals to make tax-deductible donations;
• they ask artists to set a fundraising goal;
• they provide helpful and novel ways to interact with supports, including the ability to offer rewards to donors;
• and a small percentage of the donations go to the crowdfunding site to pay for the service.

What sites are out there, and what are their particular facets and emphases?

Kickstarter
The most prominent crowdfunding site is Kickstarter. Artists create campaigns for their creative project with a funding goal. Artists offer creative rewards (say, an embroidered t-shirt or a DVD of the project or a personalized portrait), increasing the appeal of the reward based on the donation amount.

Things to keep in mind about Kickstarter: if campaigns do not meet their fundraising goal, the artist gets nothing, so the incentive is high to drum up support. Also, project campaigns need to be approved by Kickstarter to launch.

Want to see some samples? Look no further than these Massachusetts projects:

• Jesse Kreitzer (Film & Video Finalist ’11) is raising funds for his fascinating feature film project The Wake, a unique and uncompromising story about grief, secrecy, and mortality.
• Tod Machover of the MIT Media Lab is raising funds for a new album.
• Matthew Mitchell of Amherst has a campaign to support his powerful 100 Faces painting project.
• Curator and Panopticon Gallery owner Jason Landry is raising funds to publish a Harold Feinstein photography retrospective.

United States Artists Projects
Another major crowdfunding site is United States Artists Projects, from United States Artists, a foundation that funds individual artists through prestigious fellowships. USA Projects is similar to Kickstarter in many ways, with tax-deductible donations, creative rewards, and an all-or-nothing fundraising goal.

Where USA Projects differs from Kickstarter is that it has a distinct focus on highly accomplished artists. Instead of needing to have projects approved by the web site, artists need to have either won a fellowship from United States Artists or one of its organizational partners, such as Creative Capital, Guggenheim Foundation, Pew Fellowships, Pollock-Krasner, and many others (BTW – winning a Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowship enables artists to use USA Projects!). So USA Projects do have a special prestige. Also, some organizations offer matching funds when “their” artists raise funds on USA Projects.

Recently, Andrew Bujalski (Film & Video Fellow ’03) raised over $50,000 for his next film, currently titled Computer Chess on USA Projects.

IndieGoGo
Yet another crowdfunding web site is IndieGoGo. Originally just for films, this site is now open to all projects. What differentiates it from the others? No invites or prior awards are needed to create a project campaign. Unlike the all-or-nothing approach of Kickstarter and USA Projects, you get to keep all of the money you raise (minus site fees), even if you don’t meet your goal.

Local projects include a stage adaptation of George V. Higgins’s seminal Boston crime novel The Friends of Eddie Coyle, to be staged at Club Oberon in Cambridge, and a children’s book project by artist Peter Simeti. Past MCC awardee Shawn Cody (Playwriting Fellow ’07) has a campaign to bring his musical theatre work The Water Dream to Broadway.

And, another site, RocketHub, is similar to IndieGoGo in that no invite is needed and you get to keep all funds raised. RocketHub also hosts other opportunities that users can audition for, called LaunchPad Opportunities.

Go Totally DIY
Not a joiner? You could also take the principles of crowdfunding and set up your own campaign. You’ll need a PayPal account, a home base (like a web site homepage or a blog), and a group that will act as an organizational fiscal sponsor so that donations will be tax deductible. In film, the Center for Independent Documentaries and Filmmakers Collaborative both serve as fiscal sponsors for film projects, and the New York organization Fractured Atlas serves as fiscal sponsor for artist projects in all disciplines, and throughout the country.

You can even include creative rewards and frequent updates to your donors – you’ll just have to handle the infrastructure of these actions on your own.

Image: still from THE WAKE, a film-in-progress by Jesse Kreitzer, currently fundraising on Kickstarter.

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