ArtSake

Tips to guide you safely through the MCC Artist Fellowship application process. (2011 MCC Artist Fellowships guidelines are now available.)

In the MCC Artist Fellowship Program, we instruct our panelists to make their grants decisions based on two criteria:

• Artistic quality
• Creative ability

“But wait!” exclaims an imaginary ArtSake reader. “If all decisions are based on artistic excellence, what advice could you possibly give other than ‘make great art?’”

And here, our imagined, exclamatory reader has a point. Do make great art. But we thought we’d share some ideas on optimizing your application, which really means avoiding choices that might distract panelists from the excellence in your work.

(We’re not even going to mention that you should carefully read - and follow! - the guidelines, and that you should familiarize yourself with the guidelines and instructions ahead of time, so you’re not rushing on the evening of the deadline. You know that already. So. No reason to even bring it up.)

Which work samples should I submit?
Since the work sample(s) you submit are the only evidence the panelists will have to understand you as an artist, what you decide to include is an important choice. That said, don’t overthink it. Rather than strategizing about what style or genre you imagine will click with what you assume to be the judges’ tastes, just send your strongest work. Truly. Individual panelists have stylistic preferences, but most arts professionals of a high level are able to recognize excellence in a style not their own. And besides, the work that does well in panels, that emerges from the group, is quite simply the work that excites a juror, makes a strong enough connection that he or she will advocate for it when the panel’s final recommendations are made.

Spend your best hours and your best energy on the work itself rather than on estimating what an imagined juror might like.

How do you know what’s your “strongest” work? If you have any question, enlist the opinion of a trusted peer. They are not you, after all (not that you’re not awesome), and that non-you-ness can offer some helpful distance and objectivity.

We ask for recent work (past four years), but it doesn’t necessarily have to be your newer-than-new, “Have I revised it? Heck, I’ve hardly spell-checked it!”-type work. “Be aware of how highly competitive it is,” said one panelist. “What separates the strong applications is revision.”

One question we often get is whether it’s better to send a group of excerpts from different work (to show range) or a longer section of just one. (This is particularly key in categories requiring CDs/DVDs or printed pages, where one work or one excerpt could easily constitute your entire work sample allotment. In visual arts, the equivalent might be five images from different series vs. five from the same series.)

Showing range can be helpful. But simply put, the best way to win a panelist’s support is by giving them a great artistic experience. Ideally, your sample will compel the panelists as it would any audience, while conveying your unique voice as an artist.

If you’re sending an excerpt of a longer work, send a meaty part. If the portion you send is all set-up, the panelists might say, “Well, it’s good craft, but how do I know this artist can effectively develop this?”

If you’re sending a group of images, keep in mind we project all five at once. Successful applicants tend to excel at demonstrating a cohesive vision - with room for variety.

Preparing Your Work
In disciplines that include jpg images, MAKE SURE to optimize your images by setting the longest dimension (length or width) at 768 pixels. The lesser the dimensions are from 768 pixels, the worse the projection quality. If it’s too small, your image will look pixelated when projected.

In disciplines that ask for pages: readability is your friend. Avoid diminishing margins and fonts just to fit more in. More is not better.

In disciplines that include CD or DVD submissions, tracks/chapter marks are highly encouraged.

If your work is interactive, performance-based, or conceptual, think hard about how to best convey to the panel in a compressed time period what your intended art experience is. A couple of past applicants who have done this really well are TRIIIBE, with a video of their Art on Art/People on Plywood, a spontaneous art event that took place at the ICA Boston (see below), or Nick Rodrigues with Automotive Armor, which does a terrific job portraying the experience of the piece, while also editing the video in a way that’s consistent with the work’s humor.

Work Sample Description
In all categories, applicants have the opportunity to include a brief work sample description to give, if necessary, context to the submitted sample(s). We believe the Work Sample Descriptions can be useful. But at least once a panel season, a panelist complains that certain choices in descriptions can be distracting.

“Judges are insulted when you try to tell them what you are doing thematically,” one panelist told us. Other times, panelists are irked by descriptions that read like marketing copy. “No tag-lines. No self-promotion.”

Well then what is the MCC looking for with this Work Sample Description? you might ask. We just want the panelists to understand your work sample; “invite us into the world of the (work),” as one panelist put it. Put yourself in the panelists’ shoes: sitting in a meeting room, reading a sample or experiencing your work projected or played. Things that would be obvious in a book or a gallery or a performance venue may not be obvious in that context. Any time panelists spend wondering how they’re “supposed” to be experiencing your work is time they’re not discussing its good qualities. Even details that seem self-evident to you – for instance, whether your work is a full piece or an excerpt from something longer – may not be clear to someone approaching your work without context.

Beyond that? Be brief, including only enough information to allow reviewers to understand the piece. And if your work needs no explanation, don’t feel you need to fill in the box. No description is fine, if none is needed!

The X factor
There’s always a touch of mystery to what makes a particular work click with a particular audience. It’s a given that the level of artistic quality should be high, but what makes a juror (or any audience) love love LOVE it? To some extent, it’s an X factor, out of your control. So we’d suggest you control what you can, avoid distracting application choices, and continue to do your great work.

And email us or add a comment below if you have a question not covered here.

Image and video: Christopher Frost, TRAP (2008) granite boulder and cast bronze, 32×50x72 in; a still from the performance piece Art on Art/People on Plywood by TRIIIBE (2008).

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Have you always wanted to participate in the London Biennale but aren’t near enough to the London-centered DIY arts festival to do so? Well, if you’re near enough to Boston this Thursday evening (August 19), you’re in luck. TransCultural Exchange, a Mass. org specializing in connecting international cultural communities, is holding a local satellite event - a curated salon - as Boston’s contribution to the London Biennale’s three month calendar of cultural events.

If you’re interested, bring yourself and a non-artist guest for an evening of brilliant conversation. All participants will be listed on TransCultural Exchange’s website as official participants in the London Biennale.

The salon takes place on August 19, 6-8 PM, at Boston’s Hampshire House. Download the press release, which includes ticket information, here.

To learn more about TransCultural Exchange, read their Horses for Courses post on ArtSake.

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What discoveries await you in this fan blog about Williamstown writer Jim Shepard? A. the above video. B. news of a new collection coming out March 2011, and that The Millions thinks You Think That’s Bad‘ll be rad. And C. that a Project X movie may be on the way. (I guess I just spoiled all your discoveries. Sorry. But still go check out the blog.)

Boston novelist Michelle Hoover guest-writes in the highly entertaining 1st Books Blog (authors writing about publishing their first books). The takeaway: persist, writers! Some 15 years spanned between the author starting her novel to the final days of editing, when she read chapters aloud to Other Press publisher Judith Gurewich.

Local playwright, actor, and theatre artist John Kuntz has launched a blog, and he recently wrote about how the audience at Company One’s Grimm was engaged and interested in the new play process: “It was a packed house, out for the night, they wanted to be there, and they were having a great time.” Dig it. May many more new works find many more enthusiastic audiences.

Jen Mergel, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art for the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, was featured in the New American Paintings blog discussing the role of contemporary art in an institution with a strong art history tradition: “I see [emerging artists] as hugely important in terms of keeping the conversation going and the discourse alive.”

And while we’re in the hallowed halls of the MFA: the Boston Globe recently profiled Andrew Haines who, as the museum’s conservator of frames, matches frames with paintings from MFA’s collection (that is, when he’s not creating his own astutely observed paintings).

In promoting their books and advancing their work, writers should definitely do these three things and then also these five things. Then POW: instant fame! Or at least, eight things done.

Sign of the times: Porter Square Books in Cambridge has added an e-Books buying section to its website.

Neato idea: a theatre company in NY enlists donations to cover the cost of giving away seats to audiences who otherwise may not have the opportunity to go.

In the blog of ArtCorps, an organization that sends artists to strengthen and mobilize Central American communities, Massachusetts native Laura Smith talks about using art to foster empowerment with women in El Salvador.

Always wanted to weld/wire/sew/woodwork but don’t have the tools, space, and/or know-how? Artisan’s Asylum, a non-profit community workshop in Somerville, wants to make an array of tools and classes available to current or aspiring makers of things. In preparing their upcoming class schedule, they’re asking for artist/artisans to take an interest survey.

Attend the London Biennale – in Boston. No inter-dimensional wormhole required! TransCultural Exchange, a Mass. org specializing in connecting international cultural communities, is holding a local satellite event - a Curated Salon - as Boston’s contribution to the London Biennale’s three month calendar of cultural events. If you’re interested, bring yourself and a non-artist guest for an evening of brilliant conversation. All participants will be listed on TransCultural Exchange’s website as official participants in the London Biennale. The salon takes place on August 19, 6-8 PM, at the Hampshire House. Download the press release, which includes ticket information, here.

Finally, two “Notes” we missed in our recent Artist Fellows Notes: Wendy Jehlen’s (Choreography Finalist ‘04) Anikai Dance Company is producing a free site-specific outdoor performance at Georges Island on the Boston Harbor Islands on Saturday, August 7, 1:30 PM. And Vico Fabbris (Painting Fellow ‘06) is featured in the July/August 2010 Design New England. His art was selected as part of a model unit by interior designer Meichi Peng (see art overlooking pillow, below).

Media: clip of Jim Shepard reading the story “Boys Town” at Skidmore College; detail of model unit at the W Boston Hotel & Residences in Back Bay, Meichi Peng, designer and Michael J. Lee, photographer, from Design New England Magazine.

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We’re excited to welcome guest blogger Jenny Milana, of DangerMilana, whose experience in contract negotiations, copyright issues, and other legal matters spans the publishing, theater, music, film and television industries. What’s more, while growing up in California, Jenny worked as an actor, so she knows the field from the creative side, too.

She’s generously agreed to field artists’ questions on legal matters relating to their work. (Incidentally, if you have any arts law questions, send them our way for a future “Ask an Arts Attorney” post.)

Please note: this post is for informational benefit only and should not be used in place of actual legal services. Also, as a state agency, the Massachusetts Cultural Council does not endorse any individual business or service.

So without further ado…

My questions may be a little different than what you may typically hear from artists concerning copyright. At this point I am not concerned about the copyright of my own work but the copyright of published books and illustrations. I love to work with paper and am interested in using books with illustrations as materials for a new project. First, I understand that any work published before 1923 is considered public domain, but if those works are re-published at a later date (ex: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland originally published in 1865 but the story re-published in 1946), is the 1946 publication considered public domain as well? Can I purchase that 1946 copy to be used in a new work of fine art? Thank you so much for any help!

Signed,
Let It Fly

Dear Let It Fly,
Your question is a bit tricky because it involves the doctrine of fair use. Works in the public domain do not have any copyright protection and can be freely used. However, if those works are re-published at a later date by a new author and they are not identical to the original works, then such work does have copyright protection in the new material. The new material could be a spin on the story’s ending or the illustrations.

The original story itself which is in the public domain can still be used, but the new publication typically has taken the original work and modified it somehow, repackaged it in such a way which gives the new publication copyright protection in those new elements. So in your example about Alice in Wonderland, if the 1946 publication is still copyrighted because it maintained its registration prior to the 1976 copyright law, then you could not take that book and use it in a work of fine art because you are creating a derivative work, a right held exclusively to the copyright owner. A derivative work is a modification, or new use of the original work. You could, however, create a derivative work using the 1865 original.

A few questions. The first has to do with music publishing: what should an indie artist be on the lookout for when trying to license their original music? The second is about gigs: is there a casual way of putting something in writing for a gig which is both legal, casual and easy? Possible uses: dj’ing a wedding, gig at a small club on a tour (making sure gear and staff agreed upon, etc. is there).

Signed,
Indie Songster in Somerville

Dear Indie Songster,
As in most things there is a long answer and a short answer. I’ll try to give you something in between. A musician looking to license their work should be on the lookout for a variety of things. The first and most important thing to watch out for is what rights you are licensing away. You don’t want to end up with your music as the theme song to a pornographic movie if your target market is teens, for example. You don’t want to give exclusive rights, either, otherwise you won’t be able to license your music for other purposes. There are also two kinds of licenses, master license and synch licenses. Most often, a music license needs to contain both. The master license is for the sound recording and a synchronization license is for the music and lyrics, or musical composition. Most licenses require both but some uses may not need both.

You want to make sure when negotiating rights that subsidiary rights like merchandising are talked about as well so it’s very clear what you are allowing the other party to do and not do with the music. Another thing to be on the lookout for is royalties. The royalties or cost to license the music should take into account every right or use you are granting. Some of these things may not be negotiable, though, when licensing to places such as iTunes. Most often, those contracts are not negotiable.

With regards to your second question, there is definitely a way to put something in writing that keeps thing casual but still protects your interests as best you can. Most parties do things on a handshake, and to involve lawyers and complicated contracts sometimes puts bad tastes in people’s mouths, which strains the relationships. At our firm DangerMilana, our primary goal in reviewing/drafting or negotiating any contract is to talk with the parties as though the contract is more like a collaboration agreement. Everyone’s goal is to continue working together and keep things moving, rather than slow things down going back and forth with negotiations. The contract should also be drafted in as plain English as possible, without all of the legalese. For small gigs like DJing weddings, etc., a contract is of utmost importance as it can be the difference in months of headaches and not getting paid. It also sets the expectations from the beginning.

Those types of contracts should be friendly, basic and no more than two pages at most if at all possible. I would still recommend a lawyer to draft this document, though, because they can maximize protecting your interests in as little wording as possible.

I recently won a publication contest for a book of short stories. I then received a contract to sign. This will be my first published book and so I had no agent and knew no lawyers with specialties in this area. I joined the Author’s Guild for an annual fee of $70 or so, and they reviewed the contract for me and sent me a lengthy response with proposed changes. I was then left more or less on my own to negotiate with the publisher based on their advice. Can you recommend a better way to do this?

Even after I won the prize, I still felt that I was extremely lucky to have found a good publisher for a collection of literary short stories, and although it seems to me the publisher negotiated in good faith, I still felt like I had very little leverage. Should I have acted tough? Should I have gone in swinging? Or should I just be grateful? And let’s say I had hired a lawyer, what should I have expected to pay?

Signed,
Published but perplexed

Dear Published,
First of all, congratulations on winning the publication contest.

Second, unfortunately there are not a lot of better options. The best option is to have a lawyer do the negotiating if possible. That can be difficult though as lawyers can be expensive. One option is to request the attorney to simply negotiate the really important clauses like price or rights. This can cut down on the cost immensely and protect your interests in the area you are most concerned about.

Regarding your second question, I wouldn’t suggest going in swinging or just being grateful either. As I mentioned in another answer, our goal with any contract negotiation is that the parties are going to be working together and likely want to preserve the ability to work together in the future. As to what you could expect to pay, firms charge all different types of rates, some flat, some hourly. To give you a sense, though, our firm’s hourly fee is typically $300. However, we charge a flat fee for certain services such as contract review. For a review of a contract of less than five pages, we have the artist come in to sit and talk about their concerns (which which typically takes a good hour or so). But our flat rate for that ($150) would be significantly lower than our hourly rate. So when you approach a lawyer be sure to clarify what the rate is – and which type of rate it is – for the service you require. Be aware that some services may have a minimum retainer.

At our firm, we try and work with artists, and depending on the project, can offer a pricing level to fit the artist’s situation. Every artist is different, as are their needs. Some lawyers will be a better fit than others, so don’t hesitate to ask around until you find representation that fits your needs.

Jenny Milana, a partner at DangerMilana, specializes in arts, media, and entertainment law.

If you have any questions for a future “Ask an Arts Attorney” post, send them here.

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Jonathan Papernick’s short story collection There Is No Other has just been published, and Jonathan recently wrote an essay about that crucial step after you publish your book: promoting it with all available resources (mainly you).

Jonathan has generously allowed us to re-post the essay, which originally appeared in Beyond the Margins, a superb blog by writers connected to the writers’ service organization Grub Street.

Within weeks of publication of my first collection of short stories eight years ago, I received a starred review in Publishers Weekly and a full-page rave review in the New York Times. My name was mentioned in the same breath as other successful young, Jewish authors - bestsellers and award winners, names you would immediately recognize. I felt that I was on my way. Only I wasn’t - not really.

Nobody ever told me that the real work begins once a book is finished and that you need to spend a good six months to a year getting out there and promoting your own work, otherwise it risks dying on the vine. By the time my book started disappearing from bookshelves a few months after publication it was too late for me to traction those early positive reviews into sales. In the end, my collection sold fairly well for a first-time author, but the sales numbers were not high enough for the publishing industry to take notice. After many rounds of submissions, I finally gave up on U.S. publishers and instead opted to publish with a small Canadian publisher who expressed great interest in the book.

Now that my second collection of stories is out, I am taking the hard lessons I learned from relying on a disinterested publisher who did next to nothing after the book was orphaned by the acquiring editor, and have set up a war plan, a campaign to follow through to the bitter end.

Not a day has gone by since December when I have not done something to promote the book, whether I was contacting bookstores about carrying my book, or setting up readings in support of the collection.

Six months ago I started gathering names of potential reviewers, people who had shown favor to my writing in the past, as well as names I was able to gather from supportive writer friends, and sources on the internet. I sent personalized e-mails with a description of my collection and blurbs to each potential reviewer and let them know that the book would be coming in May. By making the personal connection with potential reviewers and creating a sense of anticipation, I raised the likelihood that the book would actually be reviewed.

I convinced my publisher to give me fifty review copies and I told him that I would send out review copies on my own, rather than relying on him to do it on my behalf. Sure it cost me for envelopes and postage, but I know that I am my own top priority, whereas any publisher has numerous authors it needs to consider at any given time. In fact, I did try hiring two former students to work under my guidance as publicity associates, but neither of them ultimately felt they were up to the task - I guess they just didn’t think they had enough skin in the game. I grew up listening to independent punk rock bands and I understand the power of a DIY ethos - there is no shame in doing it myself. In the end, I labeled and stamped envelopes myself, made sure to put in a press release and clippings with each review copy and I fired off another e-mail letting reviewers know that my book was on its way.

No matter how uncomfortable or not-in-your-nature it may be, it’s critical to get out there and talk to people about your work, as you are your own best resource and promoter. I attended several conferences (AWP, Muse and the Marketplace, Jewish Book Network, Book Expo America) in the months prior to publication meeting other writers, reviewers, agents and editors, putting my name (hopefully) into the zeitgeist so that my name would be familiar next time they encounter it. One influential book blogger did not receive my review copy in the mail the first two times I sent it. I could easily have given up at that point, and I was tempted to out of sheer frustration, but I knew that she was going to be at the Book Expo in New York. I sought her out at the table where she was signing books, introduced myself, and personally placed my book into her bag. She was very appreciative of my persistence, and wrote to me yesterday: “Brilliant collection. Truly amazing.” She plans on pushing my book on her blog in the coming days. (Ed. note: read the interview between Jonathan and said blogger, writer Caroline Leavitt.)

It is important to make sure that you have an attractive, updated website, a blog, a Goodreads profile, a Facebook fan page, a personal Facebook page that you use selectively to promote your work, (I’m not yet sold on Twitter, but I’m not ruling it out either) update your Amazon author page and make sure that your book page on Amazon.com has updated reviews as well as the Search Inside the Book feature and availability on Kindle. Unfortunately, I’ve been asking my publisher since December to make sure that the Search Inside the Book feature and Kindle is ready ASAP, and nearly six months later neither are up on the Amazon site. I’ve actually called Amazon myself and the book’s distributor, but it seems in this case that will and persistence are not enough and I can only hope that it will be taken care of soon.

Many of you might think that Amazon.com is the evil empire, and perhaps it is in some ways, but Amazon is also a writer’s best friend as it is a simple way for readers to buy your books, especially backlist titles that are likely not available in bookstores. I am encouraging my readers to post reviews on Amazon.com and have promised to send out a free copy of my novel to anyone who does so. I think people are more likely to buy (and review) a book that has been reviewed positively by a whole pile of people rather than by one or two of the author’s close relatives.

Your writing – and bank account – might take a hit during the months that you’re a promoting your work, but you need to honor your book and give it a fighting chance. It will certainly be time well spent, as little by little your writing emerges from the shadows. There are ways to continue writing in service of your promotional campaign as well. I strongly suggest writing for blogs, websites, newspapers etc. on any subject that you feel you have the remotest level of competence, and whenever possible, ask that your article/review/essay is linked directly to your website or an online source where your book can be purchased. I have some other promotional ideas in mind for the fall, but I’ll keep them to myself for now as they’re still in the planning stages.

Jonathan will read from There Is No Other on Thursday, July 22 2010, at 6 PM, as part of the Stories Uncorked program at the Marriott Rooftop Garden, near MIT in Cambridge, MA.

Jonathan Papernick is the author of the short story collection The Ascent of Eli Israel, and Who by Fire, Who by Blood. Please encourage your local independent bookstore to order his new collection of short stories There Is No Other. He teaches fiction writing at Emerson College and lives outside Boston with his wife and two sons.

Images: Jonathan Papernick, photo by Gary Alpert; cover art for THERE IS NO OTHER by Jonathan Papernick (Exile Editions, 2010).

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Hey neighbors,

Help us spread the word to families with an active military member. Museums across the Commonwealth are participating in the Blue Star Museums Initiative and will be offering free admission to military personnel and their families through Labor Day, September 6, 2010.

Active duty military personnel and/or up to five immediate family members (spouse or child) can gain free access by showing either a Geneva Conventions CAC ID or a DD Form 1173 ID card which includes active duty military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard), National Guard and Reserve members at the admissions desk.

Participating museums include:

Attleboro Arts Museum
Boston Children’s Museum
Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis
Children’s Museum at Holyoke
Children’s Museum in Easton
Concord Museum
Discovery Museums, Acton
Fairbanks House, Dedham
Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton
Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester
Harvard Museum of Natural History, Cambridge
Historic New England, Boston
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Edgartown
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Russian Icons, Clinton
Nantucket Historical Association
New Bedford Whaling Museum
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge
North Andover Historical Society
Old South Meeting House, Boston
Peabody Essex Museum, Salem
South Shore Natural Science Center, Norwell
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown
Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture, Boston

Image credit: from the National Archives at College Park - Archives II (College Park, MD), Creator: Office for Emergency Management. Office of War Information. Domestic Operations Branch. Bureau of Graphics. (07/31/1944 - 09/15/1945)

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This is a revised version of a post we created in September 2008, about a subject that never seems to go out of style: funding for artists. Specifically, artists in Massachusetts (though there may be an opportunity or two in here for those of you who live out-of-state).

We thought it was about time to examine the piece, pluck out its gray hairs, add some new flourishes as one might add wax to one’s mustachio, and send it forth into the arms of the ArtSake-embracing public.

MCC Artist Fellowship Program
When Massachusetts artists contact us at the Massachusetts Cultural Council to ask about grant support for individual artists, our first response is, of course, to strongly encourage they investigate our Artist Fellowship Program, a competitive, anonymously judged award recognizing artistic excellence in a variety of categories. The program currently offers unrestricted individual fellowships of $7,500 and finalist awards of $500, to categories that alternate each year, and two deadlines in any given year (one in Fall and one in Winter). It’s always a good idea to sign up for the Artist News e-newsletter to receive the upcoming deadlines, and to check current guidelines to see what the current grant amount is, as this can fluctuate based on our agency’s legislatively-allotted funding.

So, if you’re a generative artist who lives and works in Massachusetts, check it out. However, we thought it might be useful to list some of the other grant opportunities we share with artists looking for funding for their ongoing work.

Keep in mind that not every grant opportunity listed here will be right for every artist. Before applying, you need to ask yourself whether that particular grant is a good fit and thus worth taking time and energy away from your work. Also, this is by no means a comprehensive list, so feel free to let us know about other funding opportunities for individual artists.

Local Cultural Council Grants
Another MCC program that includes support for individual artists is the Local Cultural Council Program. Massachusetts has 351 cities and towns that support community cultural activity through Local Cultural Councils (LCCs). Several LCCs offer individual artist fellowships, similar to MCC’s state fellowships: Somerville Arts Council, Worcester Cultural Commission, and Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire.

But most LCCs concentrate their funding on smaller grants (typically averaging $200-$500) for projects that benefit a specific Massachusetts community - including projects by individual artists.

When applying for an LCC grant, you’ll need to explain how your project will benefit that particular community and engage its residents. Funding criteria and priorities vary from town to town, so the best way to see if your project is right for a particular community is to contact that LCC (get the skinny on specific LCCs and tips for applying). The deadline is generally mid-October.

Traditional Arts Apprenticeships
If you’re a master artist of a traditional art form, and you’re looking to pass on your knowledge, our Traditional Arts Apprenticeship program offers funding for exceptional master artist/apprentice teams. See some of our past successful apprenticeships.

Others
So what’s available for Massachusetts artists, beyond MCC’s programs? If you don’t want to know, then don’t read on!

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation Artist’s Resource Trust
A.R.T. grants from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, ranging from $1,500 to $10,000, are for New England visual artists who demonstrate a financial need. Painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, or mixed media artists who have lived in New England for at least two years at time of application are eligible. As of this writing, the guidelines call for (among other things) up to ten images, a one page letter describing what the artist plans to accomplish with the A.R.T. grant, and some IRS forms (per the “financial need” criteria). Received-by deadline is August 1. Past recipients include Liza Bingham (Painting Finalist ‘10).

Artadia
Founded in response to the decline of NEA funding for individual artists, Artadia offers unrestricted grants to visual artists in specific communities. In 2007, Boston was added as one of those communities, and a group of 10 visual artists/collaborations received awards. Another group of artists received funding ranging from $3000 to $15,000 in 2009. Past recipients include Hannah Barrett (Painting Fellow ‘04), Jane D. Marsching (Photography Finalist ‘03), and Stephen Tourlentes (Photography Fellow ‘05).

The Provincetown Art Association and Museum’s Lillian Orlowsky and Wiliam Freed Foundation Grant
Grants are offered to American painters aged 45 or older who demonstrate financial need. The fund honors its namesakes, in particular Lillian Orlowsky, who sought to provide financial support to mature artists due to her passionate commitment to art. The goal of the grant is to promote public awareness and a commitment to American art, as well as encouraging interest in artists who lack adequate recognition. Grants will range from $5,000 to $10,000. At the time of this post, applicants need to fill out an application, send 10 images, and complete financial disclosure form. In 2010, applications need to be postmarked by August 16, 2010.

LEF Foundation
For the over 15 years, LEF Foundation has played a key role part in fostering and promoting contemporary art in New England. Currently, LEF’s funding is focused on supporting independent documentary film through its Moving Image Fund.

New England documentary filmmakers applying for LEF grants will need to find a nonprofit organization to act as fiscal sponsor (Filmmakers Collaborative, Independent Center for Documentaries, Documentary Educational Resource all offer this service, as does the New York-based organization Fractured Atlas). Currently, LEF accepts proposals for pre-production, production, and post-production funding. More information, including how to apply, here. Numerous prominent New England filmmakers have received LEF funding including Ross McElwee (Bright Leaves) and Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan (Troublesome Creek).

Mass Humanities
Mass Humanities offers pre- and post-production and distribution grants to film projects that support humanities themes (check out Executive Director David Tebaldi’s post on The Public Humanist blog about what makes a good humanities film). Similar to the LEF application process, individuals will need a fiscal sponsor to apply. For example, At Home in Utopia, a film by Michal Goldman (Film & Video Fellow 07), received Mass Humanities funding by applying through the Filmmakers Collaborative. As with other programs, the best way to see whether this funding is right for your project and to learn more specifics is to contact the organization.

By nomination only
Why mention grants that are by nomination only? Well, I was thinking this might save you the trouble of hearing about these grants, thinking, “Hey, maybe I should apply,” only to find unsolicited applications are not accepted. Or, maybe you’ll be nominated, in which case, yippee!

Foster Prize: the James and Audrey Foster Prize, awarded by The Institute of Contemporary Arts, is a $25,000 biennial award for nominated Boston-area artists. Though there’s only one big winner, all finalists are featured in an ICA exhibition.

Brother Thomas Fellowship: this nomination-only award offers $15,000 unrestricted grants to Boston-area working artists of all disciplines. The award is administered by The Boston Foundation and sustained by sales of world-renowned porcelain ceramics by Brother Thomas Bezanson, a Benedictine monk. See an ArtSake post on the inaugural winners.

St. Botolph Foundation Grants: the foundation offers awards of $2,500 for emerging New England artists, plus an award for a distinguished artist. See the 2009 emerging artist grant winners on Our Daily RED. The 2009 distinguished artist was M.T. Anderson.

Further research on arts grants

artSource
The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston offers a “comprehensive index of arts-related employment opportunities, internships, civic engagement partnerships, grants, residencies, exhibitions, competitions, public art commissions, artist workspaces, and related community resources,” called artSource.

NYFA Source
NYFA Source is a searchable database of national grant opportunities, sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts. Don’t be alarmed that the site is hosted by a New York organization; the database includes opportunities from throughout the country. You can set your own search criteria, which is useful for filtering out those that don’t apply.

Mira’s List
Whereas artSource and NYFA Source are the stately institutions of grants databases, think of Mira’s List as the Mom & Pop shop. It’s a terrific blog run by generous and industrious Massachusetts artist/writer Mira Bartok, listing useful grants deadlines and info for artists of all disciplines. Also highly recommended is Mira’s Primer on Grants and Residencies on ArtSake, a great resource for grant-seekers at any stage.

In conclusion…
Of course, we wish there were more: more funding sources, more funding from those sources. If we hear of new opportunities, we’ll add ‘em. (So don’t be shy about sharing them with us.)

And if you’re interested in seeing MCC’s funding for individual artists continue and grow, sign up to receive announcements of advocacy opportunities from the Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanites (MAASH).

Images: Mary O’Malley, HAECKELS GARDEN (2008), Metallic ink on paper, 32×40 in; Liza Bingham, CORNER PIECE ll (2009), Oil on linen on panel, 10×19 in (photo credit: Steward Woodward); Heather White, MURMURING BROOCH (2006), cast sterling lips, gold, rubies, seed and cultured pearls, 4.75 x 4.75 x .75 in.

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You get the sense DangerMilana is a unique law firm when you learn that A. They’ve created their own board game, and B. They invite your dog (socialized and well-behaved, naturally) to their events. The firm, which specializes in areas of importance to creative individuals - entertainment law, intellectual property & copyrights, and estate planning - is holding a series of free workshops to discuss legal issues relevant to artists, inventors and entrepreneurs.

You can join attorneys Deborah Danger and Jenny Milana on upcoming Fridays as part of a free workshop series, with discussion and refreshments starting at 6:30 PM at their Allston, MA office. Here’s the upcoming schedule:

• Protecting Your Work with Copyrights, 4/23/2010, Come learn about the basics of copyright law and how your copyright can generate more income for you.
• Digital Works in a Digital World, 4/30/2010, In the digital world we live in, come learn about the importance of inventorying and how to keep up with advancing technologies.
• Protecting Your Work with a Will, 5/7/2010, We’ll discuss how important an estate plan is for the creative person’s work and the effects of not having a plan in place.
• Contract Drafting, Negotiating and Reviewing, 5/14/2010, If your work is hanging in a gallery, whose responsible if your work is damaged? We’ll cover questions like that and more for many of the different industries.
• Running a Business as an Artist, Inventor or Entrepreneur, 5/21/2010, Learn about which business entity best suits your goals, financial needs and envisioned format of your venture.
• Board Game Testing, 5/28/2010, Come test the firm’s new board game! There will be prizes and candy!

All events take place at 6:30 PM, at DangerMilana, 119 Braintree Street, Studio 416 Allston, MA 02134. You can also drop in or call each Friday between 4:30-6:30 for a free, private and confidential 15 minute consultation. (And yes, you are encouraged to bring your socialized and well behaved dog to the workshops.)

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Around the Webs
A Very Martha Engagement: when Crystal Hanehan, a Boston-area artist specializing in handmade, vintage-inspired, spun cotton creations through her business Vintage by Crystal, appeared on The Martha Stewart Show, it was already shaping up to be a propitious day. Then she was proposed to by her boyfriend. On air. (I’ve heard of using Martha designs for your special occasions, but adorning the moment with the actual Martha – now that’s good style.)

From the Boston Globe: a local architectural firm wants to transform an abandoned T tunnel into a subterreanean art space. The proposal, called TUTS (Tremont Underground Theater Space) won the ShiftBoston Ideas Competition 2009 for “provocative wild visions for the City of Boston.” The proposed space would be multi-use, and best of all, wouldn’t be overrun with vicious Morlocks for another 800,000 years!

The Art21 blog talks to Laura Thompson at Kidspace, which has incorporated the work of dozens of individual artists during its 10 years providing young museum goers with creative awesomeness at MASS MoCA in North Adams.

A new online publication, Defunct Magazine, collects essays about things that have gone – or are going – bye bye. AGNI editor Sven Birkerts contributes musings on the rake – “not yet a relic, but a technology on the verge.”

Congratulations, Massachusetts
Bravo to Paul Harding of Georgetown, Mass., whose novel Tinkers won a 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His debut novel, no less. The New York Times Paper Cut blog calls the novel “one that got away” - as in went under the paper’s radar when it came out, but one will no doubt get its due now.

The Berkshire Taconic ART Fund has announced over $150,000-worth of smiles/grants to New England artists and arts organizations.

I need a hero. Had Bonnie Tyler meant, in her classic 1980s ballad “Holding Out for a Hero,” a hero of the theater, in the Boston area, the next line could’ve been, “More specifically, Michael Maso, Managing Director of the Huntington Theatre Company, who was just named Theatre Hero by the theatre service organization StageSource!” (Would’ve changed the nature of the song a bit, but still.)

Congratulations to writer Brendan Mathews of Great Barrington, whose short story “My Last Attempt to Explain to You What Happened with the Lion Tamer” was selected by Richard Russo for inclusion in Best American Short Stories 2010. Brendan has been published all over the place, including Glimmer Train, Virginia Quarterly Review, and The Southwest Review, and teaches at Bard College at Simon’s Rock. (Incidentally, does anyone know about other Massachusetts writers who have been selected for the upcoming Best American collection? Leave a comment and spread the love!)

Getting Strong Now
On New England Film, the Screenplay Doctor answers some screenwriters’ questions, mostly about agents: the need for, and the locating of, the writing to.

Fractured Atlas, a national artists’ services organization, has online courses – free, gratis, and fer nuthin’! Courses on marketing, fundraising, working with agents, and more are available to members (and it’s free to become a Fractured Atlas “Community Member”).

Interested in finding an agent/publisher for your novel? Boston-area writer Dell Smith gets down to the basics of that most basic effort of the would-be published author: the Query Letter.

Image: Crystal Hanehan of Vintage by Crystal, Vintage Style Spun Cotton Birds in a Tree Wedding Cake Topper. See more of her creations at her Etsy store.

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Professional success in the arts is about creating pathways - creatively and in one’s career. Organizations like ARTmorpheus, a Boston-based nonprofit that promotes a vibrant artistic community and economic revitalization for working artists, help artists forge those paths.

We recently received an email announcement from ARTmorpheus listing a number of upcoming professional development opportunities for artists. This post re-posts some of those opportunities (and also re-re-posts some opportunities we’ve previously listed but thought could use another “re-”).

Free talk on making a living as an artist
The Arts and Business Council of Boston will host Jackie Battenfield for a free talk on Artists Making a Living. Battenfield, the author of The Artist’s Guide: How to Make a Living Doing What You Love, will speak on the fundamental skills artists need to develop and sustain a professional life. It will cover tips on how to plan, promote, fund, organize, and build community, with half of the time reserved for audience questions. The event takes place on April 6, 6-8 PM, in the Function Room at Suffolk University Law School in Boston.

Upcoming ARTmorpheus roundtables
There are two upcoming events hosted by ARTmorpheus for artists working in any media: April 13 at the Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts, Artists Roundtable featuring Jessica Burko on social media marketing for artists; and on May 4 at the Calderwood Pavilion, BCA, Artists Roundtable featuring Susan Dupuis, of Dupuis & Co, LLC, an income tax consultant and licensed attorney, on recordkeeping and taxes. Both events take place 5:30-7 PM. Both events are free, but attendees are encouraged to bring a food item to share. RSVP (and/or send questions) to Liora Beer.

PRIME Program from the International Institute of Boston
Offering free guidance and resources for small businesses (including artist-entrepreneurs). A free business class begins April 20, with a few spots still remaining. Visit the program’s website for more info.

Artist Business Training
One-and-a-half day workshops led by the UMass Arts Extension Service to address business basics and key issues that artists confront in the current economy; free to resident artists.

• April 21-22 Petersham, Petersham Town Hall (contact Sarah McMaster at North Quabbin Woods for more info or to sign up)
• April 28-29 Springfield, Schibelli Hall, Springfield Technical Community College (contact Tracy Woods at Art for the Soul Gallery)
• May 5-6 Northampton, Dynamite Space (contact Julia Handschuh)

Disaster Aid for Small Businesses and Individuals Affected by Flooding in Mass.
President Obama declared Massachusetts a federal disaster area, which will give victims of the recent floods - both residents and businesses - access to Federal Disaster relief, including grants and low interest loans. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Worcester, Norfolk, Plymouth, or Bristol Counties, can register for aid online or by calling the FEMA Teleregistration number: 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.

Disaster Aid Grants for Artisans from the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF)
CERF would like to make sure that any professional craft artist who has been seriously affected by the flooding is aware of the disaster relief assistance available from CERF. If, as a craft artist, you have suffered loss, contact CERF when able. Programs include grants up to $1500 and loans up to $8000, booth fee waivers at craft shows, discounts on materials and equipment from suppliers and manufacturers, and assistance with business development through referrals to consultants and other low or no-cost resources. For eligibility requirements and more detailed information, visit Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF).

Image: Christopher Faust (Painting Fellow ‘10), TUNNEL (2009), Acrylic on canvas, 28×36 in.

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