Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Q AND A FORUM: GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS, RESIDENCIES
Greetings! In the future I will probably set up a forum linked page or something and/or will have links to FAQ's and tips, etc. but to get started, I thought I'd ask you if you had any questions about: grants, fellowships, residencies, writing applications, what you are eligible to apply for...anything, really, as long as it pertains to your professional development as an artist (or writer, composer, etc.). So please use the comment section below to ask me something and I will try to get back to you as soon as you can. And feel free to comment on what else you'd like to see on this blog. If you like what I'm doing so far, let me know that too. If something could be improved, let me know that as well. I do this for free so things won't happen over night...anyway, ask away. How can I help you? (p.s. Some people are having trouble finding the place where they can leave a post. Look right below this posting and you will see the word "comments" with a number before it, showing how many people have left comments. The comments are hidden to save space, but if you click on "comments" you will open up a space to write in. You don't have to leave your name or anything, just do the little security check so we can avoid spam. Thanks!
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6 comments:
Dear Mira,
You've made a giant contribution to those of us seeking grants and fellowships. Thank you so much. My question is this: For government grants like the NEA, is it essential to call your local senator and ask them to sponsor you by making a phone call, etc? I've not so, but a friend who is State Rep says people often ask her to sponsor them.
Thanks for your input! Okay, as far as government grants like the NEA go, I have never heard anything about calling a state rep. I have spoken with judges in the past and they tell me that they really judge all work blindly. I think it would be unethical for any state rep to try to influence a grant decision (and unethical to ask one to). It is supposed to be based on the strength of one's work alone. If anyone has heard differently, please respond!
Dear Mira, I've been researching grants and scholarships for graduate school and the bulk of what I find requires ordering "free" grant software (with a monthly fee after a week trial period). Are these the scams I sense them to be? I've started searching through the links you provide on your site but I was wondering if you might be able to suggest good sites or foundations to look into. I graduated with a BFA in studio art (printmaking and installation art mostly) but I want to pursue an MA in Art Administration/Curatorial Studies (the program's titles vary, but ultimately fill the same goals). Any advice would really be appreciated and thank you for your wonderful little blog!!
Thank you for the excellent question. First, in my opinion, I wouldn't waste time with places that ask you to pay a fee. You should be able to find funding based on your own merit. Secondly, check out the new links I've just posted for graduate students on my sidebar. One is a search engine specifically for art history and museum studies grad. students (Art Resources in Art History). They have amazing links for people like you. They also have some great links for other disciplines, not just for art history. Anyway, my last suggestion is to first decide where you want to go, pick a couple or three places in case you don't get accepted into your dream program, and contact their financial aid offices and ask about fellowships. Also contact the specific department you want to study in and ask what kind of funding they offer. And remember, you have to apply for these programs (and scholarship funding) way in advance and also fill out the FAFSA form for the government. I will continue to look for more funding for grad. students so I suggest subscribing to my blog via the RSS feed button for free and then you can get short updates on your browser's reader option. Oh--one more thing. Sometimes universities have really odd scholarships. For instance, when I went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago years ago, they offered this not well publicized fellowship for students who had taken at least one class at a Catholic school, even if you weren't Catholic. So try doing a search on google for something specific pertaining to you, such as "graduate school fellowships Jewish" or "graduate school fellowships disabled" or anything that distinguishes you from others. I got an interest free small business loan a few years ago that way! Keep in touch. And good luck!
Hi, Mira. Thank you for working on this blog. I've shared it with my friends & colleagues, on FB, etc., and they love it, too. Regarding what else I'd like to see: I'm a poet/instructor and my husband is a visual artist, and both of us have a particular interest in visiting Latin America, Spain, or any Spanish-speaking country to work on and share our art. He's just finishing his BFA and I'm also at an "emerging" level. We are happy to work and serve in the community where we go as well as focusing on our individual work. Just some thoughts for you, and I'm sure I'll have more, as I've become a regular! Thanks again.
Hi there...sorry it took so long to get back to you! I accidentally had changed my comments setting and wasn't getting notified when people commented on this site. Anyway, you could go several ways with this. One is to apply for a Fulbright, another is to check out artcorp: http://www.artcorp.org/, and I would definitely go to http://www.resartis.org and see what they have available for residencies in the countries you are interested in. Most residencies are for one to three months but some are longer. At the same time I'd suggest trying to find funding--check out the link for the Kansas City Arts Coalition listed on my website, although you might need to have more shows under your belt for that. Right now I am trying to find more travel money sources (very hard to find at the moment in this economy). So keep checking back. I'm about to go to a conference on all this stuff next week so hopefully I'll come back with some good info! I'll keep your plans in the back of my mind as I sift through search engines. Write back anytime. Cheers! Mira
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