Saturday, June 20, 2009

GRANTS FOR EMERGING WRITERS, MUSICIANS, MEDIA ARTISTS AND MORE!

Greetings all and Happy Solstice. Below are a few upcoming grants and opportunities for writers, musicians and the like. Happy hunting!

(WRITERS) Grants for Emerging Writers

The Elizabeth George Foundation offers grants to unpublished fiction writers, for unpublished and published poets, and emerging playwrights. There is no website; you need to request funding through a well-written letter. In your letter, emphasize the importance of your project, the marketability of your work, a rough financial message about your situation, and details on how you'd utilize funds. Keep requests reasonable in light of these economic times. Deadline July 1, 2009. Write to: Elizabeth George, Director, PO Box 1429, Langley, WA 98260 also 4111 Shorebreak Drive, Huntington Beach, CA, 92649-2184. If you want to read my article, "Finding Money for Your Dreams," about the grant writing process, go here: http://miraslist.blogspot.com/2009/04/finding-money-for-your-dreams.html. You might find it useful if you are an emerging writer (or artist).

(WRITERS)Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Scholarships
The Elizabeth George Foundation also now sponsers a Full Scholarship for a Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Student. In the first phase of building its scholarship and student loan program, the Whidbey Writers Workshop, located on Whidbey Island in Washington State, is pleased to announce a full-tuition merit scholarship with the establishment of the Elizabeth George Foundation scholarship.The organization is seeking additional support to aid students. In addition to the Elizabeth George Foundation full scholarship of $12,000 for an incoming student that is renewable for a second year, the WWW is also building funding for half-tuition and quarter-tuition scholarships and for financial aid assistance. For more information, go to: http://www.writeonwhidbey.org/mfa/scholarship.htm.

(MUSICIANS/COMPOSERS) LaRue Travel Fund
The LaRue Travel Fund for Research Travel to Europe: The American Musicological Society (AMS) Jan LaRue Travel Fund is intended to encourage and assist Ph.D. candidates, post-doctoral scholars, independent scholars, and junior faculty to travel to Europe to carry out research. The fund honors the memory of Jan LaRue (1918–2004), a distinguished scholar and AMS member admired for his pioneering work on style analysis, the eighteenth-century symphony, and early computer applications in musicology. The current maximum award is $1,000. Eligible applicants must currently attend or have graduated from a doctoral program in a North American university. If they seek to conduct research for their dissertation, they must have completed all other requirements for the Ph.D. (or the equivalent doctoral degree in any field of music scholarship). If they seek to conduct post-doctoral research or are independent scholars, they should have completed the Ph. D. within the past five years. All materials music be submitted by 5 p.m. EST, 25 July 2009 to the office of the AMS. For more information and application guidelines, please visit the website: http://www.ams-net.org/awards/.

(ALL DISCIPLINES) Soros Fellowships for New Americans
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans: The Soros Fellowships provide opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished new Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields. The Fellowship provides half tuition and $20,000 maintenance for two years. Candidates must be either holders of green cards, naturalized citizens, or children of naturalized citizen parents. For more information, go to: http://www.pdsoros.org/overview/application.shtml. The deadline is Nov. 1, 2009.

***By the way, I believe that most people applying will be seeking funding in fields such as engineering, medicine, etc. I have heard that you actually have a better chance if you are NOT in those fields. This could be one of those rare grants/fellowships that being an artist is an advantage! Go for it!

(MEDIA ARTS) Residencies and Scholarships
Residencies: 911 Media Arts Center is considered Washington State’s premiere media arts center, dedicated to supporting the expressive use of innovative new media by providing the access, training, and environment needed to create and exhibit works of artistic excellence. The Artist in Residence Program supports innovative new media artists of all disciplines, including digital filmmakers (narrative, documentary, experimental), animators, media installation and internet art. Program is flexible depending on the artist’s needs, but typically consists of project budget, equipment and facilities access, technical assistance, exhibition or screening support, and artist honorarium. Residencies range from three to six months in duration. No travel or housing support is offered.

Scholarships: Each year 911 Seattle Media Arts Center recognizes promising new voices in the media arts with one of our coveted scholarships, offering the opportunity for an artist to learn from our instructors and further their studies in the media arts field. 911 Media Arts Center hopes to increase these scholarship funds with the help of our generous donors.

1. The Artist Media Scholarship provides financial support to seed interest and exploration in the digital media arts. Open to artists of all disciplines, the $1,000 award is to be used for classes in digital media, including video and video editing offered by 911 Media Arts Center. The funds may also apply to additional resources offered at 911 Media Arts Center such as rental of video and editing equipment, and for artist projects needing technical assistance. All levels of experience (including no experience at all) in digital media are eligible.
2. The Youth Tech Scholarship
was created to introduce and motivate young people to experiment, explore and succeed in media arts and technology. This $1,000 award is solely for classes at 911 Media Arts Center as well as special programs specifically geared for young students at 911 Media Arts Center. Currently we are accepting applications from individuals, ages 16 to 19 years old. All levels of experience in digital media are eligible for this scholarship as well. Applications due September 15th, 2009 for both scholarships. Check website for details and application guidelines: http://www.911media.org/education/scholarships.

Welcome to Mira's List

This blog provides information on upcoming grants, fellowships and residencies for artists, writers, composers, and media artists. It is for serious professionals only, from emerging to mid-career to established. I also publish information for graduate students from time to time. However, I do not publish information on exhibition or publishing opportunities, nor do I advertise artist retreats and workshops that charge money. At least that is my current policy. For more info on where to exhibit or publish, please see my links section which I try to periodically update. I sift through hundreds of search engines and websites to find opportunities for YOU dear artist. In return, I ask you to pass the information along to those who need it. Also, since this is a free blog, I don't always have the time to weed carefully through everything. If you find a grant or website or residency that is not up-to-date, is dodgy in some way, or is no longer in existence, please let me know! Also, if you stay somewhere at one of the residencies I suggest and have a good experience, I want that feedback too. Please check my FAQs at the top right side bar if you have questions before starting your search. Best wishes and happy hunting!