Friday, October 30, 2009

LATE-BREAKING FELLOWSHIP DEADLINE FOR WRITERS

You lucky dogs: three posts in one day. And after a week of being a slacker. (And yes, that picture IS my little dog Sadie. I thought it was about time you found out who really is writing these posts.) This one below is from Poets & Writers:

(WRITERS) University of Louisville Axton Fellowship in Fiction: Writers who have received their terminal degree within the last five years in Creative Writing are invited to apply for an Axton Fellowship in Creative Writing. The purpose of these fellowships is to provide recent graduates with time to further their own work, to associate them with a distinguished faculty, and to allow them to contribute to a vibrant creative writing community. This year one fellow in fiction will be appointed for the academic years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, and will be awarded a stipend and benefits. The fellow will give a reading in the Axton reading series during her or his tenure, will run a two-day literary seminar, and will teach one course each semester. Of these courses, one will be of the fellow’s design, another will be on the teaching of creative writing, and the other two will be creative writing or literature courses. The fellow will be expected to be in residence in Louisville during their fellowship period. The fellowship will provide a stipend of $25,000 a year plus benefits for two years. Candidates for the fellowship should submit the following documents: a) a current CV; b) a one-page proposal for an undergraduate course; c) a writing sample-no more than 25 pages; and d) at least three letters of recommendation. Applications must be postmarked by November 1, 2009. Mail applications to: Axton Fellowships, Jeff Skinner, Acting Director of Creative Writing, Department of English, Bingham Humanities 315, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, 40292. I JUST got the announcement in my mailbox today and the deadline is obviously SUNDAY, so you might want to double-check that deadline.

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.

Grantwriting Resources, Professional Development Tips et al...

Well, after my post a few weeks back about people sending me grant proposals, I began thinking about what resources are out there to help artists write grants and learn more professional skills to further develop their careers. A couple grant writers also sent me the links to their sites and I will post those soon. I can't attest to how good these people are so if you hire them down the line and have either a great or a not-so-great experience, please let me know. Anyway, I thought that today I'd just take a minute to talk about hiring grant writers and also let you know about a couple resources that you might find helpful.

People have asked me how much consultants charge to help an artist write or edit her/his individual grant (not for non-profit organizations). Readers have also asked if I would do that for them in the future. I'm on the fence about doing that fee-for-service right now but it is possible in the future I will. I certainly will let you know if I do. In the meantime, here are just a couple things you should know:

* You should be paying the consultant per hour, NOT paying a percentage of the 'possible' grant award. That is considered unethical in the biz. What I mean is: if you are applying for a $20,000 grant and the consultant says his fee will be 10% of that award up front (which you may or may not get!), you are being scammed.
* People who do this for a living tell me they charge around $50 an hour on average, although some grant consultants do a sliding scale price and go as low as $20. Some people charge by the page to just edit your grant. It really varies.

I can't tell you if it's worth the money or not. All I can say is that having someone look over your proposal and application IS a good thing, if they know what they are doing. One way to get help, if you don't have any brilliant and experienced grant writing friends around or extra cash to pay a consultant is to check out your local arts council (and not just in the US but I know England and other countries have some great regional arts councils too) and see if they offer free or low-cost professional development workshops for artists. A great example of this is the Artists' Toolbox Program in Boston, sponsered by the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts, Inc. Other cities have such programs too. In Seattle, Washington, Artist Trust offers lots of great professional development programs.

There are also individuals who teach workshops and classes on grant writing, etc. Gigi Rosenberg gives regional (in Oregon) and National workshops for artists and writers. You can find her at: http://www.gigirosenberg.com. I met Gigi recently when she interviewed me for her book on grantwriting, due out from Random House in 2011 and although I have never taken a workshop from her, I have a feeling she is the real deal and that you would learn a lot.

Also, visual artists should really check out GYST (Get Your S**T Together), an artist-run site for artists. They offer software, professional development workshops and other services. They also have a blog so check them out.

Oh, I've also seen free grant-writing workshops at local libraries so check those out too. Many of them offer these kinds of classes or one-day intensives so drag yourself down to the library, check out a book or two and ask if they offer any professional development programs for artists. If they don't, suggest it. If you build it, they will come.

That's all the ranting and raving for today. I'm going to also post something right after this---an event coming up in Boston for artists. And coming soon....interviews! I'm lining them up---the response has been fantastic. A nice variety of peeps coming your way.

Your Faithful Servant,
Mirabee

Monday, October 26, 2009

COMING SOON

Hi everyone. Just a quick note to say that I have not abandoned you but rather, I have been quite a busy bee, doing a couple interviews for other blogs, preparing some Q and A's for this one (with grant funders, artists and writers whose lives have been changed by residencies, etc.) and of course, searching for great opportunities for all.

I have more things for you to see....I'll get to them as soon as I can. In the meantime, keep working hard and don't forget all those fall deadlines!
Best Wishes,
Mira

p.s. A few of you have written to ask when my book is coming out and where you can see my work (art and writing) on the web. My book, The Memory Palace, is due out sometime late 2010 or early 2011 from Free Press (Simon & Schuster). I'll be starting a blog for it and my editorial/publishing process soon and when my official website goes up, you'll be the first to know! And don't forget to check out my bookstore at the bottom of this blog. Anything you buy from this site, even not grant related books, will help keep this blog going!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

MONEY FOR TRAVEL, FELLOWSHIPS, AND MORE

Some of the following opportunities are from Pen America and CAA (College Art Association), both great resources to check out when you have the time!

(WOMEN) American Association of University Women International Fellowships: International Fellowships up to $30,000 are awarded for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not United States citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate study at accredited institutions are supported. Several of fellowships are available for study outside of the U.S. for members of the International Federation of University women. See web site for more details. Deadline December 1, 2009. See website for details: www.aauw.org.

(WOMEN) American Association of University Women Career Development Grants Career Development Grants offer up to $12,000 to women who hold a bachelor's degree and are preparing to advance their careers, change careers, or re-enter the work force. Special consideration is given to women of color, and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in nontraditional fields. See web site for more details. Deadline Dec. 15, 2009.

(CHILD. BOOK WRITERS/ILLUSTRATORS) Research Fellowship: Children's Literature Research Collections, Ezra Jack Keats/Kerlan Collection Memorial Fellowship , University of Minnesota, 113 Andersen Library, 222 21st Avenue, South, Minneapolis, MN 5545. The Ezra Jack Keats/Kerlan Collection Memorial Fellowship provides $1,500 to a talented aspiring writer and/or illustrator of children's books who wishes to use the Kerlan Collection for furthering his or her artistic development. Special consideration is given to those for whom it would be difficult to finance the visit. Write or see web site (http://www.special.lib.umn.edu) for more details and application. Deadline December 31, 2009.

(WOMEN) Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund: The Fund provides grants of up to $1,500 to U.S. or Canadian women poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers "whose work addresses women's concerns or speaks for peace and justice from a feminist perspective." Application fee is $20. Two application deadlines each year: December 31 (art and fiction) and June 30 (nonfiction and poetry). Send SASE to Susan Pliner, Executive Director, at above address for application. P.O. Box 309, Wilton, NH 0308. **Sorry, no website for this one. They prefer snail mail.

(ARTISTS/STUDENTS) Travel Grants to CAA Conference: CAA offers a couple travel grants so artists and students can attend their annual conference. The first is a $150 grant awarded to a limited number of advanced PhD and MFA graduate students as partial reimbursement of expenses for travel to the 2010 Annual Conference in Chicago. To qualify for the grant, students must be current CAA members. For more information, check the CAA website: http://www.collegeart.org/travelgrants/. The second award is an International Member Conference Travel Grant of $500, presented to a limited number of artists or scholars from outside the United States as partial reimbursement of travel expenses to the upcoming Chicago CAA Conference.

(POETS) Jenny McKean Moore Program: George Washington University, Department of English, 801 22nd Street, NW, Suite 760, Washington, D.C. 20052. The Jenny McKean Moore Program at George Washington University engages a poet to teach two semesters at the university (a tuition-free community workshop and a class to GWU students) at a salary of approximately $55,000. The candidate must have been published by a well-regarded press and demonstrated a commitment to teaching. SASE with writing sample and resume must accompany application. The visiting lecturer must live in or near Washington, D.C., during the academic year (late August to early May). Apply to Professor Jeffrey Cohen, at above address. Deadline to be announced.

(WRITERS) Poets & Writers, Writers Exchange Program
The Writers Exchange Program is designed to encourage a sharing of works and resources among emerging writers nationwide. A poet and a fiction writer from a designated state are chosen annually. Each receives a $500 honorarium and gives readings and meets with the literary community in New York City during October. All related travel and lodging expenses and a daily stipend are covered. See web site for annual state. Deadline December 1, 2009. Guidelines and applications available online: http://www.pw.org.

(ARTISTS) Proposals for Artist Multiples: The Present Group, a quarterly art subscription service, seeks proposals from artists for projects that are reproducible in intent. We are looking for projects that will result in a limited edition, artist multiple, or a single work that consists of multiple parts. Every year TPG subscribers receive limited edition works from four different contemporary artists. A $500 honorarium is awarded to each season’s artist. For more information please visit: www.thepresentgroup.com, to download full submission guidelines: http://www.thepresentgroup.com/TPG-submissions.pdf. Deadline November 9, 2009.

(ARTISTS) International Career Development Grant: ARTWORKinternational, Inc. is offering a $12,000 Artist Business Career Development Grant. Uniquely, the Artist Business Career Development Grant (or ABCD Grant) offers unrestricted support to visual artists by placing priority on advancing the grantee's career. While the granting period extends over one year, the continued benefits are exponential, continuing throughout the artist's lifetime. ARTWORKinternational, Inc. has worked with the most prestigious art venues throughout the world, including prominent art publications, contemporary curators, critics, collectors, and dealers. The $12,000 grant is open to visual artists worldwide. Deadline December 31, 2009.

(WRITERS/SCHOLARS) Winterthur Research Fellowship: Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, a museum, library, and garden that supports the study of American art, culture, and history, announces its Research Fellowship Program for 2010-11. Winterthur offers fellowships open to academic, independent, and museum scholars to support research in material culture and other areas of social and cultural history. Fellowships include 4-9 month NEH fellowships, 1-2 semester dissertation fellowships, and 1-2 month short-term fellowships. Fellows use the library collections, including printed books, manuscripts and images, searchable at www.winterthur.org/research/library_resources.asp. They may conduct research in the museum collection, which includes artifacts made or used in America to 1860. Fellows reside in a furnished stone farmhouse. For information and to apply visit www.winterthur.org/research/fellowship.asp or e-mail Rosemary T. Krill at [email protected]. Deadline is January 15, 2010.

(PERFORMING ARTISTS) Travel Grants
The Theatre Communications Group is accepting applications to the New Generations — Future Collaborations program, which awards unrestricted travel grants of up to $6,000 to theaters and individual theater professionals to enable them to collaborate and share ideas with their colleagues abroad. Applications will be accepted from theater professionals and theater companies wishing to share ideas and techniques and/or collaborate with colleagues from around the world. Grants will support unrestricted international travel by theater professionals working in all aspects of theater. November and February deadlines. http://www.tcg.org/grants/newgen/international_deadline.cfm

(ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS) Arte Luguna Prize
The Italian Cultural Association MoCA, in cooperation with Arte Laguna, organizes the Fourth International Art Prize “Arte Laguna”. The Prize is subdivided in three sections: painting, photographic art, sculpture.The Prize is open to all artists, without any limits of age, sex, nationality or other qualification. The selection of the artworks will be carried out by 3 Juries composed by experts of Contemporary Art: Viviana Siviero, Alessandro Trabucco (art critic), Igor Zanti (art critic), Stefano Coletto (Curator of the Bevilaqua La Masa Foundation Venice), Rossella Bertolazzi (Director of the European Institute of Design), Lorenzo Respi (Curator of the Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation, Milan). The prizes are an amount of 5.000 euro for each section. Moreover for the selected artists in planned a exhibition in Arsenale at Venice, other collective exhibitions. You can find more information on the website at: www.artelagunaprize.com. Deadline November 15, 2009.

Friday, October 16, 2009

BOOKS BY MIRA!


Hi again. Just so you know, I uploaded a bunch of my books on different cultures for you to purchase, if you so desire (see bottom of page). Each book in the Stencil Book Series contains a set of stencils and info on each country or culture, along with history, lifeways, art, ritual information, myths and folklore. Great for the classroom or for museum workshops, if any of you are teachers out there. I originally wrote and developed the book series for children, grades three and up, but many artists (and others) like the books just for the designs (like Dover books only with much more information). There's also a four book Early Reader series for young children, with photos and text about Native American cultures. Every book you buy from my site helps to support Mira's List a tiny bit more! So scroll down to the bottom of the blog and you will find not only grant and arts books but now you'll find some books by me! Thanks.
Mira

ARTIST GRANTS & RESIDENCIES: FALL DEADLINES

Here are some upcoming deadlines for residencies and a couple grants. Don't forget, if you have questions about residency and grant applications, etc., please check out my FAQs on the right hand side bar. And while you're at it, why not check out my books on grant-writing and opportunities in the arts at the bottom of my blog or do your own grant book search on the side bar? Cheers, Mira. p.s. Just so you know, Blogger continues to make wonky formatting problems for those of us who write in a Word doc first before posting. The only remedy I have heard of so far is embedding new HTML code in each and every post which frankly, I'm too lazy to do. So you'll just have to deal with the occasional weirdness in font size and spacing for now....thanks for understanding.

(ALL) Residency in rural Georgia, U.S.A.
Sustainable Arts Society
invites artists and creative professionals to participate in its Residency Program in the rural, pristine, setting of the Appalachian Mountains of north Georgia. U.S. and international individuals at all stages of their careers and working in a variety of mediums will be empowered to create works of significance in the arts and environmental conservation, to share ideas and inspiration with fellow residents, and to cultivate positive, intellectual growth and change while honoring the cultural and environmental integrity of this unique farm setting. U.S. and international creative individuals over 21 with a passionate commitment to their art form and respect for living sustainably among others and the natural world. Emerging, mid-career and professional level artists are encouraged to apply. General information, the details of the Application process and the Application are available on this web page. Nov. 1 deadline.

http://www.sustainable-arts.org/residencies.html


(Thanks to Artist Trust for the following announcements):


(ALL DISCIPLINES & SOUND ARTISTS) Jack Straw Residency in Seattle

The Jack Straw Residency Program in Seattle, Washington is accepting applicants from both established and emerging artists in diverse disciplines to participate in their Artist Residency Programs. There are three programs available this year, Artist Support Program, New Media Gallery, and Writers Program. These residencies are offered to allow artists the opportunity to explore the creative use of sound in a professional atmosphere. Each completed application must be postmarked or delivered by 5:00 pm, on Friday, October 30, 2009. For more info, go to: www.jackstraw.org.


(ALL) Residency at Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle
The twelve-day Hauberg residency, established to encourage collaboration among a group of outstanding artists, offers an
opportunity to create new work that utilizes Pilchuck facilities and/or is inspired by the Pilchuck environment. Visual artists in all media as well as writers, poets, art critics, and curators are encouraged to submit proposals with a collaborative concept or theme that makes creative use of Pilchuck’s resources and environment. Hauberg Fellows may use the vitreography studio; plaster studios; fusing, slumping, and casting kilns; and coldworking equipment. The twelve-day spring residency includes a single room in a cottage with shared bath, meals, studio space, and limited supplies. Reimbursement for travel costs and honorarium are not provided. Deadline: January 16th, 2010. For more information, write to Ruth King, Artistic Director: [email protected] or visit the website: www.pilchuck.com.

(ALL) The Rome Prize
The American Academy awards the Rome Prize to thirty emerging artists and scholars in the early or middle stages of their careers who represent the highest standard of excellence in the arts and humanities. Fellows are chosen from the following disciplines: architecture, design, historic preservation and conservation, landscape architecture, literature (awarded only by nomination through the American Academy of Arts and Letters), musical Composition, visual arts, ancient studies, medieval studies, renaissance and early modern studies, and modern Italian studies.

Prize recipients are invited to Rome for six months or eleven months to immerse themselves in the Academy community where they will enjoy a once in a lifetime opportunity to expand their own professional, artistic, or scholarly pursuits, drawing on their colleagues' erudition and experience and on the inestimable resources that Italy, Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Academy have to offer. For more information, go to: http://www.aarome.org/apply-to-the-rome-prize.php. Deadline: November, 1, 2009.

(ARTISTS) NYC Printmaking Residency
Special Editions Residency Program is a competitive national residency program for emerging artists to create new work through exploration of printmaking. The Lower East Side Printshop offers an opportunity to complete an important new body of work in collaboration with one of their two experienced master printers, fully sponsored by the Printshop. Artists, with or without printmaking skills, are provided with technical assistance, financial support, time and studio space to explore printmaking and complete a new body of work. Experimentation and exploration of new materials and processes are welcome. The Printshop documents the artwork digitally, in printed materials including the annual catalogue, and on the Internet. The Printshop also provides exposure opportunities through on- and off-site exhibitions and studio visits. Awarded artists work alongside other emerging and mid-career artists in the Printshop's Collaborations Studio. Deadline December 2nd, 2009. More info and application at: http://www.printshop.org/web/Create/SpecialEditions/index.html.

(ALL) Artist-in-Residence at Rocky Mountain National Park

The Artist-In-Residence program at Rocky Mountain National Park offers professional writers, composers, and visual and performing artists the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being surrounded by the park's inspiring landscape. Selected artists stay in a historic, rustic cabin for two-week periods from June through September. No stipend is provided.More info and application at: http://www.nps.gov/romo/supportyourpark/artist_in_residence.htm. Deadline December 1, 2009.

(WRITERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS) The Lange-Taylor Prize: The Lange-Taylor Prize is offered to a writer and a photographer in the early stages of a documentary project. By encouraging such collaborative efforts, the Center for Documentary Studies supports the documentary process in which writers and photographers work together to record the human story. For more information, go to: http://www-cds.aas.duke.edu/l-t/index.html. Deadline: January, 31, 2010.

(ALL) The Puffin Foundation Grant

The Puffin foundation is accepting grant proposals from emerging artists in the fields of art, music, photography, theater, and video. For more information, go to: http://www.puffinfoundation.org/grants/prospectiveapplicant.html. Deadline is December 15, 2009.



Wednesday, October 14, 2009

CALLING ARTISTS WHO WORK ON PAPER!

Hi everyone...more stuff coming probably tomorrow or later today but because so many of you are always asking me about travel grants, I wanted to tell you about this great opportunity for young artists, between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. The Jean-Claude Reynal Foundation, under the auspices of the Foundation of France, in collaboration with the Fine Arts School of Bordeaux, is offering a grant of 10,000 euros to enable a young artist, who works directly on paper, to travel to a country of his/her choice for a period of six months maximum. The deadline for online registration is November 15th, 2009. For more information, go to http://www.rosab.net/bourse-reynal/

More later....Cheers, Mira

ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD

Hi again. Just so you know, I can now receive emails. Sorry about the snafoo. Google, for some reason, disabled my email account which also meant that I wasn't getting notified when any of you wrote comments after my posts. But my email address is back so if, after reading all my FAQs and searching this site you still have a burning question, feel free to email me at: [email protected]. I should be posting something later today or tomorrow....until then, have a great day and thanks for your patience.
Yrs,
Mira

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

E-MAIL PROBLEM

Dear Readers,

For some reason, when you write me at my gmail account ([email protected]) the mail is bouncing back. My apologies! I have no idea why it's doing that. I'll check it out and if need be, change my email account, then let you know. I am very sorry if any of you wrote me and your email bounced back. Please check back on my blog to find out if I got it fixed or if you should write me at another address. Thanks for understanding...
best wishes, Mira

Friday, October 9, 2009

SOMETHING TO ASPIRE TO

Before I run off for the weekend, I wanted to share a video about the much esteemed and well-loved MacDowell Colony in Petersborough, New Hampshire. I think it gives a great sense of what it is like to live and work at an art colony/residency, should you be so fortunate to be accepted to one. It doesn't get better than this!

Click here and scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says "MacDowell Video." The short film originally played on PBS as part of their Art:21 Series in the U.S. Enjoy my friends!
Mira

Thursday, October 8, 2009

BOOKS, BOOKS, AND BOOKS!

Okay. Confession: I spent the day getting over a cold (no, it isn't Swine Flu) and not posting about residencies. I decided instead to post some links to books for those of you who want more indepth information on grantwriting and career tips in the arts. So, Gentle Readers, if you will kindly do one of two things (or both!): scroll down to the very bottom of this blog to see the books I have posted so far and/or go to the side bar and scroll down to the little section that says "search for grant books." This is yet another way that you can not only edify yourself but also earn a few pennies for Mira's List. For every book you buy from me, I get a wee percentage. Not only would you be learning something new but you would be helping me keep this blog going. If you are to purchase only one book this year, might I suggest this one: Guide to Getting Arts Grants by Ellen Liberatori. You'll find it in the bookstore at the bottom of my blog. Liberatori's book is helpful for both individuals and non-profit organizations.

Coming soon....residencies, grants, fellowships, quirky notes and best of all, Mira's Swagville Store! Yes, you heard me. You will soon be able to purchase a Mira's List T-Shirt and other cool items to help this little project of mine chug along. I'll let you know when the store is up. In the meantime, I'm not around this weekend but I'll post early next week, have no fear.

Have a beauteous autumnal weekend. Make art, write a poem, cook someone a fantastic meal and take a long, long glorious walk.
Cheers,
Mira

A NOTE ON FAQs, GRANT PROPOSALS AND MY BOOK!

Hi Everyone. I'm working on some new residency deadlines for you....hopefully those will be up later today. In the meantime, thanks for all your great comments, letters, donations (!) and support. You might notice that now in the upper right hand corner or the side bar is a notice about FAQs and links to them. I know it is a pain to scroll down that long list of labels to find them. This way they are easier to find.

In some of your comments and emails you suggested that maybe I should consider reviewing grant applications/proposals for a fee. Believe me, I have thought about this and I have done it in the past. And there is a very good chance I will do it again. I've just had to save my brain juice for working on this big book as well as doing this particular blog. But it is highly possible that, during the next break between my book and its subsequent publication and promotional tour, I will consider doing grant proposal reviews (for a sliding scale fee) again. I'll definitely let you know if and when I do that.

And speaking of my book, several of you have been asking me for a while where and when and if they can see or read something of mine. Calm down y'all! I'm not trying to hide anything.  It's not a top secret project, it's just that I really want to keep this blog centered on YOU and not ME. That said, I am starting up a blog soon about my book that will eventually lead to the development of a website a year from now, if not sooner. I'll also sell my other books on that site and you will be able to see snippets of things and images. (I also have a short radio interview that I'll post). The book is an illustrated memoir called The Memory Palace. Anyway, when I launch my Memory Palace blog I'll let you know and I'll keep you all posted about the website etc. My book should come out sometime in late fall 2010 or early 2011. Books take a loooooong time to produce. Who knew?

Okay, get back to work. Cheers to all you brilliant artists out there...Mira

Thursday, October 1, 2009

FOUNDATION CENTER CLASSES FOR GRANT-SEEKERS COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU!

Thank you Women Arts.org for this late-breaking news:

(ALL) Foundation Center Classes for Grant-Seekers: In honor of Funding for the Arts Month (October), the Foundation Center will host free events and classes in Atlanta, GA, Cleveland, OH, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA, to help artists and non-profit arts organizations become better grant-seekers and increase their funding. See website for details and exact locations. http://foundationcenter.org/marketplace/promotions/emailpromo/arts
_month_08312009_cats.html
. Class Dates: October 5, 2009 (Atlanta), October 7, 2009 (Cleveland), October 14, 2009 (New York), October 29, 2009 (San Francisco).

GRANTS, RESIDENCIES AND MORE: FALL AND WINTER DEADLINES

Well, I have to say that I was overwhelmed by the lovely and supportive responses from all of you. Thank you so much! I have a little essay churning in my head that came out of it all...hopefully it will hatch later today or over the weekend. But in the meantime, let's get back in the saddle, shall we? Lots of deadlines coming up and opportunities to be had. And thanks for letting me be cranky!

(ARTISTS) The SAM Prize for Contemporary Art
The SAM Prize for Contemporary Art, organized by SAM Art Projects, is a 20, 000 euros grant competition open to all artists over the age of 25, who have been resident in France for at least 2 years, and who have a signed contract with a gallery. The aim of the prize is to allow the selected artist to carry out a project which he/she will conduct in an emerging country in the Southern hemisphere, and exhibit in France in the following year. Every kind of expression and all the visual arts disciplines are accepted : painting, sculpture, installation, photography, video, etc. The full details of the Prize are available on the site : www.samartprojects.org, in the column LE PRIX SAM. For more information, you can also email: [email protected]. Deadline is soon! October 15th, 2009. (This announcement, courtesy of Art-Agenda and Kathleen Bitetti at the Artist Alliance.)

(PERFORMING ARTS) The MAP Fund for Contemporary Arts Performance Projects: Forty grants of up to $45,000 will be awarded to playwrights, choreographers, directors, composers, and performers working to premiere a new work that brings insight to the issue of cultural difference or the concept of "other." For more information, go to The Map Fund or visit the Foundation Center for info on this grant and many others! http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=267100006 . Deadline: October 19, 2009 (Online Letter of Inquiry).

(PERFORMING ARTS) Cultural Exchange Travel Grants
Also recently posted at the Foundation Center: Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to U.S.-based individual presenters and groups traveling to see the work of artists or companies abroad, and/or to develop partnerships with them. Deadline: November 16, 2009.

(ARTISTS) The Abraaj Capital $1 million dollar Art Prize
The Abraaj Capital Art Prize Competition offers contemporary artists from the Middle East, North African and South Asia the opportunity to apply for this prestigious award. The Dubai-based private equity firm, Abraaj Capital developed the US 1 million dollar prize in 2008 with Art Dubai and since then has awarded this prize twice, each time to three sets of winners. The award is granted on the merit of a proposal of a yet-to-be realized project and is the world's most generous art award. The works of the winners are unveiled in March at Art Dubai, Asia's premier art fair. The region that the prize is open to comprises 24 countries and stretches from Morocco to Bangladesh, Turkey to Sri Lanka. For more information, please go to: http://www.abraaj.com/acap. The deadline is January 31st, 2010.

**Note from Mira: As a little five year old friend of mine used to say: Is this for reals or betend? Seems like a hellova lot of money but the contest seems legit. So go for it dudes!

(WRITERS) The following announcements are from Poets & Writers, your one-stop shopping site for writing grants, contests, awards and residencies:

ATLANTIC CENTER for the Arts 2010 Master Artist-in-Residence Program: February 15–March 7, 2010 with author Rosellen Brown (application deadline: October 16, 2009); May 17–June 6, 2010 with author Richard McCann (application deadline: February 5, 2010); October 11–31, 2010 Graphic Novelist/Sequential Art Residency, with authors Paul Pope, Svetlana Chmakova, third author TBA (application deadline: May 21, 2010). For more detailed information on the residency program, please call (386) 427-6975 or (800) 393-6975, or visit www.atlanticcenterforthearts.org.

CARL SANDBURG Writer-in-Residence Program invites a poet to live and work on the grounds of Sandburg’s home, a National Park, in Flat Rock, NC, for three weeks in March 2010. Program includes stipend, housing in historic cottage with studio. Application deadline October 15. For information, visit www.nps.gov/carl.

THE JAMES MERRILL House Writer-in-Residence Program invites writers to live and work in James Merrill’s Stonington, Connecticut apartment rent-free for 5-month or 11-month terms. A stipend will be offered. Application deadline for 2010–2011 is January 15, 2010. Visit Web site for more information: www.jamesmerrillhouse.org.

WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE: Castlestone mansion complex providing room and board, gardens, concert hall for readings and signings, U.of M. campus, Ann Arbor, MI. Submit vita for one or three month residency. Teaching opportunites, www.a2vitosha.com. Contact "Kei": (734)741-4969. E-mail: [email protected].

This is a big application time so get those proposals in early. Another big round will be in January for many residencies and grants. With several in between....good luck all...your faithful and sometimes cranky servant, Mirabee

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!