Resource Bulletin

The MSAC's Public Art Across Maryland (PAAM) program offers Conservation Grants to organizations to support the conservation and preservation of existing public artworks in Maryland.

• Planning Grants: up to $10,000

• Implementation Grants: up to $50,000

The PAAM Conservation grant program provides two types of support:

• The Conservation Planning Grant awards $10,000 to support artwork conservation planning efforts including: project administration, consultancy fees, community engagement, and collection management services and technology.

• The Conservation Implementation Grant awards up to $50,000 to support the conservation of permanent public artwork. The conservation project must be fully developed including identification of the project team and support and approval of the owners of the artwork and the site where it is located.

For both Planning and Implementation grants, the final location of the artwork to be conserved must be within Maryland.

Artwork Eligibility

Public art in any media is eligible for conservation funding.  Artworks must be permanent, sited indoors or outdoors, free and publicly accessible to all, following conservation. 

Artwork must be located, or be in the process of being relocated, within the State of Maryland. 

Artwork types may include, but are not limited to: sculpture, painted mural, tile mosaic, mixed media, photography, and site-integrated public art.

The grant will not support conservation of any artwork that is still under the warranty of the artist.

Email Ryan Patterson (ryan.patterson1@maryland.gov) with any questions.

Deadline: October 24^th and March 24^th

Click here for more detailed guidelines, and here to apply.

USArtists International is a grant program for performing artists/ensembles in the United States and its territories. The program helps fund U.S. artists to travel abroad and perform at significant international festivals and performing arts marketplaces abroad, professionally developing and expanding both the careers and artistic goals of U.S. performers by providing connections with presenters, curators, and fellow artists. The program also promotes justice in the arts community by elevating the diverse voices contributing to the vibrant array of artistic expression in the United States.

USArtists International (USAI) supports in-person and virtual performances by U.S. dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists invited to perform at international festivals and global presenting arts marketplaces outside of the United States, and USAI grantees reflect the vibrant diversity of U.S. artists and creative expression in the performing arts. USAI is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Trust for Mutual Understanding and is the only program of its size and scope in the country.

Required Documents for Applications:

Application Summary

Festival and/or Market Information

Two Work Samples and Description

Application Narrative

Biographies of the Principal Artist(s)

Participant List

Budget Detail

Signed letter(s) of invitation or signed contract(s) from each festival(s) or market(s).

Certification

Guidelines:

Grantees are required to submit a final report which is due thirty (30) days after the end of the grant period on record as listed in the Grant Award Agreement.

Any changes in the content, schedule, or budget of your project as proposed must be submitted in writing for approval prior to being implemented.

For questions about your grant and the crediting or final reporting requirements, contact Phillip Harmon, Director of Operations, at phillip@midatlanticarts.org or 410.539.6656 x109

USAI provides grants of up to $18,000 toward eligible expenses, the program has three rounds with application deadlines:

Deadline 1: September 1, 2022.

(For projects taking place between December 15, 2022 and December 14, 2023)

Certification sheets and letters of invitation are due by September 8, 2022, decision notification is sent on November 21, 2022.

Deadline 2: November 30, 2022.

(For projects taking place between March 15, 2023 and March 14, 2024)

Certification sheets and letters of invitation are due by December 7, 2022, decision notification is sent on February 27, 2023.

Deadline 3: March 29, 2023.

(For projects taking place between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024)

Certification sheets and letters of invitation are due by April 5, 2023, decision notification is sent on June 20, 2023.

Extra Information:

If you want more information and have more questions, you can participate in either the "USArtists International Webinar: Am I eligible?" (July 21, 2022, from 1:30-2:30 PM ET) or "USArtists International Webinar: Application Tips and Pointers" (August 3, 2022, from 1:30-2:30 PM ET) events for more clarification. Please visit their website if you want to register for either event.

Please read the Program Guidelines Form and the Work Sample Preparation Guide for more information about the program and submission details.

To learn more about the program requirements or access the online application, please visit this page on their website.

The CCAC provides up to $250 per school for AiE Grants. These funds are provided by the Maryland State Arts Council.

The purpose of these grants is to support bringing Maryland artists and performers into the public schools for residencies, workshops, assembly performances, Master Classes, etc. Applications are accepted on an on-going basis. Performer/Artist rosters can be found at Maryland State Arts Council, Class Acts Arts or Young Audiences of Maryland.

There is no deadline. AiE Funding Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

You can access the full application here.

For more information or if you have questions, please call Lynne Griffith at 410-848-7272 or email Lynne@CarrollCountyArtsCouncil.org

NOTE: The Arts Council can fund up to $250 per school, per school year, and our share cannot exceed 50% of the total cost of the performance. You are responsible for paying your performer(s.)

Creativity Grants support activities and general operations for Independent Artists and Organizations.

The Creativity Grant Program strengthens the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities

Eligibility:

Be an Independent Artist or an arts-related organization in operation for one year or more and within grant income requirements.

Identify a specific event, activity or project to occur within the application time frame.

If you are an organization, you may not be in the Grants for Organizations (GFO) or County Arts Development (CAD) program, or an Arts & Entertainment District (A&E).

Process:

Applications are reviewed monthly, and Creativity Grants are awarded throughout the fiscal year until allocated funding is depleted. The grant period for FY21 is July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021. For awarded activities, payment may take up to 90 days.

Upon execution of the grant agreement, payment will be processed for receipt in 6-8 weeks. Grantees are required to submit a final report at the completion of the funded project.

If awarded a Creativity Grant, the grantees are required to submit a final report through the MSAC's Smart Simple system by August 15, the end of the Fiscal Year in which the grantee was awarded.

New for FY23 - Creativity Grants now available for up to $4,000!

Over the past few years, the maximum grant amount has been $3500, but with rising costs for materials, supplies, and other factors, the maximum grant amount will be increased for the new fiscal year. The Creativity Grant will continue on with the same structure of rolling deadlines and monthly reviews with a brief (3 question!) application.

Arts Relief Funding for Creativity-funded Organizations

Organizations that receive General Operating support through the Creativity Grant program in FY23 will have the opportunity to receive additional Arts Relief funding grants as outlined above. Creativity-funded organizations will need to submit a brief application later this year for this additional funding. Be on the look out for details about this application process, important dates, and Informational Sessions, which will be hosted later this summer. (Please note: the additional funding is only available to organizations receiving general operating support. Independent Artists will have other programs to consider for additional funds.)

Keep an eye out for information on a "How to Apply" webinar, hosted by Program Directors Emily Sollenberger and Laura Weiss, later this summer.

Questions? Please contact Emily Sollenberger (emily.sollenberger@maryland.gov) or Laura Weiss (laura.weiss@maryland.gov) for assistance.

Please visit this webpage if you want more information about the grant.

Arts in Education grants provide funds to Teaching Artists on the MSAC Teaching Artist Roster to support educational engagements at Maryland-based nonprofit organizations, schools, and other government entities.

Eligibility

Be any of the following:

·       A 501(c)3 with tax exempt status from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and is incorporated in Maryland

·       A unit of Government based in Maryland

·       A college or university based in Maryland

And, have one completed and documented fiscal year at the date of application submission with ongoing arts activities.

Important Information for Prospective Applicants

All activities described in project-based application submissions to any funding program at MSAC must demonstrate alignment with the Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery plan to be considered eligible.

If multiple applications receive the same score but budget restrictions prevent all applications with that score from being funded, final selections will be based on which applications most closely align with the published strategic goals of the MSAC, in the determination of the MSAC staff: Increase Participation, Provide Intentional Support, Build Capacity, Leverage Connections, Bolster Maryland Arts.

Arts in Education Equitable Funding Formula

MSAC is dedicated to serving students, youth, and constituents across the state and supporting a variety of arts education needs. In our commitment to Equity, MSAC has budgeted a maximum funding allotment per county according to the AiE Equitable Funding Formula. This formula will guide funding decisions for educational engagements based in school (public or private) settings only. Populations or Communities outside of a school setting do not have an equitable funding formula. 

AiE Grant funding for youth audiences (aged 21 and under) will be determined for each county based on the following formula: 

• 20% of the council approved budget base, distributed evenly across 24 counties. 

• 80% of the remaining budget by the county’s percentage of students receiving Free and Reduced Meals

• 20% of the remaining budget by student population percentage, comparative to the state

MSAC acknowledges that as new reporting and equity measures are created across the state and nation-wide, this formula may need to be updated in the future. This formula is based on currently available information and considers three different equity factors: 

20% of the council approved budget base, distributed evenly across 24 counties: Every Maryland county should have designated funding to host at least two arts education engagements per year (long form such as a residency or other arts program and short forms such as a visiting performance or workshop.)

80% of the remaining budget by county’s percentage of students receiving Free and Reduced Meals: Free and Reduced Meals (FARM) is the most consistent statewide measure of education barriers including family income, household size, foster, migrant, runaway, and/or homeless children, Food Supplement Programs, and Temporary Cash Assistance.

20% of the remaining budget by student population percentage, comparative to the state: The quantity of resources needed in a particular county is partially determined by the number of students enrolled in school (public and private.)

Funding amount: $7,500

Contact Lizzie Morales (elizabeth.morales@maryland.gov) with any questions.

Click here for detailed guidelines, and here to apply.

Emergency Grants: Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant: Ongoing 

Application Deadline: Rolling

Created in 1993 to further The Foundation for Contemporary Arts’ (FCA) mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists who:

• Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding
• Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates

Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad.

Each month FCA receives an average of 95 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-15 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $2,500, and the average grant is now $1,600.

For More Information click, here

Grant Opportunity: Innovate Grant: Quarterly 

Application Deadline:

Innovate Grant distributes awards each quarter, 4 times a year:

• Q1: Winter: Dec, Jan, Feb
• Q2: Spring: Mar, Apr, May
• Q3: Summer: Jun, Jul, Aug
• Q4: Fall: Sept, Oct, Nov

Entry Fee: $25

Innovate Grant is a new initiative that supports artists and photographers through quarterly grants.

We believe that new ideas come from sparks of inspiration and aim to provide just that, access to small and mighty bursts of financial support so that you can focus on making your important and innovative work.

Innovate Grant was created out of the frustration of applying to grants with time-consuming requirements. These lengthy applications took valuable time and energy away from making new work. Countless hours were always sacrificed in either writing artist statements, crafting project proposals and getting letters of recommendation.

We believe that time is one of the most valuable components to fostering creativity and innovation. Our aim is to provide the time you need to be fully immersed in your ideas and in creating your work.

Keeping the grant process simple enables us to continue to support you on your important journey of creation, inspiration, and innovation.

Winners will be featured on our website and will receive a one time unrestricted $550.00 grant. All applicants retain the right to the work they submit.                         

Mediums accepted: All media and genres are accepted

Eligibility: Visual Artists and Photographers 18 years and older, from all around the world, are eligible to apply

Applications: We believe your work should speak for itself and our grant application reflects that. All that we require is your:

• Name
• Email
• Website (Optional)
• Grant Category
• 3-5 Images of Your Work

For More Information click, here

Network Organizational Development Grants support organizational development for Maryland A&E Districts, County Arts Agencies, and Folklife Network grantees, funding activities can range from strategic planning to website development to marketing campaigns.

Network Organizational Development Grants support organizational development activities beyond the scope of regular activities funded by other MSAC grants for eligible organizations. Organizational development is defined as any effort that supports the stability, visibility, and effectiveness of an organization. 

Eligibility

• Be an appointed management entity for a currently designated A&E District or a current grantee of the County Arts Development or Folklife Network program.

• Have no past-due MSAC grant reports.

• Have not received a Network Technical Assistance grant in the current cycle.

Grants ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 are granted to eligible entities.

Contact David Mitchell (david.mitchell1@maryland.gov) with any questions.

Click here for more detailed guidelines, and here to apply.

The Awesome Foundation is an ever-growing worldwide community devoted to forwarding the interest of awesome in the universe. Created in the long hot summer days of 2009 in Boston, the Foundation distributes $1,000 grants each month, no strings attached, to projects and their creators. At each fully autonomous chapter, the money is pooled together from the coffers of ten or so self-organizing “micro-trustees” and given up front in cash, check, or gold doubloons. 

Anyone is eligible for a grant — individuals, groups, and organizations alike.

No Entry Fee

For more information, click here.