Iowa Arts News, March 2012

March 2012

In This Issue

Countdown to Spring Grant Deadlines

Congratulations, Gwen Morrison, Poetry Out Loud Winner!

March is Youth Art Month

NEA Challenge America Fast Track Grants Due May 24

CALENDAR

March 9: IAC Board Meeting, 11 a.m. (via conference call)

March 26: Major Grants deadline

May 1: Iowa Community Cultural Grants deadline

May 1: Mini Grant deadline. NOTE: there will be NO April or June Mini Grant round. May 1 will be the final Mini Grant application opportunity of the IAC's 2012 fiscal year.

NEA Grant Deadlines

May 24: NEA Challenge America Fast Track Grants

Aug. 9: Art Works

ONGOING

Artist Directory

(Iowa Artists: an easy way to let the public know about you!)

Iowa Public Art Artists Registry

(For Iowa artists who create public art and

are seeking public art commissions)

Iowa Arts Council Mini Grants. Due first business day of each month, for projects in the arts. NOTE: there will be NO April or June Mini Grant round. May 1 will be the final Mini Grant application opportunity of the IAC's 2012 fiscal year.

Big Yellow School Bus Grants (transportation funds for arts field trips)

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Countdown to Spring Grant Deadlines

Spring is a busy time for the Iowa Arts Council as it is for arts and cultural organizations throughout the state. Prospective grant applicants considering applying for an Iowa Arts Council Major or Mini Grant, an Iowa Community Cultural Grant or an Iowa Cultural Trust Grant are encouraged to review the information in this newsletter regarding upcoming grant cycles.

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IAC Major Grants

Upcoming Deadline: Monday, March 26, 2012 at 4:30 pm

Major Grant applicants may request up to $10,000 in funding for eligible projects in five categories: Individual Artists, Arts in Education, Folk & Traditional Arts, Organizations, and Public Art.

Applications must be received by 4:30 pm on the day of the deadline. Please note this application deadline is earlier than in previous years. Eligible projects must take place between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013 and meet all stated criteria.

New this year: All supplemental materials required for a 2012 Major Grant application must be submitted via CD or DVD if the material is not available online. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the new supplemental materials guidelines. To learn more about supplemental materials guidelines, visit http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/funding/major-grants.shtml#samples.

For more information on Major Grants, visit http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/funding/major-grants.shtml or contact IAC staff member Veronica O'Hern at veronica.ohern@iowa.gov.

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IAC Mini Grants

Upcoming Deadline: Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 4:30 pm

Applicants may request up to $1,000 in support of a wide variety of arts projects. Eligible Mini Grant applications must meet stated criteria and be received by 4:30 pm on the day of the deadline.

New this year: Please note there will not be an April or June Mini Grant round. May 1 will be the final Mini Grant application opportunity of the IAC's 2012 fiscal year.

For more information on IAC Mini Grants, please visit http://www.iowaartscouncil.org/funding/mini-grants.shtml or contact IAC staff member Linda Lee at linda.lee@iowa.gov.

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Iowa Community Cultural Grants

Upcoming Deadline: Tuesday, May 1, 2012 4:30 pm

The Iowa Community Cultural Grant Program (ICCG) provides matching grants to support projects that provide jobs for current Iowa residents while enhancing Iowa's artistic, cultural and historical resources.

For more information on ICCG, visit http://www.culturalaffairs.org/funding/iowa_community_cultural_grant or contact IAC staff member Riki Saltzman at riki.saltzman@iowa.gov.

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Iowa Cultural Trust Endowment Challenge Grants & Stability Grants

The application deadlines for Cultural Trust Stability Grants and Endowment Challenge Grants have been postponed. The Iowa Arts Council will announce the new deadlines later this spring or summer. For questions, please contact Cultural Trust Coordinator Bruce Williams at bruce.williams@iowa.gov.

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Congratulations, Gwen Morrison, Poetry Out Loud Winner!

Gwen Morrison of Marshalltown High School won the 2012 Poetry Out Loud in Iowa state championship March 3 at the State Historical Building in Des Moines, edging out 14 other competitors.

With the victory, Morrison receives $200, $500 for her school to purchase poetry books, and a trip to Washington, D.C. to compete in the Poetry Out Loud National Finals in May. The POL National Finals will award $50,000 in college scholarships and school prizes.

Morrison performed "Insomnia" by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, "The Blackstone Rangers" by Gwendolyn Brooks," and "Preludes" by T. S. Elliott. This was Morrison's third trip to Iowa's state finals for Poetry Out Loud. In 2010 Gwen placed second and in 2011 she placed third.

"Gwen did an amazing job - she's a great talent," said Susan Fritzell, who coordinates the Poetry Out Loud program through the Extended Learning at Marshalltown High School.

Gabrielle Humlicek of the Iowa School for the Deaf earned second place, and Chloe Goodman of Valley High School, West Des Moines, finished third.

Coordinated in Iowa by the Iowa Arts Council, Poetry Out Loud is a nationwide program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation.

Photo by Maharry Photography

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March is Youth Art Month

The annual Youth Art Month (YAM) reception and celebration will be March 11, 2012 at 2 p.m. at the State Historical Museum, 600 E. Locust, Des Moines. The Art Educators of Iowa (AEI) celebration will be shared with recognition of the Gold Key winners of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards sponsored by the Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Iowa.

National Youth Art Month was initiated by the Council for Arts Education, Inc. The Department of Cultural Affairs is honored to partner with AEI and host the event again this year. The expanded inclusion of the Scholastics Awards has increased the number of excellent artwork created by Iowa youth k-12 that are on display for museum visitors.

The artwork will be on display at the Historical Museum for the month of March. The best of show winners are selected by a judging panel of artists and curators and will be displayed in the Governor's Office throughout the month of April. The Governor will also sign a proclamation for "Iowa Arts Education Month," Thursday, March 15 in a small ceremony at the State Capitol.

For more information, visit www.artedia.org.

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NEA Challenge America Fast Track Grants Due May 24

The Challenge America Fast-Track category offers support primarily to small and mid-sized organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.

The deadline for applications is May 24, 2012. For more information on how to apply, visit http://arts.endow.gov.

Grants are available for professional arts programming and for projects that emphasize the potential of the arts in community development. This category encourages and supports the following two outcomes:

Engagement: Engaging the public with diverse and excellent art.

Livability: The strengthening of communities through the arts.

Partnerships can be valuable to the success of funded projects. While not required, applicants are encouraged to consider partnerships among organizations, both in and outside of the arts, as appropriate to their project.

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The Iowa Arts Council is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

The mission of the Iowa Arts Council is to enrich the quality of life for Iowans through support of the arts.

The vision of the Iowa Arts Council is that Iowans recognize the arts are essential to their quality of life.

The Iowa Arts Council aims to empower Iowa's leaders in strengthening community life through the arts and provide leadership in stimulating a healthy arts environment.