• About Us
• Find Artists & Organizations
• Events Calendar
• Grants
• Arts Accessibility
• Opportunities
• Press Releases
• Programs
• Services
• Account LogIn

Traditional Artist Fellowship

Fellowship Awardees Apply for this grant

The following guidelines are designed to assist Maine artists who are applying for the Traditional Arts Fellowship program. These grants reward artistic excellence, promote public awareness and appreciation for traditional arts, and advance the careers of Maine traditional artists.

The Traditional Artist Fellowship program is competitive. No more than one traditional artist per year will be awarded a fellowship of $13,000. The stipend will allow the traditional arts fellow to focus their attention on their work and develop in a way that would otherwise not be possible. Artists who receive Traditional Arts Fellowship awards will be required to conduct a public performance or demonstration. This performance or demonstration should thoroughly and comprehensively enhance the public’s understanding and appreciation of the traditional art. This requirement will not be waived.

Deadline

The postmarked application deadline is June 12, 2009.

E-GRANT will accept applications until 11:59 pm, E.S.T., however; agency staff is only available to answer questions until 5:00 pm, E.S.T. Because of the volume of e-GRANT submissions on the day of any grant deadline, we strongly recommend you give yourself a 24 hour buffer.

The agency is unable to accept late applications under any circumstance.

Who is Eligible to Apply

Any individual Maine artist r artist group that::

• is a practitioner of a traditional art, and
• has a valid Maine address as a full time resident of the state, and
• is 18 years of age or older at the time of the application, and
• is not enrolled as a full-time student in a field related to the application, and
• has resided full-time in Maine for a minimum of two years at the date of application, and
• has completed and filed all final reports required for previous Maine Arts Commission grants that might have been received.

Groups of individuals may be considered for a fellowship. For example, a quilters’ group that produces work of sufficient excellence and significance or a group of musicians making a particularly significant contribution may be eligible. Please contact Kathleen Mundell, traditional arts specialist, 207/236-6741or mainetraditionalarts@gmail.com for a clarification of eligibility.

What are Traditional Arts?

• Traditional arts are skills and aesthetic knowledge that are handed down in an informal fashion in the process of day-to-day living. They are arts that emanate from the community and the community’s experience.
• Traditional arts are practices passed on within communities (defined by ethnicity, tribe, family, occupation or common history.) The practice of traditional arts reflects a community's shared cultural heritage. They are usually learned in an informal way, through performance or example rather than formal academic training.
• Traditional Arts are arts that are influenced by a traditional view of the world; an aesthetic that is accepted in the community as the way things ought to be done.

Traditional arts might include basket making, carving, traditional foods, fiddle tunes or ballads that have been passed down, boat building or storytelling. This is not a complete list, but a list of examples.

Artists may submit only one application for a Traditional Arts Fellowship during a single grant period. Artists who have previously received Traditional Artist Fellowships from the Maine Arts Commission may not apply for the next five grant cycles. An artist may be awarded a maximum of three Traditional Artist Fellowship awards in a lifetime.

How to Apply

Guidelines are available in large print format by request. All Maine Arts Commission programs are accessible to people with disabilities. All programs founded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.

Defining e-GRANT

Applicants are now required to apply through the Maine Arts Commission e-GRANT system. Forms to accompany e-GRANT applications can be downloaded on your computer, filled out and electronically uploaded to the e-GRANT system. Applicants who have a compelling reason that they are unable to apply through the e-GRANT system must discuss an alternative at this time.

e-GRANT provides the following advantages over the standard application format:

• e-GRANT allows applicants who apply for multiple grants to supply contact information only once. Only one copy of the electronic application is required.
• e-GRANT guarantees that an application will be received by the deadline. Applicants are notified as soon as the e-GRANT application is downloaded.
• e-GRANT will not allow an incomplete application to be submitted, but rather will identify missing materials. Complete applications are guaranteed to be reviewed.
• e-GRANT allows an applicant to submit narrative, budget information and resumes, letter of intent, etc. by attaching word processed documents.
• e-GRANT applications may require an original signature or artist materials that can not be submitted electronically. These must also be postmarked by the deadline as well.

Please review the following guidelines carefully in preparing your application materials. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in disqualification of your application. Only complete applications will be accepted.

Please submit the following:

1. e-GRANT Application Forms: Applicant Information and Project Information.
2. One complete set of properly labeled Artistic Materials. A list describing these samples, including titles and dimensions, must accompany the application.
3. A biography of the applicant that discusses not only chronological events, but addresses the following topics. The biography should be at least 500 words in length.

• How the applicant acquired the skills for the art. and
• How those skills have been developed.
• Family and occupational backgrounds and influences on the applicant’s art. For example, a musician might be influenced by an older family member or a neighbor’s style of playing.
• The applicant’s connection to the community.
• The applicant’s commitment to the traditional art.
• Significant evidence of recognition from the community or region.      

4. Up to three letters of support.
5. A proposal for a public demonstration or performance.
6. Significant press clippings or publicity (Please do not send originals).

Please do not submit work in elaborate file folders or packaging. Make copies of all forms and other application materials for your records prior to submitting them to the Maine Arts Commission. If you have questions about your Traditional Arts Fellowship application, please contact Kathleen Mundell, traditional arts specialist, 207/236-6741or mainetraditionalarts@gmail.com.

Review Process

Applications are evaluated on the basis of artistic excellence and cultural significance. A jury may decline to make an award in any given year. Jurors are selected for expertise in traditional arts field. Every attempt will be made to select nationally renowned jurors. In order to avoid any potential conflict of interest, jurors are selected from out of state.

The jury’s recommendations are presented to the Maine Arts Commission which approves the selection process at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

Review Criteria

All grant proposals are reviewed on a competitive basis using the following criteria:

• Highest level of artistic excellence.
• Cultural significance
• Authenticity
• The artist(s)’s contribution to sustaining traditional culture.
• The quality of the performance or public demonstration proposed.

Artistic Materials

Artists applying to the Traditional Arts Fellowship program must submit materials in the format described on the following pages. Because of the competitiveness of the Traditional Arts Fellowship program, the format for submitting artistic materials is more exacting than other programs. Slide, tape or manuscript clarity is the most important aspect of your presentation to the jury. It is essential that materials are of the professional quality necessary to represent your artwork well.

Formats

Please use the following instructions to insure your eligibility. All applications must include one set of artistic materials and a description list.

CD ROM

• The application package must include one CD with exactly ten high quality images, depicting individual pieces. The images should represent a fair sampling of the spectrum of the work. Detail shots may be included.
• Preferred image format is a digital/scanned image saved as a .jpeg or .tif. The images need to be at least five inches wide and saved at a resolution of no less than 300 dpi. Color images are preferred, so that they may be used on the web site (in color) or in printed publications (in color or black and white).

Slide

• The application package must include one set of ten high quality slides, depicting individual pieces. The images should represent a fair sampling of the spectrum of the work. Detail shots may be included.
• Slides must be in 35 mm format, in 2” x 2” mounts, and placed in a 9” x 11” clear plastic slide sheet for safe handling.
• Each slide should be numbered to correspond to the slide list you are providing.
• Each slide must be clearly marked in permanent ink with the following information:
• Use thin plastic or cardboard mounts. Computer generated labels may be used.
• Slide background should be neutral: white, black, or gray, unless the background is part of the context of the work, for example a large, outdoor carving. Slides must be accompanied by a list that includes titles, dimensions, materials and date for each slide submitted. List should be numbered to correspond with the numbers on the slides.
• Work must be current, except in the case of large-scale installations.

Audio Tape/CD format

• The application package must include one high-quality audio recordings, in either analog cassette or CD format.
• Audio recording selection(s) should be a maximum of 15 minutes in length, but may include the performance of more than one piece. Tapes must begin with a single selection that may be used to represent the artist’s main body of work. Selections from a commercially produced CD must be clearly indicated with the initial selection representing the artist’s main body of work.
• Analog cassette(s) must be properly cued. Each selection should be followed by a 30-second pause before the next selection begins.
• Each tape or CD must be clearly marked with the artist’s name, titles of works, and dates of recording,
• Include a separate sheet listing the same for use during the application review.
• Work represented should be current.

Video Tape format

• The application package must include one high-quality video recordings in ½” VHS format.
• Video selection should be a maximum of 15 minutes in length, but may include the performance of more than one piece. Tape must begin with a single selection that may be used to represent the artist’s main body of work. Selections from a commercially produced video must be clearly indicated with the initial selection representing the artist’s main body of work.
• Video recording must be properly cued. Each selection should be followed by a 30-second pause before the next selection begins.
• Tape must be clearly marked with the artist’s name, titles of works, dates of completion, and additional production credits.
• Include a separate sheet listing the same for use during the application review.
• Work represented should be current.

DVD

• The application package must include one high-quality DVD.
• Video selection should be a maximum of 15 minutes in length, but may include the performance of more than one piece. The DVD must begin with a single selection that may be used to represent the artist’s main body of work. Selections from a commercially produced DVD must be clearly indicated with the initial selection representing the artist’s main body of work.
• Each selection should be followed by a 30-second pause before the next selection begins.
• The DVD must be clearly marked with the artist’s name, titles of works, dates of completion, and additional production credits.
• Include a separate sheet listing the same for use during the application review.
• Work represented should be current.