Maine Arts Commission Grant Programs

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Please refer to individual program guidelines and necessary forms for complete eligibility and application instructions for each grant program. Each program has a link to the guidelines next to the program title and an index to the necessary files below. For questions about any grant program please contact Kathy Ann Shaw, senior development associate & accessibility coordinator at 207/287-2750, 877/887-3878 – TTY/NexTalk User ID: kathy.shaw or kathy.shaw@maine.gov.

Select a Funding Opportunity Category
Artists	Communities	Schools	Organizations

Funding Opportunities for Artists

Good Idea Grant Program(s)
Application Deadlines:

December 12, 2008 and March 6, 2009 (for New Media and Visibility ONLY)

September 18, 2009 (for all categories)

Contemporary: Designed to assist in supporting and fostering the growth of Maine’s artists. The parameters of the grant are purposefully broad. They include any “good idea” that furthers an individual artist’s creative endeavor(s).

Good Idea Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

New Media: Designed to foster the growth of Maine’s artists by supporting the creation of new works that creatively engage or innovatively incorporate new or emerging technologies for means of artistic expression or professional development. Any "good idea" that furthers an individual artist's creative growth through technology and new media is eligible for the grant.

Good Idea - New Media Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

Arts Visibility: Designed to assist Maine’s artists and arts organizations by providing the means with which to increase the visibility of specific artistic projects. Any "good idea" that supports an individual artist or organization through increased visibility is eligible for the grant.

Good Idea - Arts Visibility Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

Individual Artist Fellowship Program
Application Deadline: June 12, 2009

Designed to reward artistic excellence, advance the careers of Maine artists, and promote public awareness regarding the eminence of the creative sector in Maine.

Individual Artist Fellowship Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Vendor Form (PDF)

Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program
Application Deadline: June 12, 2009

Designed to assist Maine’s communities to preserve valuable artistic traditions. The program provides an opportunity for master traditional artists to pass on their skills to qualified apprentices.

Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

Traditional Artist Fellowship Program
Application Deadline: June 12, 2009

Designed to assist Maine artists who are applying for the Traditional Arts Fellowship program. These grants reward artistic excellence, advance the careers of Maine artists, and promote public awareness regarding the eminence of the creative sector in Maine.

Traditional Arts Fellowship Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

Funding Opportunities for Arts Organizations, Schools and Communities

American Masterpieces
Application Deadline: April 3, 2009

Designed to assist professional, Maine arts organizations with annual operating budgets of $500,000 or greater to present a major project such as an exhibition, performance, residency or educational programs that feature American Masterpieces.

American Masterpieces Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application MS Word PDF	Assurances (PDF)	Budget Form MS Word PDF	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

Arts and Humanities Grant

The Arts and Humanities grant program has returned. The small grant program funds projects that include elements of both the arts and humanities. The program is jointly administered by the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Humanities Council, with the Humanities Council serving as lead agency. The guidelines for the program can be found on the Maine Humanities Council web site at: http://mainehumanities.org/grants/arts-humanities.doc

Applicants interested in more information about the grant program should contact Victoria Bonebakker, Associate Director, Maine Humanities Council, 207/773-5051, or vbonebak@mainehumanities.org; or Kathy Ann Shaw, Senior Development Associate & Accessibility at 207/287-2750, kathy.shaw@maine.gov or 877/887-3878 – TTY/NexTalk.

Artists in Maine Communities Grant
Application Deadline: April 3, 2009

Designed to assist arts organizations, schools and other community groups to develop collaborative projects that employ Maine artists to benefit Maine communities, schools or families.

Artists in Maine Communities Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Assurances (PDF)	Budget Form MS Word PDF	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

Capacity Building in Maine's Cultural Communities
Application Deadline: December 12, 2008

Designed as a capacity-building program for Maine local arts agencies, creative economy organizations and other community organizations that strengthen cultural organizations, artists, and the infrastructure that supports arts programming and services.

Capacity Building in Maine's Cultural Communities Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Assurances (PDF)	Budget Form MS Word PDF	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

Cultural Facilities Accessibility Grant
Application Deadline: April 3, 2009

Designed to assist professional, freestanding, Maine arts organizations to assist new capital projects and renovations as well as technology projects and/or improvements. The Maine Arts Commission will provide funding for new construction, repairs or renovations of existing facilities owned and operated by a nonprofit Maine arts organization, or repair, upgrade or replacement of capital technology equipment for a facility operated by a nonprofit, Maine arts organization.

Cultural Facilities Accessibility Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application MS Word PDF	Assurances (PDF)	Budget Form MS Word PDF	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

SMART: Schools Make Arts Relevant Today
Application Deadline: December 12, 2008

Designed to assist schools, arts institutions and community arts organizations, to develop arts in education projects in conjunction with artists for pre-K-12 students. The intention of the program is to fund both school based and after school projects that provide meaningful and lasting arts education experiences.

SMART Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Assurances (PDF)	Budget Form MS Word PDF	Vendor Form (PDF)	Narrative

Sustaining Traditional Arts in the Community Grant
Application Deadline: December 12, 2008

Designed to encourage communities to develop innovative ways to sustain traditional arts in their communities.

Sustaining Traditional Arts in the Community Grant Program Guidelines and Application Forms
Guidelines	Application eGRANT	Budget Form MS Word PDF	Vendor Form (PDF)

Helpful Document Information

Forms to accompany eGRANT applications can be downloaded on your computer, filled out and electronically uploaded to the eGRANT system. Egrant is the Maine Arts Commission's preferred method for grant filing.

Note: When filing eGRANT, please download the MS Word document, type in your information and then upload back to egrant. If you are sending your documents in hard copy, you can use either the MS Word, MS Excel or the PDF documents. Any document containing a signature must be sent via mail to accompany the grant application (application can be completed using eGRANT and materials sent in hard copy will be attached to the application in office.)

New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Funding

Below is a list of New England regional grant programs. To ensure Maine artists and organizations have easy access to the most current information on NEFA grant programs, please also visit www.nefa.org/grantprog/.

American Masterpieces: Dance (AMD)

is the dance component of a major initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to acquaint Americans with the best of their cultural and artistic legacy. The AMD project celebrates the extraordinary and rich evolution of dance and choreography in the United States. With its partners, NEFA and Dance/USA, the NEA will sponsor select performances, tours, and educational programs that will reach large and small communities throughout the United States.

Expeditions

funds the development and presentation of cross-disciplinary touring projects for New England communities. Grants are made to New England-based nonprofit organizations to support planning or touring of projects with performing, literary, and/or visual arts components.

Meet the Composer/New England

offers grants to nonprofit organizations in New England to provide meaningful interaction between composers and audiences, in conjunction with performances of the composer's work.

National Dance Project (NDP)

provides grants for the production and touring of contemporary dance work by regionally and nationally significant artists in the United States and abroad. NDP Production Grants support the development of new dance work. NDP Touring Grants support the presentation and distribution of the work created by Production Grant recipients, and a limited number of other nominated tours each touring season.

Native Arts @ NEFA

supports Native American artists in New England and nationally through grantmaking and network development.

New England States Touring (NEST)

provides support to New England-based nonprofit organizations for performances, readings, and related community activities by artists on the New England States Touring roster.

Presenter Travel Fund

provides monetary assistance to arts programmers or curatorial staff in New England so that they may investigate new or unfamiliar work outside of their home community. Applicants may apply for funding to help cover the expense of attending festivals, showcases, conferences, or other cultural events.

Links for Other Funding Research

National Endowment for the Arts

Maine Philanthropy Center

The Foundation Center