Creation Grants help Vermont artists create new work. Grant funds may be used to compensate the artist for time spent creating work, the purchase of materials, or the rental of equipment or space. All projects must have a strong potential for future public presentation and should strive to increase greater public understanding of the arts.
Who May Apply
Individual artists and artist groups may apply. Individual applicants must:
• be a resident of Vermont at the time the award is granted, and must have been a resident of Vermont for a minimum of one year prior to the application deadline
• be 18 years of age or older at the time of application
• have submitted all required reports on any prior Council grants Artist groups must:
• be Vermont-registered nonprofit organizations
• have 501(c)3 tax-exempt status or work with a fiscal agent Who May Not Apply
• Artists whose projects involve activities for which college credit is given
• Artists or arts organizations that have received a creation grant within the past three years
Grant Amounts and Matching Requirements
The grant amount for this program is $3,000 per award. No match is required. Seventy-five percent of the grant amount will be paid on receipt of a signed contract; twenty-five percent will be paid on receipt of the final report. Grant amounts are dependent upon federal and state funding and subject to change. Criteria for Selection Proposals will be evaluated in two rounds. All artists may apply in round one. Artists may apply by invitation only in round two. Applicants will be evaluated on the same criteria in both rounds but those advancing to round two will be asked to provide more detailed information in a second application. Artistic Quality (60%) The work, as evidenced by artistic support materials, is: • of high artistic quality • relevant to the proposed activity Impact/Project Management/Evaluation (40%) The applicant provides: • a clear description of the proposed project and timeline • a clear description of the art form and/or artists’ creative process • evidence of relevant experiences and/or a plan for creating the work • clear project goals and outcomes • evidence the work can be presented to the public beyond the grant year Grantee Requirements and Expectations Arts Council funding must only be used for the creation of the work (e.g., artist time, materials etc.) and not for the public presentation of the work. Grantees will be expected to sign a contract agreeing to specific funding requirements (e.g. insurance, accessibility, promotional, and accounting system expectations). A final report will be due 30 days after the project, and no later than September 30, 2018. Application and Deadline The application is available online. Activities outlined in the project must take place between September 1, 2017 and August 31, 2018. The Council reserves the right to work with the applicant to improve or clarify grant requests before funding decisions are made. The deadline for round one is March 29, 2017.
Preparing Your Application
Applicants in round one will be expected to submit applicant and project information, a project summary, and artistic support materials (e.g. images, video, audio, writing samples, etc.). No panel feedback will be provided on applicant materials in the first round. Applicants invited to apply in round two will be given four weeks to prepare and submit a more detailed project description including a timeline, budget, method of evaluation and measurement, plan for promotion of the project, and evidence of potential for future public presentation of the work. All materials for both rounds must be submitted through the council’s online granting system.