Skip navigation

Oklahoma Arts Council News

August 2016

Register Now for the 2016 Oklahoma Arts Conference

Registration is now open for the 2016 Oklahoma Arts Conference. Take advantage of the earlybird rate of $85 by registering by September 16. After September 16, registration will be $135.

On October 25-26, hundreds of artists, arts administrators, community developers, educators, civic leaders, students, and others from across the state will come together in Stillwater for the annual event that celebrates and advances Oklahoma's arts and cultural industry.

See the schedule-at-a-glance, and stay tuned for updates.

Reserve a room at one of the conference hotels.

Register now for $85.

Oklahoma Arts Organizations Awarded Innovation Grants

Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) has selected the next round of recipients for its Artistic Innovations Grants, and three Oklahoma arts organizations are among those that will receive funding. Recipients include:

  • Oklahoma City Ballet ($15,000) - for a new contemporary ballet written by Artistic Director Robert Mills. An outreach program to underserved schools is included.
  • Tulsa Ballet Theatre ($15,000) - for its Emerging Choreographers Showcase, which will feature new works by budding choreographers from within Tulsa Ballet's main company.
  • Tulsa Symphony ($15,000) - for its collaboration with Chickasaw Nation composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate on a new work that will be written for a children's choir and orchestra. Community engagement workshops will be included leading up to a premiere performance at the 2017 OK Mozart Festival in Bartlesville.

Through Artistic Innovations Grants, M-AAA supports the creation of new work, encouraging artists and organizations to experiment, collaborate, and engage audiences throughout the region.

M-AAA funding and services in Oklahoma is made possible through a regional partnership with the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Look for a call for letters of intent for the program in the fall of 2016.

Allied Arts Accepting Applications for Fall Grant Cycle

The deadline for two grants offered by Allied Arts is quickly approaching. The Educational Outreach program, which provides financial support for youth arts education projects, and the Capacity Building Grant, which assists nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in building organizational capability, are open to nonprofit organizations headquartered in central Oklahoma.

Allied Arts is looking for applicants that provide high quality arts programming to their communities and have been in operation for at least five years.
Applications must be submitted by August 12, 2016.

Apply online at alliedartsokc.com/grants.

Oklahoma Student Places Second in Governors' Competition

Kaitlyn Haught of Hooker High School in Guymon, Oklahoma, recently won second place in the Western Governors' Association's "Celebrate the West" regional art competition, earning her an opportunity to meet Governor Mary Fallin at the State Capitol.

Haught's award-winning colored pencil work, Cutting Horse, was one of more than 200 entries in the contest, which included submissions from 19 Western states. Gov. Fallin celebrated Haught's accomplishment by exhibiting Cutting Horse in her offices for 30 days.

For her second place finish, Haught was awarded a $500 prize. She credits her art teacher, Joshua Muller, with encouraging her to enter competitions. Haught plans to attend Oklahoma Panhandle State University in the fall where she will study computer graphics and animation.

Read more about the WGA's "Celebrate the West" competition.

Free Diagnostic Tool for Arts Organizations

A free web tool for arts organizations to use in analyzing their financial and operating performance is available from the National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) at Southern Methodist University. The NCAR Dashboard is a personalized and confidential report of organizations' scores and trends in nine key performance areas.

Including contributed revenue, earned revenue, marketing impact, community engagement, and more, areas that are measured reflect an organization's health relative to similar organizations. The dashboard can help organizations assess their health and sustainability and assist in their strategic decisions.

See a sample dashboard.

Learn more about the NCAR Dashboard.

Watch the video "How to Use the NCAR Dashboard."

Applications for First Peoples Fund to Close Soon

First People's Fund is seeking veteran artists for its 2017-18 Cultural Capital Fellowship Program. Open to documented affiliates of United States tribes, financial support will be awarded to selected artists who share a commitment to keeping the culture and ancestral knowledge of their tribal community alive through art. The program is geared for master artists who have been practicing their art for 10 years or more. Chosen artists will join a network of over 50 Cultural Capital fellows across the country. Applications are due by September 30, 2016.

View more information and the online application here.

Shubert Foundation Grants Open in Late August

Dedicated to sustaining and advancing live performing arts across the United States, the Shubert Foundation offers unrestricted general operating support for nonprofit professional theatre companies, dance companies, arts related organizations, and, in limited cases, private university drama departments. Eligible organizations will have an established artistic and administrative track record along with a history of fiscal responsibility. Grant applications from the foundation will be available online in late August, with deadlines in October and December.

Read more about Shubert Foundation grants.

Apply for the Intercultural Leadership Institute

The deadline is approaching for the first Intercultural Leadership Institute, a year-long program focusing on the personal development of artists and culture bearers. A collaborative effort of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC), First Peoples Fund, Alternate ROOTS, and PA'I Foundation, the institute aims to engage artists and arts professionals seeking to promote cultural equity and engagement in their communities.

From March 2017 through March 2018, the inaugural cohort will convene over the course of three five-day gatherings in selected host communities in Mississippi, South Dakota, and Hawaii. All program costs, including accommodation and travel, will be covered for program participants.

The rigorous program requires that participants commit to attending all convenings as well as participating in online sessions, assigned readings, peer interaction, and other engagement.

Deadline to apply is Tuesday, September 13, 2016.

View the program guidelines.

National Park Artist Residencies Available

Since the Hudson River School painters of the late 19th century, artists have been inspired by the views found in America's national parks. Today, more than 50 artist residency programs exist in national parks across the U.S., providing artists with opportunities to create artwork in varied natural and cultural settings. Below, learn about two residency programs of the National Parks Arts Foundation with upcoming deadlines:

  • Big Bend National Park (Texas) – Located in the river country of west Texas, Big Bend National Park is one of the largest and most remote parks in the U.S. Founded in 1944, the park comprises river canyons, desert vistas, old mine buildings, stunning rock formations, and more. Offering $1000 for artist expenses, this residency, which will take place in November, features on-site housing. Deadline to apply is August 22, 2016.

  • Fort Union National Monument (New Mexico) – Located in northern New Mexico near the last stretch of the Santa Fe Trail, the post-civil war era adobe fort became a National Monument in 1954. This residency offers on-site residence, a venue for workshops and lectures, no residency fee, and more. Residency would take place in October. Deadline to apply is August 20, 2016.

Click here to learn about other National Parks Arts Foundation residencies.