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Oklahoma Arts Council News

December 2019

Oklahoma Arts Council to Visit Enid, Shawnee, and Tulsa in December

The next stop on the Oklahoma Arts Council Cornerstone Conversations tour takes staff to Enid on Thursday, December 5, for a listening session at Leonardo's Children's Museum from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Open to all area residents and any Oklahoman wishing to attend, the Enid Cornerstone Conversations session will be presented in partnership with Visit Enid. Activities will include individual and group exercises and discussion. Attendees will be given opportunity to provide written feedback. A 30-minute networking break with light refreshments will conclude the session.

There is no cost to attend, however RSVPs are requested. Send an email to heidi.costello@arts.ok.gov or call (405) 521-2040 to reserve your seat.

About Cornerstone Conversations

The Oklahoma Arts Council Cornerstone Conversations tour is designed to empower Oklahomans representing all communities to partner in creating shared goals for using the arts to meet needs in communities and schools across our state. A building block in the creation of the Oklahoma Arts Council's 2021-2025 strategic plan, the tour will allow the Oklahoma Arts Council to listen, learn, and dream with Oklahomans for what is possible for the state through the arts.

Upcoming Conversations

Enid
December 5, 4:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Leonardo's Children's Museum
200 E. Maple Ave.
Enid, OK 73701

Shawnee
December 10, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art
1900 W. MacArthur St.
Shawnee, OK 74804

*Tulsa
December 16, 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
ahha Tulsa
101 E. Archer St.
Tulsa, OK 74103
*Featuring welcoming remarks by Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell

More tour stops will be announced soon. Go to arts.ok.gov for updates, and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Endowment Offers up to $100K through 'Grants for Arts Projects'

The National Endowment for the Arts is offering grants ranging between $10,000 and $100,000 through its Grants for Arts Projects funding category. The category replaces the Endowment's Art Works funding category.

Grants in this category support artistically excellent projects that celebrate creativity and cultural heritage, invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values, and enrich humanity. Guidelines for the new grant category will be posted in December.

Applications for funding through the category are accepted twice yearly—a second deadline is scheduled for July. The deadline for the first round of Grants for Arts Projects is February 13.

Go to the National Endowment for the Arts website for more information.

Apply for the Oklahoma Teaching Artist Roster

The Oklahoma Arts Council is now accepting applications for its Oklahoma Teaching Artist Roster. The roster is a resource used by schools and organizations statewide seeking qualified teaching artists for residencies and programs. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in their discipline and an ability to provide instruction.

Artists must be current Oklahoma residents. Artists representing cultural traditions are encouraged to apply. To view complete roster guidelines and requirements, download the Teaching Artist Roster Applicant Handbook.

Applications are accepted on an ongong basis. Applications submitted before January 1 will be considered for approval by the Governor-appointed Oklahoma Arts Council board during its March meeting. Applications submitted before July 1 will be considered for approval by the Governor-appointed Oklahoma Arts Council board during its October meeting.

Apply for the Oklahoma Teaching Artist roster.

NOTE: Roster artists are not employees of the Oklahoma Arts Council.

City of Oklahoma City Seeks Artist RFQs for Public Art at New Trail

The City of Oklahoma City Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is seeking submissions of artist qualifications for a public art project related to the development of the Deep Fork Greenway Trail. The plan calls for artwork that will be site appropriate, culturally appropriate, easily maintained, and integrated into the trail surface or permanently bonded to the trail's concrete surface.

Individual artists and teams of artists may submit qualifications. Submissions will be accepted from artists outside the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

Budget for the public art project is $35,000. Deadline to submit qualifications is December 11.

Download the RFQ here.

$25,000 Available through Bloomberg Asphalt Art Initiative

Through the new Asphalt Art Initiative, Bloomberg Philanthropies is encouraging cities with populations of 30,000 to 50,000 people to implement visual art interventions on roadways, pedestrian spaces, and public infrastructure. Offering support of $25,000, the program aims to improve street and pedestrian safety, revitalize and beautify underutilized public space, and promote collaboration and civic engagement.

Projects must completed during calendar year 2020. Projects may be temporary, long-term, or permanent. Eligible sites can include portions of active roadways, sidewalks, pedestrian plazas, traffic barriers, highway underpasses, or utility boxes.

Project teams must include a city agency and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Deadline to apply is December 12.

Download the Asphalt Art Guide.

Apply for the Asphalt Art Initiative.

Fellowship Offers Chance to Explore Woody Guthrie's Influence

Up to $5,000 in support is available to individuals to perform research on the life and legacy of one of America's most influential musicians, Oklahoma's Woody Guthrie. Projects funded through the fellowship program have culminated in books, essays, public performances, artwork, classroom materials, and more. Applicants must have a project-based research topic that leads to the creation of an original scholarly publication or product. The project should require at least two weeks of research at the Woody Guthrie Archives.

Applications must be submitted no later than January 31, 2020.

VSA Playwright Discovery Program

Through the VSA Playwright Discovery Program Competition, students with disabilities in grades 6-12 can submit original works of writing to earn the chance for exclusive access to industry professionals and the opportunity to participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington, D.C.

Open to young writers with disabilities and collaborative groups that include students with disabilities, the program accepts submissions of scripts, videos, screenplays, musical theater works, and other performance works. Works should be about 10 minutes in length and can be crafted in the style of realism, through fictional characters, or as a metaphor about any topic, including the disability experience.

Free resources are available to guide teachers and students through the playwriting process.

Applications are due January 2, 2020. Click here to learn more.

VSA is the international organization on arts and disability. Founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith, the organization was formerly known as Very Special Arts. Its mission is to provide arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all.

American Music Abroad Program

Through the American Music Abroad program, select ensembles representing traditional American music genres take part in an international tour designed to communicate America's rich musical contributions and diverse culture to audiences around the world.

Lasting approximately one month, the tour features public concerts, interactive performances with local musicians, lectures, workshops, jam sessions, and more.

Band ensembles can include 3-5 people. All must be at least 18 years of age. Musical genres that can be represented include, but are not limited to, blues, bluegrass, Cajun, country, folk, Gospel, Hip-Hop/Urban, indie rock, jazz, Latin, Native American, and R&B.

American Music Abroad is a partnership betwen American Voices and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Expenses paid by the U.S. Department of State for the program include international travel, hotels, an allowance for meals, and a daily honorarium.

Applications and supplemental materials are due January 19. Selected artists will be notified in April 2020. Apply at amvoices.org.

Economic Opportunity Challenge

Through the Economic Opportunity Challenge, proposals for improving economic opportunity, security, and/or mobility for individuals in the United States may earn grants of $100,000. A $10 million grant will be awarded to one finalist to scale their proposed solution aimed at improving financial health of low-income families. The aim of the challenge is to build a more vibrant economic ecosystem through impactful, evidence-based solutions.

Teams should be led by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a budget of at least $1 million.

Oklahoma applicants are encouraged to leverage the transformative power of the arts and arts education in their proposal.

Learn more here.

Community/Artist Partnership Grant Offered by OVAC

Through the Community/Artist Partnership Grant program, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) offers grants of up to $1,200 to artists who initiate community-based projects leading to the creation of new work.

Artists are not required to be OVAC members in order to apply and receive a grant. Community/Artist Partnership grants require a project description that details a concept and purpose. It also requires a description of how the project will impact the community. The project partner organization must provide matching funds for the grant. Application deadlines occur four times throughout the year: January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.

Learn more by visiting the OVAC website.