Welcome to the third installment of Inside the App, a weekly five-part series designed to walk prospective applicants through the Artist Research and Development Grant application and outline some general principles of effective grant writing for artists.
Questions & Answers
Below are the questions that were submitted prior to and during the online information session. Much of the information offered in the responses is pulled directly from the grant guidelines, which is essential reading for anyone interested in applying. For more specific information than can be offered here, contact the primary staff member for this program, Artist Programs Manager Gabriela Muñoz, at 602-771-6530 or [email protected].
I am submitting for a dance film. Would that be under dance, multimedia, or another category?
We leave it up to each artist to determine the most appropriate way to categorize their proposal. One question you may consider is which category best represents the course of your artistic research and/or development. This ties into the narrative portion of your application, as well. Your proposal should tell a compelling story about the direction of your work and the potential impact of this project on both your own practice and your discipline, field of study, community of practice or broader community (as defined by you, the artist). In other words, consider which category best reflects where you are heading as an artist and the impact you hope to achieve.
I received an Arizona Commission on the Arts Artist Project Grant in 2003, should I make a point of communicating that and the connections of that grant with the current one?
First, some general eligibility information about previous grantees:
- Recipients of the previously-offered Artist Project Grant and the current Artist Research and Development Grant may apply for and receive the Artist Research and Development Grant every five (5) years. Artist Project Grant recipients who received the award before June 2012 are eligible to apply during the fiscal year 2017 grant cycle.
- An artist may receive a maximum of four (4) awards in his/her lifetime.
Now, as to your specific inquiry, it depends. I would certainly consider previous receipt of an Artist Project Grant worthy for inclusion in your artist bio. Whether or not it should be mentioned within your proposal narrative is going to depend largely on its relevance to your current work and the direction of your artistic development. With limited space available, I wonder about the value of referencing work you were doing 13 years ago, but you have a much better sense than I of where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. As ever, as you draft your responses to the narrative questions, use your best judgement in utilizing the space you have to provide the necessary context and tell the most compelling story you can. If you’d like to discuss in greater detail, email or call Gabriela.
The project I am proposing involves four other collaborators. Should I highlight and give information about them as equally as myself?
While only individual artists may apply for this grant, an individual may apply as a member of a collaborative. Within the narrative portion of the application, you will be asked to name your collaborators, their disciplines, and their roles in the proposed project. A brief biography for each collaborator is requested in the Artist Information section of the application. You may also include one artistic work sample for each collaborator as part of your application packet.
Do you have examples of winning proposals?
As a matter of fact, we do! Awarded applications from the past three years are on file in the Arts Commission’s Resource Library, which is located at our offices in downtown Phoenix and open to the public from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. If you are unable to make it to our offices, email your request to Gabriela.
What kinds of items go in the budget? Living expenses?
All major expenses needed to successfully complete the proposal should be included in the budget you submit. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to, artist stipends, materials, travel costs, technology, equipment, space rental, marketing, production costs, documentation, rehearsal time, and registration fees. A list of ineligible expenses can be found in the grant guidelines document. If you are uncertain about a given item, email or call Gabriela.
The credit limit for students, is that 3 credit hours per semester or year?
That would be per semester.
Do you offer grants for writers of literary fiction when the subject matter is Arizona?
The Artist Research and Development Grant is available to Arizona artists working in all artistic disciplines, including literary arts. The subject matter can be Arizona or something else entirely.
Please highlight the main differences between proposals that win and those that do not. Is there a common element between those that are chosen and those that aren’t?
The variety of artists and projects that this program supports is impressive, to say the least. You can get a sense of that variety by perusing the Artist Research and Development Grant page on our website. One element common to all, however, is a clear, concise, and compelling proposal. For more advice on how to craft such a proposal check out our previous Inside the App installment on the narrative portion of the application.
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