Informational Seminar to Assist Artists Will be Held in Napa, November 7;
Webinars Scheduled from September - November
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA-The Creative Work Fund (CWF) invites artists and nonprofit organizations to apply for grants for collaborative projects featuring media or performing artists. Letters of inquiry are due by Friday, December 2, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. Up to $810,000 will be available for grants that may range in size from $10,000 to $40,000. To assist individuals and organizations interested in applying, CWF will co-host a series of seminars and webinars from September through November (schedule below). An informational CWF seminar will be held on November 7, 1:00-2:00 pm at the di Rosa in Napa. The seminar will be held in conjunction with Arts Council Napa Valley's quarterly arts coalition meeting. Attendees are also encouraged to attend the coalition's discussion, running from 12:30 - 2:30 pm.
Launched in 1994, the Creative Work Fund is a collaboration among three California-based foundations to address the declining support for artists and new works. Since its inception, CWF has contributed $8 million to advance art-making by California artists in a variety of disciplines. Grants are awarded to genuine, creative partnerships between artists and nonprofit organizations. Each year, CWF focuses on projects from different disciplines; the 2012 grants will fund collaborative projects that feature media or performing artists.
"We see art as a means to explore ideas, provoke conversations, and strengthen connections in communities," said CWF Program Director Frances Phillips. "By promoting and encouraging collaborative art-making projects, our grants support artists while linking them to the work of and people served by nonprofit organizations. Previous recipients of projects in media and performing arts have collaborated with museums, orchestras, galleries, and ensembles as well as with health, environmental, social justice, and educational groups."
The 2012 grant program will focus on media and performing arts projects. Projects may culminate in any form, but they must feature a lead artist with a strong track record as a media artist or performing artist and collaboration between that artist and a nonprofit organization. The Creative Work Fund uses the following definitions for these eligible artists:
The CWF grant program emphasizes the creation of new work-not distribution or productions of work already developed.To be eligible to apply, the principal collaborating artists and organizations must live or be located in the Northern or Central California counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, or Stanislaus; and have been there for at least two years.
Artists and organizations should plan projects and prepare and sign their letters of inquiry together. Letters of inquiry are due by Friday, December 2, 2011. The Creative Work Fund will invite approximately 60 detailed proposals (30 in each category) from those who have submitted letters by February 8, 2012. Completed applications (from those who are invited) are due April 20, 2012. The grant awards will be announced June 18, 2012. Grants are highly competitive and recommended to CWF by committees of accomplished panelists.
The CWF offers several optional seminars and webinars for potential applicants. While these are not required, they are highly recommended, especially if the applicant is not familiar with the Fund. To attend a seminar, you may reserve a space at www.creativeworkfund.org/seminars.html (preferred method), or by calling 415-402-2794.
Seminars:
San Francisco: Wednesday, September 7, 6:00-7:30 pm, Screening Room, Ninth Street Independent Film Center, 145 Ninth Street, San Francisco
Petaluma: Monday, September 19, 7:00-8:00 pm, Studio, Cinnabar Theater, 3333 Petaluma Blvd. N, Petaluma
San Jose: Wednesday, October 5, 3:30-5:00 pm AND 5:30-7:00 pm, Castellano Playhouse, Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino American (MACLA), 510 South First Street, San Jose
Hollister: Thursday, October 6, 5:30-6:30 pm, Community Foundation for San Benito County, 829 San Benito Street, Suite 200, Hollister
San Mateo: Thursday, October 13, 3:30-4:30 pm, San Mateo Public Library, Oak Room, 55 West Third Avenue, San Mateo, in conjunction with The Foundation Center. To sign up for this workshop, visit http://grantspace.org/Classroom/Training-Calendar.
Napa: Monday, November 7, 1:00-2:00 pm, di Rosa, Gatehouse Gallery, 5200 Carneros Highway, Napa (hosted with the Arts Council Napa Valley)
Webinars:
(Produced in conjunction with The Foundation Center) Sign up for any one of the Webinars at www.creativeworkfund.org/seminars.html
Tuesday, September 20, noon-1:00 pm
Monday, October 3, 6:00-7:00 pm
Tuesday, October 18, noon-1:00 pm
Monday, November 7, 6:00-7:00 pm
Tuesday, November 8, noon-1:00 pm
About the Creative Work Fund
The Creative Work Fund is a program of the Walter and Elise Haas Fund that is supported by generous grants from The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and The James Irvine Foundation. For further information, or to see examples of previously funded projects, visit http://www.creativeworkfund.org or call Jean Wong, Creative Work Fund Coordinator, or Frances Phillips, Creative Work Fund Director, at 415-402-2793.
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Contact: Christy Bors, Programs Assistant
Arts Council Napa Valley
(707) 257-2117 x 1
christy [at] artscouncilnv [dot] org
