Leonard and Renee Minsky Fund for Arts Education Offers Five Grants

Grant Size: Five grants (maximum of $1,000 each)
Application Deadline: January 31

General Information:
Recognizing the important role the arts can play in a school’s curriculum, the donors established this fund to encourage teachers in grades three through five to work with professional artists to bring the arts into the classroom and, in addition, to integrate a variety of art forms into the standard curriculum. The Fund challenges classroom teachers to explore innovative approaches to meet the following basic guidelines:

• The artist(s) work(s) with the all the students in the grade(s) participating in the project
• The artist(s) works with all the participating teachers to explore the integration of the arts into the standard curriculum. If agreed upon by the artist and teachers, other interested faculty may also participate.

Each year the Fund will award five grants, up to a maximum of $1,000 each. The application process involves a simple two-page project proposal, which addresses the following: anticipated benefits; timeline and milestones; possible barriers; and a use-of-funds budget. To further simplify the process, application submission and much of the communication will be completed by email.

Grant Guidelines:
Teachers will work with professional artists from the visual and/or performing arts, including but not limited to film, video, and other media, theater arts, music, dance and creative writing. Together, the teacher and artists will design a program in which teachers and students will learn through participating in the art form. The artist will also work with the teachers to develop a curriculum that will incorporate the arts in a meaningful way, helping the school to meet the Maine Learning Results.

Eligibility Requirements:
All public school teachers of grades three through five in Washington County in even years and in Penobscot County in odd years are eligible for consideration. Although not required, teachers of the three grades are encouraged to work collaboratively to present one project, and elementary schools with low enrollments (100 or less students) are encouraged to present one project for the school.

If there is an arts teacher in the relative field involved, that teacher should participate in the design and implementation of the project.

At least 75% of the funds awarded should be budgeted to artist’s fees.

Project Evaluation:
All grant recipients will be required to submit a project evaluation report upon completion of the project. The evaluation will describe how students and teachers have learned from the project, how the arts have been integrated into the curriculum, and how the project has helped the school further the Maine Learning Results.

How To Apply:
The grant application form can be downloaded here. Applications for grants should be forwarded by email to pcleghorn@mainecf.org or by fax to 773-8832.

When To Apply:
Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM, January 31. Awards will be announced in mid-February. All applicants will receive notice upon receipt of the application and of the committee's final decisions

If you have questions or would like to discuss an idea before submitting a proposal, please feel free to contact Pam Cleghorn in the Portland office via email or by phone at 207/761-2440.

How to Raise Money: A Free Workshop for Arts Organizations

How to Raise Money: A free Workshop for Arts Organizations Presented by Larry Rubenstein 10:00pm to 4:15pm, February 6, 2014 Wishcamper Center at University of Southern Maine, Bedford Street, Portland, ME

Larry Rubenstein will present a free, day-long workshop for board chairs and executive directors of arts organizations at the University of Southern Maine on February 6, 2014. This workshop, which will provide fundraising guidance, is designed for teams of two people per arts organization: the Executive Director and the Board Chair, or Development Committee Chair. The Executive Director and Board Chair, or Development Committee Chair, must register together. There is a limit for the workshop for 10 organizations, and complete applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Click to register

The workshop will provide participants with the necessary tools to approach potential donors and take the fear out of the “ask.” Specifically, participants will learn the following:

• How to make the phone call to get an appointment;
• Where to have the appointment;
• Who should participate;
• How do you ask;
• Follow up and stewardship.

The workshop will be interactive and run from 10:00 am until 4:15 pm, with a break for lunch.

Larry currently serves as President of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine; is on the board of trustees of the Bowdoin International Music Festival (chair of the development committee); is President of the Board of the Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ which is currently finishing a campaign to pay for renovation of this 100 year old landmark instrument and which he is chairing; and as a trustee of the Portland Museum of Art where he is chair of the development committee and led the $11 Million effort for the renovation of the Winslow Homer Studio. Larry has published many articles on fund raising over the years and has received numerous awards including the University Medal and 3 Dean’s awards from Columbia, and the David Ben Gurion Award from Israel Bonds. He also served on the faculty of Rosemont College and the University of Pennsylvania while living in Philadelphia.
Click here to read Larry's full bio

Maine Arts Organizations Receive $200,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts

The Bowdoin International Music Festival, from Brunswick, received $10,000 through the Challenge America Fast-Track Grant, to support performances and public outreach activities celebrating the Bowdoin International Music Festival's 50th anniversary.

The Camden International Film Festival, from Camden, received $10,000 through the Art Works Grant to support the Camden International Film Festival and the expansion of its educational programs during the festival. The festival consists of more than 70 feature-length and short films from 20 countries.

The Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, from Deer Isle, received $20,000 through the Art Works Grant to support the Open Studio Residency program, a partnership with the Center for Bits and Atoms at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Residencies will be offered to national and international artists working in ceramics, fiber, graphics, glass, iron and wood.

Figures of Speech Theatre, from Freeport, received $10,000 through the Art Works Grant to support the development of a new work "The Little Match Girl Passion." Based on Composer David Lang's Pulitzer Prize-winning re-imagining of the Hans Christian Andersen story as a passion play, the piece will be a visual tapestry of puppets, objects, and shadow/video projections that surround four singers in the chamber production.

Bates College, from Lewiston, received $30,000 through the Art Works Grant to support Cultivating Innovation and Community in Dance, a program of dance artist residencies as part of the annual Bates Dance Festival. The project will bring together leading dance figures, companies, and emerging artists for residencies to connect, create and perform in a collaborative, supportive environment.

The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, from Madison, received $25,000 through the Art Works Grant to support artist residencies and related activities. Emerging artists will attend a nine-week summer visual arts residency and receive mentorship from established artists.

The Passamaquoddy Tribe, from Perry, received $15,000 through the Art Works Grant to support the museum exhibit "Passamaquoddy Cultural Renewal," a rotating exhibit of Passamaquoddy traditional arts such as quill work, birch bark baskets, wood carving, and sweet grass baskets.

The Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra, from Portland, received $15,000 through the Art Works Grant to support Nine for Ninety: Beethoven and His Infinite Inspiration, a performance project celebrating the orchestra's 90th anniversary season. Under the artistic leadership of Music Director Robert Moody, the orchestra, guest soloists and the Choral Art Society Masterworks Chorus of Portland will perform three of the nine Beethoven symphonies through five concert programs.

Portland Stage Company, from Portland, received $15,000 through the Art Works Grant to support the development and world premiere of "Veils," a new play by Tom Coash. The play tells the story of two students at the American University in Cairo an African-American Muslim student who wears a hijab, and her non-veiled Egyptian roommate who enlists her help in creating a blog debating the growing controversy over various head coverings at the school.

Terra Moto Inc., from Portland, received $20,000 through the Art Works Grant to support All The Way Home. The project will include research, development and implementation of a program utilizing multidisciplinary arts to help military veterans overcome PTSD and suicidal tendencies. Veterans will participate in artist-led workshops in storytelling, performance, photography, writing, visual arts and movement.

The University of Southern Maine, from Portland, received $15,000 through the Art Works Grant to support the orchestration and premiere of "The Summer King" by composer Daniel Sonenberg and librettist Daniel Nester. The opera will explore the life and legacy of baseball catcher Josh Gibson whose skill on the field and perseverance in the Negro League created the momentum for a whole new generation (led by Jackie Robinson) to integrate baseball. The opera will incorporate various musical languages not traditionally associated with opera including stride piano, straight ahead jazz, and Mexican mariachi music. The premiere will be presented by Portland Ovations with music director Steven Osgood.

Cultural Resources, from Rockport, received $15,000 through the Art Works Grant to to support Elder Arts, a series of training workshops for healthcare and social service professionals working with seniors. Folklorists will offer instruction about the role of storytelling in the life review process, as well as techniques for recording these stories. Through the use of a portable recording studio, seniors will have the opportunity to record these stories and have them edited for broadcast and archived for downloading at the Story Bank and Cultural Resources website.

If you would like to learn more about the grant offerings that are available through the National Endowment for the Arts, visit their website today, or contact Kathy Shaw at the Maine Arts Commission, 207-287-2750, kathy.shaw@maine.gov.