Contact East Deadline Extended for Maine Artists!

The deadline for Contact East has been extended to March 31 for Maine artists wishing to audition!

Organizers of Contact East 2012 are interested in having a larger New England presence at the upcoming conference in Fredericton New Brunswick. The conference will be from September 19 to 23, and artists in theatre, music and dance will come together to showcase their talents to regional, national and international buyers. In addition to live showcases, participants can attend an industry conference comprised of panels and educational workshops, and a Contact Room where managers, presenters and artists meet to do business.

Maine artists interested in auditioning should go to the I Want To Showcase webpage and apply to the Fredericton event. There is a $50 application fee, but the event is well worth the money.

Full information about the event can be found online at: http://www.contacteast.ca/

UMF Interns

The University of Maine at Farmington has a new initiative to develop opportunities for students in the Partnership for Civic Advancement. The program is intended to better organize and support community engagement activities for UMF students using "Quality of Place" as an organizing concept. The program focuses on a number action areas including sustainable tourism, landscape stewardship, local foods and arts and culture.

If your organization would like to offer a UMF student an internship opportunity (either this summer or during the fall semester), please go to the website and see if you qualify to be a Community Sponsor. You can also post your internship opportunity on the UMF website.

More information about the program can be found at: http://pca.umf.maine.edu/

Information about being a Community Sponsor is at: http://pca.umf.maine.edu/for-community-sponsors/

Looking for a Director, Maine Film Office

Date Closed to Applications: February 17, 2012
Salary: $43,513.60-$59,113.60/Annually

This is professional services work of a managerial nature in managing and directing all activities of the Maine Film Office. Responsibilities include developing and implementing strategies to promote Maine as a location for film and video production, expanding opportunities and creating business-friendly environment for production industry, developing and administering a budget, and support of the Maine Film Commission. Supervision is exercised over administrative support staff. Work is performed under limited supervision.

KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:
• Knowledge of the film and video production industry.
• Knowledge of marketing principles, practices, and techniques.
• Knowledge of modern management principles, practices, and techniques.
• Knowledge of budgetary practices and procedures.
• Knowledge of the legislative process.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to supervise and manage the work of interns, contract workers, and volunteers.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
An eight (8) year combination of education, training, and/or experience providing knowledge of the film and video production industry, as well as marketing principles and practices. Experience must include managerial and/or administrative responsibilities.

If you are interested please forward a direct hire application form available at the General Government Service Center in Augusta, all Maine Career Center Offices, and on the General Government Service Center web page at www.maine.gov/fps/opportunities. The completed application must be submitted along with a resume, cover letter by the closing date to: Julie Cotnoir, Personnel Officer, General Government Service Center, 74 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0074, Telephone (207) 624-7417.

Apply to the Monhegan Artists’ Residency!

David Higgins' "Harbor View" was taken during the photographer's 2005 residency.

Applications are being accepted for the Monhegan Artists’ Residency for emerging Maine artists. This summer, the program will provide five-week residencies on Monhegan Island for two Maine-based visual artists.

The residency program provides living quarters and separate studio space at Fish and Maine plus a $500 stipend. The 2012 residencies run May 26 through June 30 and Sept. 1 through Oct. 6. Only Maine residents are eligible to apply.

The program is aimed at visual artists working in painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture or the digital arts. An important goal of the program is to enhance the careers of serious artists who have yet to gain wide recognition. Quality of work is the primary criterion for selection. Previous artist residents include Sarah Knock, David Little, Marguerite Robichaux, Karen Adrienne, Lynn Travis, Joe Kievitt and Alina Gallo.

A jury of art professionals will select the artists. This year’s judges are Michael Shaughnessy, sculptor and professor of art at University of Southern Maine; Portland gallerist June Fitzpatrick; and Daniel Fuller, director of the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art.

The application deadline is March 16 (postmarked). For guidelines, a history of the program and a list of past residents, visit http://monheganartistsresidency.org/
Applicants will be notified by March 30 of the jury’s decision.

Internships at Bates Dance Festival!

Bates Dance Festival is seeking interns for the following areas:

Technical Production/Stagecraft Apprenticeships
Videography
Arts Administration
Dance Education


The Festival's internship/apprenticeship program offers qualified individuals an opportunity to work side-by-side with the Festival's professional staff. Interns/apprentices will receive on-the-job training in technical production, videography, arts administration and dance education, while gaining valuable contacts and in-depth knowledge of contemporary dance. Housing, meals and complimentary tickets to performances are provided. Dance education, administration, video interns and stagecraft apprentices may register for up to two classes a day. Technical Production interns receive a $300 stipend (upon submission of receipts) to assist with travel.

Visit the festival website for more details at: http://www.batesdancefestival.org/internships.php

Sculpture Symposium in New Brunswick Seeks Artists

The Board of Directors of the New Brunswick International Sculpture Symposium is putting forth an international call to artists to create sculptures for public art. Six sculptors will be creating works of art from ten ton pieces of New Brunswick granite on the Saint John Waterfront. “Sculpture Saint John” will take place in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada from August 2nd to September 15th, 2012. The deadline for entry in “Sculpture Saint John” is January 10th, 2012.

This international sculpture symposium will be the first for New Brunswick and for Atlantic Canada. It promises to be an exciting event. Diana Alexander, Chair of Sculpture Saint John, said, “The Sculpture Saint John team; the City of Saint John; towns of Rothesay, Quispamsis, St. George, Grand Bay-Westfield; and UNBSJ are pleased to offer this opportunity for artists from around the world to experience our city, our culture and our hospitality. Their finished work then becomes a new and permanent part of the landscape of those communities”.

If you are interested in participating or if you know someone else who may be interested, the application and all details are available on our website at www.sculpturesaintjohn.com.

If you have questions you can contact Diana Alexander, Chair of Sculpture Saint John (506)647-8773, Diana.Alexander@SculptureSaintJohn.com

Call to Sculptors

The Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium is the largest public sculpture Symposium in the USA. The Symposium is looking for applicants to participate in the six week 2012 program from approximately July 22 through August 31, at the University of Maine on the Orono campus. Deadline for applications is December 31, 2011.

To be considered, artists should prepare:
1. A signed copy of the Artist Application form that can be downloaded from:
http://schoodicsculpture.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Call-2012-SISS.pdf
2. An artist’s statement
3. CD/DVD images of prior work.
4. Artists resume

Application materials should be submitted to:

Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium
PO Box 122
Steuben, Maine 04680

Invited artists will receive:
- Airfare, reimbursed up to $1500 USD with receipts.
- Housing
- Meals
- Ground Transportation provided to and from Maine airports, and during the symposium to community and symposium events.
- $5000 Honorarium

The symposium will provide:
- Compressed Air
- Electricity and Electric Cords
- Air Hoses
- Fork Lift (and other necessary heavy equipment for moving and positioning stone)
- Quarried granite blocks of various shapes and sizes not to exceed 18,000 lbs. will be supplied by the Symposium. Both granite and basalt will be made available.

Sculptors should bring other tools as desired. Please check with the Symposium regarding the availability of specialized equipment.

For more information you can visit the Schoodic Symposium website
or contact:
Jesse Salisbury, Art Director: jesse@schoodicsculpture.org Tel. (207) 546-8992
or
Tilan Langley, Project Manager: tilan@schoodicsculpture.org Tel. (207) 255-4948

Call to Independent Filmmakers

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation is seeking the best in new independent American film to tour through its On Screen/In Person program. Deadline for submission is January 20, 2012

Selected films will be screened in communities across the mid-Atlantic region accompanied by their respective filmmakers.

Filmmakers collaborate with host sites on the tour to develop community activities, such as Q&As, artist talks, or workshops, among other options, to further engage audiences in the screened work. The Foundation will pay selected filmmakers a stipend for each host site visit, cover all travel and accommodation expenses, and provide a per diem.

Film submissions, including animation, documentaries, experimental and narrative work, are accepted online via Withoutabox. To submit your work or view the filmmaker guidelines, please visit On Screen/In Person at Withoutabox.com.

Questions should be directed to Ann Turiano at ann@midatlanticarts.org

Maine Art Scene Call To Artists

Maine Art Scene magazine is organizing its third annual multi-disciplinary virtual showcase of contemporary Maine painters, fine art printmakers, fine art photographers, sculptors, potters (new!), furniture makers (new!), mixed-media, and multimedia/short film (new!) artists. The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2011

This statewide interactive showcase will be available online at www.maineartscene.com and maine-art-exhibits.com in February 2012.

Artwork will be selected by Sam Mitchell, a passionate collector of Maine art as well as Maine Art Scene's founders, Brenda and Thierry Bonneville. Works chosen will be displayed in a virtual format that resembles an actual gallery space, with various rooms to navigate, and artwork and labels to zoom in on. Exciting new virtual spaces will be created for our 2012 showcase. The 2010 and 2011 virtual exhibits can be viewed online here.

Preferred method of entry is by mail with a CD containing JPEG images (or multimedia files) and text in a Word, PDF document or similar format. Cost of submission ranges from $25.00 per artist for up to three images/ multimedia files to $50.00 per artist for up to10 images / multimedia files. Full information can be found on the call for entries on the Maine Art Scene website

Multiyear Funding of up to $1 million Available to Nonprofit Arts Organizations

Sebastian Spering Kresge

Kresge Foundation's Arts and Culture Program announces final call for Facility Investment and Building Reserve Grant applications. Deadline: March 1, 2012 for preliminary applications.

Facility investment grants will prioritize renovation and repair projects. Building reserve grants are designed to seed or enhance an organization's building reserve fund for the ongoing maintenance and replacement of an organization's facilities (the program does not fund reserves solely for equipment).

Eligible applicants are nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations in the United States whose primary mission is arts and culture and Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that have a long-term agreement to operate a government-owned facility are eligible.

Start up organizations or those with less than two full years of operation, and organizations that are both owned and operated by a government entity are not eligible to apply.

Grant amounts will be dependent on the type of project and the size, scope, and business model of the organization. In general, multiyear institutional capitalization grants will not exceed $1 million and/or a period of three years from the time of the grant award.

Complete program information, application guidelines, and the application form are available at the Kresge Web site. http://www.kresge.org/programs/arts-culture/institutional-capitalization/facility-investments-and-building-reserves

Free Travel and Price Reduction to Idea Swap!

The Maine Arts Commission is offering a deal on attending the Tenth Annual New England Idea Swap. The Maine Arts Commission will be providing shuttle service between Augusta, Portland and the conference. The agency also offering 25 percent off the registration price (down to $37.50 from $50) for Mainers using the service. Seating is limited so reserve your place now. This offer ends when the shuttle is at capacity.

The event will take place in Worcester, Massachusetts on Wednesday, November 2 (9:30am – 3:30pm). It will be an opportunity for nonprofit presenting organizations to network, share project ideas and build partnerships. The Idea Swap is hosted by the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) and connects directly to possible funding from the NEFA Expeditions grant program. Snacks and lunch are provided as part of the conference.

To reserve you place at the conference and on the shuttle contact:
Kerstin Gilg, Maine Arts Commission
207/287.6719 (kerstin.gilg@maine.gov)
(Do not register online, if you register online you will NOT get the discount)

People in the northern part of the state may want to consider traveling to Portland or Augusta the night before.

On November 2

The shuttle will leave The Maine Arts Commission parking lot in Augusta at 6am
The shuttle will leave Portland Mall parking lot (in front of Best Buy) at 7am
The shuttle will arrive at Mechanics Hall in Worcester at 9:45am

The shuttle will leave Mechanics Hall in Worcester at 4:30pm
Arriving in Portland at 7pm and Augusta at 8pm

Best Buy in Portland
364 Maine Mall Rd
South Portland, ME 04106

Maine Arts Commission
193 State Street
Augusta ME, 04333

Mechanics Hall
321 Main Street,
Worcester, MA 01608

ArtPlace Grant

ArtPlace is a national program working to drive the revitalization of cities and towns with an investment model that puts the arts at the center of economic development. A twelve million dollar loan fund has been created to accelerate creative placemaking and put art and culture at the heart of a portfolio of strategies to transform communities.

The initiative is collaboration between the NEA, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Ford Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Rasmuson Foundation, The Robina Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and an anonymous donor. Other federal partners includethe departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Education, and Transportation, along with leadership from the White House Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Policy Council.

The first 34 ArtPlace grants have been invested in places that range across the country and vary in size. The initial round of grants totals $11.5 million, with an average grant size of approximately $350,000. ArtPlace invites Letters of Inquiry from initiatives involving arts organizations, artists and designers working in partnership with local and national partners to produce a transformative impact on community vibrancy.

Guidelines can be found here
You can register here for an October 3 webinar on developing a letter of inquiry
Letter of Inquiry deadline is November 15, 2011.

USArtists International: Apply Now!

Guidelines are now available for the 2012 USArtists International program (USAI). USAI provides support for American dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists invited to perform at significant international festivals or engagements that represent extraordinary career opportunities anywhere in the world (outside the United States and its territories). Grants will seldom cover the applicant's total expenses and generally range from $1,000 to $10,000 USD.

First Round Deadline is September 6, 2011 for projects taking place between November 1, 2011 and October 31, 2012. This is a receipt deadline.

Additional deadlines for the 2012 program cycle include:
December 9, 2011 for projects taking place between March 1, 2012 and February 28, 2013
April 20, 2012 for projects taking place between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013

For a copy of program guidelines go to the information page on the Mid-Atlantic Artists Foundation site. Questions about USArtists International should be directed to Sara Nash, at saran@midatlanticarts.org.

$10,000 Art Commission Announced in Biddeford, Maine

Thread, a downtown development company dedicated to advancing community through revitalization, is sponsoring the $10,000 commission for a mural, installation, or combination of the two. The original piece is being commissioned for an exterior wall on their historic property at 265 Main Street in downtown Biddeford. Engine, a community arts organization in Biddeford, is assisting with coordinating and jurying the entries.

Photos of the property under renovations can be seen at on Thread’s Facebook page. Proposals and conceptual sketches for the project are now being accepted and must be received no later than September 30, 2011.

The mural, installation, or combination of the two being commissioned is for the east wall of the property. The wall is approximately 16.5-feet tall by 43.5-feet wide. Both 2-D and 3-D concepts, or a combination, will be considered. Proposals that utilize a greater portion of the east wall will be considered. Please visit Engine’s web site for photographs of the wall and for further specs.
The mural or installation may be traditional or contemporary in nature—the foremost criterion for selection is artistic excellence. The winning concept will likely show an understanding of and sensitivity toward the unique spirit of the building—originally a mercantile and then a furniture store fondly remembered as the Potter’s Building—and also of Biddeford, a former textile industry mecca currently in the throes of revitalization.

Only one proposal will be selected for the commission; two additional proposals will be chosen as finalists and publicized. Proposals must include conceptual sketches that are very close to what the final piece will resemble when executed.

AWARD
The winning proposal will receive a $10,000 payment, in negotiated allotments, to execute their proposal. The winning artist must be able to either execute or oversee the execution of their proposal. The winning artist will be asked to enter into a contractual agreement with Thread that outlines the project’s scope and deadlines.

SELECTION
A jury will include representatives from Thread, Engine, Maine College of Art, and the Maine Arts Commission.

SUBMIT
Respondents must submit:
1. Narrative proposal (two-page max)
2. Conceptual sketches (PDFs)
3. Budget
4. Resumé

Materials may be submitted via email to director@feedtheengine.org or by mail to:

Engine
41 Franklin Street #1
Biddeford, ME 04005

DEADLINE:
Proposals must be received by 5PM (EST) on September 30, 2011.

ELIGIBILITY
All artists residing in Maine and 18 years of age or older are eligible.

QUESTIONS
Tammy Ackerman, Executive Director of Engine
director@feedtheengine.org or 207/229-3560

Common Ground Country Fair Poster Competition

Each year the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association holds a design contest to select the image for the Common Ground Country Fair poster. Maine residents and MOFGA members (regardless of residence) are eligible to participate.

The 2011 Common Ground Country Fair poster features a colorful depiction of fresh and freshly canned veggies by Maine artist, Dacia Klinkerch. Klinkerch grew and canned the produce depicted. She used the crops for a still life oil painting and later adapted her painting to create the more graphic style that MOFGA’s poster contest requires.

“I had done an oil painting of Mason jars and vegetables we had been canning,” says Klinkerch. “I thought it was an appropriate design for the Fair poster, so I translated it a bit for the MOFGA contest, following the guidelines (posted at www.mofga.org). With the oil painting, there were a lot of subtle shadows and grading of colors. I had to make it much more graphic – nothing too blended."

MOGFA are excited to announce that the contest for the 2012 poster is open. The winning design will be featured on the 2012 Fair poster, website, t-shirt and promotional literature. The artist will be featured in MOFGA's newspaper, The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, plus, the winning artist will receive $1,000.

Artists may submit two entries. All entries must arrive in the MOFGA office by 4 p.m. on Friday, August 5, 2011. For complete guidelines, including technical specifications, please visit the Poster link on the Fair page at www.mofga.org or contact the Fair office at commonground@mofga.org or 207-568-4142.

You can view the 33-year history of the poster competition on the MOFGA website.

Maine Arts Commission Assistant Director Position Open

The Maine Arts Commission currently has an opening for an assistant director who will assist the director in the day-to-day operations of the Maine Arts Commission and will oversee certain program initiatives. The agency is interested in applicants with vision and originality, who are deeply and broadly knowledgeable in the arts, the creative economy concept, with a proven career engagement with arts innovation, engagement with artists and arts organizations and general diplomacy.

Responsibilities include developing and managing advocacy and granting programs, strategic planning implementation, internal fiscal and office management affairs, coordinating special federal programs, and acting as liaison with arts organizations, the Maine Arts Commission members, as well as regional, federal and state agencies and commissions.

You can read the entire job description on the pages of MaineArts.com. The closing date for applications is April 30, 2011.

Schoodic Call To Artists!

Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium is a biennial event that brings together artists, visitors, and communities to create a Public Sculpture Collection in eastern Maine. Symposia last 6-weeks, from late July to early September. Artists from around the world are selected through a juried process to participate. Visitors can watch the sculptors work and see them create their sculptures. The finished pieces are placed at public sites in Maine communities. The next symposia is scheduled for 2011.

The Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium is currently accepting applications from interested artists. If you want to apply you can download the application here:

http://www.schoodicsculpture.org/pdfs/SISS_application_2011.pdf

To learn more you can go to the Schoodic website.

YouTube Play and the Guggenheim

YouTube Play is a collaboration between YouTube and the Guggenheim Museum to unearth and showcase the very best creative video from around the world. To have your work considered, simply post it on YouTube, and then submit it at youtube.com/play. A jury of experts will decide which works presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York on October 21, 2010 with simultaneous presentations at the Guggenheim museums in Berlin, Bilbao, and Venice. The videos will be on view to the public from October 22 through 24 in New York and on the YouTube Play channel.

Submissions close July 31, 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/playbiennial