North Dakota Council on the Arts

		March 2007
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Statewide News Plan to Attend - NDCA Statewide Arts Conference, and Governor's Awards for the Arts March 5-6, 2007! Join us for North Dakota's biennial Statewide Arts Conference and Governor's Awards for the Arts at the Ramkota Hotel in Bismarck on March 5-6, 2007. Featured in conjunction with the arts conference is the Visual Artists, Performing Artists and Literary Artists Showcases and an exhibit hall will also be set up during the conference for participants to visit with the showcase artists. The North Dakota Governor’s Awards for the Arts Dinner and Awards Ceremony also kicks off the 40th Anniversary celebration for the North Dakota Council on the Arts! The North Dakota Governor’s Awards for the Arts program is presented by the Governor’s Office and the North Dakota Council on the Arts to recognize individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the arts in the state. The 2007 Governor’s Awards for the Arts Dinner and Awards Ceremony is Tuesday, March 6, 2007. more on NDCA conference and Governor's awards... NDCA Grant Deadlines Approaching Application deadline dates for the Council on the Arts grants are approaching. Artist-in-Residence (Sponsor and New Artist), Teacher Incentive, Community Arts Access, and Presenter Support grants must be postmarked or submitted by April 1, 2007 for programs taking place between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008. The Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grants must be postmarked by May 15, 2007 for project periods of July 1, 2007 to April 30, 2008. Early submission is strongly encouraged for all programs. Also, a reminder that the Professional Development and Special Projects grant applications are accepted throughout the year, but must be postmarked no later than four (4) weeks prior to the start of the event. more on NDCA grant programs... North Dakota Council on the Arts Announces Poetry Out Loud State Finals The North Dakota Council on the Arts and Dakota West Arts Council announce the state finals for Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. The competition, presented in partnership with The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance, and competition. On Wednesday, March 14, 2007 high school students will participate in the Poetry Out Loud State Finals at the Bell Mehus Auditorium. The winner of this competition will advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC on May 1, 2007, where $50,000 dollars in scholarships and school prizes will be awarded. Attendance is free and open to the public, although seating may be limited. Live music will be provided by Trio Apollo and high school musicians. Contact Linda Ehreth at (701) 328-7593 or via email at lehreth@nd.gov for more information. Four North Dakota Finalists Announced for the Bush Foundation's Artist Fellows Program Writers, composers, filmmakers and playwrights from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin are among the finalists for the 2007 Bush Artist Fellowships. The Foundation named 35 finalists in February and, for the first time in the program’s 31-year history, has made their finalist status public; it will award each finalist who does not become a fellow $1,000 in recognition of their accomplishments. The 2007 categories include literature (fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry), film/video, music composition and scriptworks (playwriting and screenwriting). Four panels of nationally recognized artists and arts leaders from outside the Foundation’s region—one panel for each category—chose the 35 finalists from 477 applicants. The panelists looked for artists with a strong vision, creative energy and evidence of perseverance. The four North Dakota finalist are: in Literature, Liselotte Erdrich of Wahpeton, Non-fiction; and Larry Woiwode of Mott, Fiction; in Scriptworks, Karen Van Fossan of Bismarck, Playwright; and in Film/Video, Kyja Kristjansson-Nelson of Fargo. Congratulations and good luck!
National News March is National Youth Art Month National Youth Art Month is an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art education and to encourage public support for quality school art programs. The focus of this month is to convey to the public that art education develops self-discipline, self-esteem, and a sense of pride in self-expression. Youth Art Month has been observed nationally since 1961. March 12th is Arts Advocacy Day Arts Advocacy Day is March 12, 2007, let your legislators know that funding for the arts is vital to North Dakota! more on Arts Advocacy Day... April is Jazz Appreciation Month Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) is intended to draw public attention to the glories of jazz as both an historical and a living treasure. The idea is to encourage musicians, concert halls, schools, colleges, museums, libraries and public broadcasters to offer special programs on jazz every April. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz--to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs. The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History has designated the month and has enlisted a distinguished roster of federal agencies and departments, nongovernmental organizations, foundations and broadcasting networks. Any organization can participate in Jazz Appreciation Month. For more information, a calendar of activities and to learn how to participate and celebrate JAM, visit www.smithsonianjazz.org. Reminder of Big Read Deadlines The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. The purpose of The Big Read is to encourage literary reading. Big Read grants, ranging from $5,000 - $20,000, are available to revitalize the role of literature in American popular culture. Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read will receive a grant, financial support to attend a national orientation meeting, educational and promotional materials for broad distribution, Organizer's Guide for developing and managing Big Read activities, inclusion of your organization and activities on The Big Read web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national initiative. Approximately 120 organizations of varying sizes across the country will be selected in this cycle. Go to www.neabigread.org to download the Request for Proposals. Questions? Call Arts Midwest at 612.341.0755 or e-mail TheBigRead@artsmidwest.org. Proposal deadline: April 12, 2007; Project activity: September - December 2007. The National Endowment for the Arts www.arts.gov. Prairie Arts Management Institute 2007 Practical Arts Leadership Training Professional development, and practical training for staff of small and mid-sized community arts organizations. June 5-8, 2007 Tuesday night through Friday night, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD. Register at www.sdarts.org. Registration Fee is $350 prior to April 30, 2007; $400 after April 30, 2007. Register on-line and pay with Pay Pal or Print registration form and mail in payment. more information on the PAMI Institute... Arts Midwest’s 2007 Performing Arts Fund Arts Midwest is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the 2007–2008 Performing Arts Fund. Are you a performing arts presenting organization located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, or Wisconsin? Is your organization presenting a professional performing artist/ensemble between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008? Does the professional artist/ensemble reside outside of your organization's state? Will this engagement reach an underserved audience and include at least one educational activity, or are you able to expand it to do so? If you answered "Yes" to all four questions, your organization may be eligible for funding through Arts Midwest’s Performing Arts Fund. The deadline date is May 2, 2007, or when funds have been depleted for a state. Applications are accepted solely through our eGRANT. Visit our Web site at www.artsmidwest.org/programs to: Review the Guidelines & Eligibility Requirements; Access the eGRANT; and Utilize our Performing Artists Links & Tools. NEA 2008 Grants for Arts Projects Available The FY 2008 Grants for Arts Projects guidelines are available online. Grants for Arts Projects is the NEA's major support category for organizations and includes the Access to Artistic Excellence, Challenge America Reaching Every Community Fast Track Grants, and Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth categories. more information/application... Save America’s Treasures 2007 Grant Program The National Park Service in partnership with the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services is seeking applicants for its Save America’s Treasures 2007 grant program. Save America’s Treasures makes critical investments in the preservation of our nation’s most significant cultural treasures. Grants are awarded for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and nationally significant historic structures and sites. Grant amounts range from $25,000 to $700,000 to conserve collections and from $125,000 to $700,000 for historic property and sites projects. All the awards must be matched 1:1. Complete guidelines, applications and information, as well as a database of previous Save America Treasure’s awardees, can be found on the National Park Service Web site. Deadline for applications is April 26, 2007. For general information contact Kimber Craine at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities or call 202/682-5661.
Event and Exhibit Calendars, and Arts Opportunities Upcoming Events and Exhibits calendars on the NDCA web site. If you have events, exhibits or artist opportunities that you would like included on the NDCA web site, please email them to comserv@nd.gov. Check out the current Arts Opportunities available on the NDCA web site!
Did you Know... Support Music Community Action Kit Now Online - Keeping music education programs strong and active in our schools benefits the entire nation. The new Support Music Community Action Kit is designed to help you do just that by providing step-by-step guidance for effective music advocacy presentations designed to foster community support. Get your Support Music Community Action Kit by calling NAMM at 800-767-6266 or e-mailing your request to info@namm.org; or visit www.supportmusic.com/kit. Troubled Kids Positively Impacted By Arts Involvement - Structured creativity is being used to address behavioral issues and other problems of at-risk youth. Studies show that arts programs can be powerful crime prevention tools and positive alternatives for children who are susceptible to disciplinary problems according to Shell Herman, CEO and Co-Founder of KidzArt, a national children’s art franchise. more on Troubled Kids…
Other Resources "Tools for Results" Tool-Kit - a Resource for Non-profit Arts and Cultural Organizations The Texas Commission on the Arts "Tools for Results" Tool-kit was developed as a resource for non-profit arts and cultural organizations in Texas and beyond. The Tool-kit is a collaborative project made possible with the help of many organizations that generously agreed to share their resources. The Tool-kit covers six topic areas: Fundraising & Development, Programs & Exhibitions, Cultural Tourism, Marketing, Advocacy, and Nonprofit Basics. Each section covers the basics, relevant concepts, best practices, things to consider, ideas for implementing change, common mistakes, ways to get started, do’s and don’ts, and how-to’s on a variety of topics. The “tools” are the sample forms, letters, documents, checklists, templates, and other resources. The intention is for nonprofits to take these “tools” and adapt them for their own purposes. Online Classifieds Opportunities & Services for Artists The New York Foundation for the Arts' Online Classifieds Opportunities & Services for Artists, is a free national online sources for artist opportunities and services. These include calls for entry, services such as photography of art work and accounting, space for rent, and many others. New listings are posted daily (designated with an orange "new" icon for one week) and remain on the site until they expire. Organizations posting listings are solely responsible for the content of those listings. United States Artists (USA) USA is a new organization dedicated to the support of America's finest living artists. Artists now have a home where they may find significant private funding to ignite the creativity that makes this country great. USA was launched in September 2005 with $20 million in seed funding provided by a coalition of leading foundations—Ford, Rockefeller, Prudential, and Rasmuson—in an act of unprecedented private investment in individual artists and the creative potential of America. Their initial investment enables them to pilot the USA Fellows program, awarding unrestricted $50,000 grants to fifty artists each year beginning in 2006. USA's long-term vision is to create an organization dedicated to the unlimited promise of our finest artists. Their horizon line is not three, five, or 25 years, but rather 100 years and beyond. Building on their base of private funding, their aspiration is to be permanently endowed. more on United States Artists… Additional Web Sites The following Web sites have resources that may be of service to educators, individual artists, and arts organizations including funding and other opportunities, publications, arts events, etc: National Endowment for the Arts Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network National Assembly of State Arts Agencies Arts Midwest Arts Education Partnership
The North Dakota Council on the Arts is the state agency responsible for the support and development of the arts throughout North Dakota, and is funded by the state legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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