April 2008

North Dakota Council on the Arts, Celebrating 40 Years! (1967-2007)

Welcome to e-Prairie Arts! This electronic newsletter supplements our printed newsletter, Prairie Arts, which is published 3 times per year. e-Prairie Arts will be distributed during the months of February, March, April, June, July, August, October, November and December. If you know of anyone else who would like to receive e-Prairie Arts, please e-mail comserv@nd.gov. If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail comserv@nd.gov.
 

Registration Deadline is April 3! Statewide Conference on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities
NDCA invites you to attend the Statewide Conference on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities. This conference is being presented by the ND Council on the Arts, Dakota West Arts Council, and the ND Center for Persons with Disabilities. The Statewide Conference will be held in Bismarck at the Kelly Inn Hotel, on Monday, April 7, 2008 from 9:45am-4pm (registration begins at 8:45am). Who Should Attend: Individuals with disabilities who are interested in pursuing careers as artists or arts administrators (and family and friends); along with anyone currently working as an artist or arts administrator (beginning, emerging and professional artists, arts organizations, arts councils, etc.). There will be a $25 registration fee for the conference (a continental breakfast and lunch will be provided). If you are interested in attending the statewide conference (a registration form is available here) or if would like additional information, contact Amy Schmidt at 701-328-7594. more on this program and Conference...

An Da Union, a Mongolian Singing Group Comes to Bismarck
Arts Midwest World Fest proudly presents An Da Union on April 13-19, 2008 in Bismarck, ND. An Da Union, fourteen young and dynamic musicians from Inner Mongolia, bring power, excitement, and the haunting beauty of their homeland and culture to the Arts Midwest region. As their songs and dance unfold, you’ll feel the hoof beats of horses moving across the vast grasslands; the songs of unseen birds on summer mornings; and be carried back to a time when these songs and instruments, horse-head fiddles and three holed flutes among others, were played late into the evening in the camps of the great Genghis Khan. The single names of An Da Union's members translate to words like beauty--hero--pure--peace--and forever. Once their music has been experienced, the truth of their names will be obvious! For ticket information, please contact katherine.duvic@artsmidwest.org. A community performance is scheduled for April 19, 2008 at 7:30pm, in the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium at Bismarck State College.

Plan to Attend the North Dakota Tourism Conference
The ND Tourism Conference is set for April 20-22, 2008 at the Seven Seas Hotel in Mandan. Be sure to visit the North Dakota Council on the Arts' booth when there! For more information on the conference visit the ND Tourism's web site at: www.northdakotadestinations.org/ndtourismconference.htm.

Rolling Plains Art Gallery Tours North Dakota
Rolling Plains Art Gallery’s North Dakota spring tour of its exhibition "Creative Tradition - Living Culture" will tour Williston from April 1 through 7; Crosby from April 8 through 14; Beulah from April 15 through 21; Tioga from April 22 through 28; and winds up in Maddock April 29 through May 5. Rolling Plains is the signature outreach program of Plains Art Museum in Fargo, and is housed in a 48-foot semi-trailer. The current Rolling Plains exhibition portrays powerful affirmations of American Indian image and identity. The artwork in this exhibition provides a model for young people to develop respect for the goodness and beauty of the American Indian culture. Artists include David Bradley, Keith Bear, Frank Big Bear, Ken Greywind, Edgar Heap of Birds, Rosilie Little Thunder, Fritz Scholder, Star Wallowing Bull, Laura Heit Youngbird and unknown traditional artists. They seek to protect and cherish what is fragile, sacred and beautiful. More information is available at 701-232-3821 or at www.plainsart.org.

Opportunity to Bring the Arts to Your School
Schools interested in being included in the tour of "The Shakespeare Project" by the Northern Prairie Performing Arts should contact the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre and tour director Scott Brusven at 701-235-1901 or via e-mail at touradmin@702com.net. NDCA is underwriting a part of the cost and there are a limited number of awards still available through the theatre. This program is designed for grades 5-12 and information on the tour is available on the theatre website www.fmct.org under the traveling company link.

ArtWise is Currently Accepting Resumes for Executive Director Position
The Executive Director has the opportunity to promote the importance of the arts to the youth in our community. With the support of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will build a strategic plan and budget to carry out the organization's mission. Financially, the Executive Director must secure funds through activities like grant writing and memberships. Essential responsibilities: Manage a bookkeeper, ABC Lease program coordinator, other contract employees as needed and hundreds of volunteers; Community outreach, keeping the ArtWise vision and mission in forrefront; execute Annual Art Show and Art Camps; fundraising and membership development; grant research and writing; and volunteer recruitment and retention. Qualifications include: solid written and verbal communication competencies; proficient in MS Office; flexibility with accessibility to attend evening, weekend events and programs; 4-year degree highly preferred; proven success in fundraising; experience in grant writing highly preferred; strong financial and budgeting aptitude; knowledge of non-profit organization operations; and experience with managing volunteers. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume immediately to: ArtWise Board of Directors, Attn: Personnel, PO Box 12654, Grand Forks, ND 58208. For more information, call 787-4260.

Building Bridges Art Contest – Call to Artists
The Bridges Arts Council is a Valley City area organization dedicated to developing the arts and humanities in our surrounding community as well as promoting local artists and organizations. This contest, "Building Bridges" is being sponsored by the art council to build bridges between artists and the community, between communities within the Sheyenne Valley area, and to build awareness of the council and the artistic presence in Valley City, the "City of Bridges." Rules of the contest are very simple—entries may be of any artistic genre and may be of any size which is easily transportable and must support the theme "Building Bridges." This includes photographs, poetry, sculptures, paintings, or any other artistic creation. Although the deadline for submission is April 15, 2008, late entries will be accepted with prior approval. During the month of May and early June, entries will be displayed in businesses in the Barnes County area. The contest will culminate with a people’s choice judging which will take place in the Valley City Municipal Auditorium on June 13-14. The entry fee is just $10 per item entered and each artist submitting an entry will receive a one year membership to Bridges Arts Council and its quarterly newsletter. For complete rules and entry forms please visit www.bridgesarts.org or call Chris Iverson at 701-845-2565.

Plains Art Museum Calls for New Multi Media Artists, Musicians and Composers
In the fall of 2007 Plains Art Museum piloted a music event called L.I.V.E. (Listening Integrated Visual Experience). The event was well received and the Museum is planning L.I.V.E. (Part II) from 8pm-midnight, September 12. By April 30, artists, musicians and composers working with any of the electronic or digital medias including but not limited to composition, electronic music, experimental music, digital video, digital photography and circuit bending who are interested in sharing their work in the L.I.V.E. series are invited to submit samples of work on CD/DVD to: Steve Beckermann, Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave N, Fargo, ND 58102; sbeckermann@plainsart.org; or 232-3821 ext 129.

Sheyenne Valley Arts and Crafts Association 41st Annual Arts and Crafts Festival Call for Entries
The festival is scheduled for September 27-28, 2008 in Fort Ransom, ND. Average attendance at this show is 6,000 to 8,000 for the weekend. This is a juried show, all articles for sale must be hand crafted by the exhibitor. No commercial displays. All exhibitors are asked to include photos of their art or craft as well as a complete description of all items that will be sold. Jury changes each year, photos and complete descriptions are necessary for consideration. Deadline for submission is May 1, 2008. For a copy of the prospectus call 701-973-4461; email svaca@drtel.net; or write to SVACA, PO Box 21, Fort Ransom, ND 58033.

Burt Calkin's Watercolor Workshop in Center
There will be a Burt Calkin's watercolor workshop on April 28-29 in Center, ND at the Civic Center from 9am-5pm. Bring your own lunch. Subject matter will be wildlife -- with a focus on antelope. Cost is $100 for the two days, for more information please email Donna Berger at dysin@westriv.com.

Mark Your Calendars for May 28-29, 2008 to Attend Artist to Artist
The Artist to Artist is a powerful professional development experience for artists who are on the North Dakota Council on the Arts Artist in Residence roster, teaching artists, and classroom teachers. It takes place Wednesday, May 28 and Thursday, May 29, 2008, in Fargo, North Dakota. To learn more about Artist to Artist, or to register for the workshop, contact Linda Ehreth at (701) 328-7593 or lehreth@nd.gov; or visit NDCA's Events Calendar.

2008 Summer Teacher's Institute "Keepers of the Land"
The North Dakota Teacher Resource Coalition announces their 2008 Summer Teachers' Institute, "Keepers of the Land." The institute will be held at the Turtle Mountain Outdoor Learning Center, Lake Metigoshe State Park, June 16-18, 2008. Nationally recognized storyteller Michael Caduto, author of the "Keepers of the Earth" books will be one of the institute presenters. more on Teacher’s Institute…


NATIONAL NEWS

April is National Poetry Month
Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month (NPM) brings together publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools, and poets around the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events. more on National Poetry Month...

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. 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.

The Second Round for the Institute of Museum and Library Services "Connecting to Collections" Bookshelf is Now Open
Apply online from now until April 30, 2008. The Bookshelf is a free collection of reference material assembled by experts to help you preserve your collections. For a complete list of the Bookshelf publications, instructions about how to apply online, and important application details, visit www.aaslh.org/Bookshelf. Priority will be given to small museums, art and historical, and libraries with special collections, but large museums and libraries are also eligible to apply. The Bookshelf will be distributed free to 2,000 institutions. Over 800 institutions were awarded the Bookshelf during the first round. Over 90% of those who applied were winners! The retail value of the publications is over $800 and some publications can’t be found except in the Bookshelf. Contact Terry Jackson at American Association for State and Local History, 615-320-3203 or email jackson@aaslh.org if you need more information or have any questions.

Save America’s Treasures Solicits Applications
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 2008 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. Beginning this year, Save America’s Treasures will be accepting on-line applications only through www.grants.gov, the federal government grant website. Paper applications will not be accepted. Applicants are asked to register on Grants.gov. Once your registration has been submitted, you can download the application package and begin filling out the various PDF forms. Once the registration is confirmed, which can take several weeks, applicants can then submit their final application through Grants.gov. 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 May 20, 2008. For general information contact Kimber Craine at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities or call 202-682-5661.

Arts Endowment partners with the Architect of the Capitol and the Joint Committee on the Library on Historic Sculpture Commission for National Statuary Hall
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced a design competition, in partnership with the Joint Committee on the Library and the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, for a statue of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks. Commissioned by the U.S. Congress, the sculpture will be permanently installed in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building. The Rosa Parks statue represents the first commission of a full-sized statue authorized and funded by the U.S. Congress since the 1870s. The Chrysler Foundation has provided $100,000 to support the administration of the competition. The Rosa Parks Sculpture design competition, to be administered by the NEA, is open to U.S. citizens. Interested artists should submit an application, including a proposal for the sculpture and work samples that demonstrate their ability to cast large-scale bronze sculptures and to work in the portrait mode. The deadline for applications is May 30, 2008. Competition guidelines are available on the Arts Endowment Web site at www.arts.gov/grants/apply/RosaParks.html. more info on Rosa Parks commission…

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...

A two year study "Creativity and Aging" lead by psychiatrist Gene Cohen, director of George Washington University's Center on Aging, Health and Humanities, was conducted using individuals between the ages of 65 to 103. Half were involved in the arts - singing, creative writing, poetry, painting or jewelry making - half were not. This study showed that the group who participated in art activities had overall better physical health, fewer doctor visits, fewer falls and better scores on depression and loneliness scales than the other group. Cohen noted that arts programs had a positive impact on maintaining elders' independence and appeared to reduce "risk factors that drive the need for long-term care." more on aging and the arts...


OTHER RESOURCES

Applying for 501(c) Status Without a Lawyer
The IRS has created a new website (www.stayexempt.org) that enables new organizations to apply for 501(c) status without using a lawyer. This site is helpful and easy to follow.

Sell Your Arts/Crafts Online at PrairieWorksMall.com
Prairie Works is organized to empower rural and isolated North Dakota artists and artisans to market their crafts and gain access to professional networks. Its purpose is to promote access to, and development of, arts in rural and tribal communities in North Dakota. Prairie Works is an organization founded to continue the art and craft heritage of rural ND artists by providing a source to market and sell their creative products. Prairie Works is providing the On-Line Gallery, a web site to sell art and craft work that ND artists, crafters and art entrepreneurs have created. The arts/crafts of Prairie Works will consist of quality, originality, creativity, and use of appropriate techniques. All work must be handmade by the ND artisan. For more information; to become a member; and/or to sell your arts/crafts online, please visit www.prairieworksmall.com.

Online Arts Job Resource
Americans for the Arts have created an online arts job resource for employers and employees to come together. This new resource can be accessed by visiting http://jobbank.artsusa.org/search.cfm.

Prairie Independent
Introducing the "Prairie Independent" Bismarck-Mandan's newest community newspaper of people, places and events. The "Prairie Independent" is available at over 130 locations including community coffee shops, restaurants, waiting rooms, bars, entertainment centers, convenience stores, churches and at the Prairie Independent office. The "Prairie Independent" is a Free publication, if you are interested in advertising availability or offering the "Prairie Independent" to your customers, please contact Don Morrison at don@ndpeople.org, or 701-527-0060.

Self Employment in the Arts (SEA)
The focus of SEA is on the business of art. SEA was created with the idea that more artists will succeed if they have business skills, knowledge, resources, and contacts. Through artist-led conferences, a website full of resources and articles, and educational tools like the award winning Entrepreneurial Artist DVD; SEA helps artists turn their passions into a living. SEA is for college students, serious high school students, artists, and educators. Their mission is to provide educational resources to help aspiring artists gain the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills needed to establish and maintain a career as an independent artist. more on SEA...

"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.

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…

Artists' Health Insurance Resource Center
The Artists’ Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC) database was created in 1998 by The Actors’ Fund of America, with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, as a health insurance resource for artists and people in the entertainment industry. Since then, with support from The Commonwealth Fund, it has expanded to include resources for the self-employed, low-income workers, the under-insured, the uninsured who require medical care and many other groups. For more information visit: www.ahirc.org; for a direct link to North Dakota resources, visit: www.ahirc.org/state_indx.cfm?st=ND.

Online Legal Primers on the Arts
A new web site, www.thelawportal.info, offers legal primers for artists and arts organizations, covering topics that range from the traditional and familiar (such as copyright) to the new and sometimes obscure (two-way broadband network access), and from the personal (how to find healthy materials) to the professional (how to develop contracts) to the political (free speech).

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.

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
 

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