North Dakota Council on the Arts

		December 2007
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 mailto:comserv@nd.gov?subject=Add an Email Address. If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail mailto:comserv@nd.gov?subject=Unsubscribe.
STATEWIDE NEWS Bismarck’s 2nd Annual "Showcase North Dakota" Christmas at the Capitol December 26-27, 2007 Showcase North Dakota is two days full of entertainment and fun! On December 26 and 27, 2007, the ND Heritage Center will once again host a professional artist showcase and sale from 9am-5pm. Bismarck High School student artwork will be on display in the Capitol Building; and there will be live entertainment in the Capitol Building and the Heritage Center both days from 1-4pm. A celebration of North Dakota as the Snow Angel Capital of the World will take place on Dec 26. For more information on this event, call 328-2792. First Night Greater Grand Forks, Discover the Fun! Ring in the New Year with this festival for everyone on December 31 from 6pm-Midnight. Featuring live entertainment and activities including Martial Art Acrobatics, Comedy, Musical Acts, Children’s Activities, Puppets, Clowns, Dancers, Food Court, Ice Sculptures, and Fireworks. Admission buttons (tickets) through Dec 30, $8/student (ages 6-17) and $10/adult (ages 18+); on Dec 31, $10/student, $12/adult. Buttons available at all local Valley Dairy Stores, Hugo’s Supermarkets and online at http://www.firstnightggf.org/. Children five and under will be admitted at no charge, and do not require a button. Venue listing - Downtown Grand Forks at these locations: Empire Arts Center, Corporate Center, Central High School Gymnasium, Central High School Auditorium, YMCA, 4Fourteen Teen Center, and Alerus Financial Ice Garden (all sites handicap accessible as well as the Shuttle bus). Visit http://www.firstnightggf.org/ for the complete schedule. 8th Annual Fargo Film Festival Call for Entries The 8th Annual Fargo Film Festival will take place March 5-8, 2008. The Fargo Film Festival is the premier film festival event in the state of North Dakota. The festival takes place at a variety of locations in the Fargo-Moorhead community. The Fargo Theatre is the festival's home base and provides the venue for the majority of screenings. Interested moviemakers should visit the submissions page to enter. Regular postmark deadline is January 1, 2008 ($30 Standard Entry Fee, $20 Student Entry Fee). Movies 45 minutes and longer will be considered features by the Fargo Film Festival, and winners are named in each of the following categories: Animation/Experimental; Documentary Feature; Documentary Short; Music Video; Narrative Feature; Narrative Short; Native American Voices; and Student. more on the Fargo Film Festival... Individual Fellowship Program Deadline Approaching The Individual Fellowship Program was established to recognize practicing artists residing in North Dakota with a monetary fellowship award. This program is designed to support professional artists with outstanding talent and ability to improve their artistic skills and enhance their career opportunities. Two fellowships of $2,500 are annually awarded. The upcoming Individual Fellowship Program includes Traditional Arts, Dance, and Theatre. The guidelines and online grant will be available mid-December, the application deadline is February 15, 2008. If you have not yet applied for a grant through NDCA’s new online system, you can set up your profile at any time. For more information, and to set up your profile, please visit: http://northdakota.cgweb.org/. Detailed application instructions are available at www.nd.gov/arts/grants/online_app_instructions.pdf. Regional Forums and Statewide Conference to Promote Arts Careers for Individuals with Disabilities NDCA invites you to attend the upcoming Regional Forums and Statewide Conference that will be held to ascertain barriers, educational needs, and potentially effective strategies for promoting arts careers for individuals with disabilities in North Dakota. Who Should Attend: Individuals with disabilities interested in pursuing careers as artists or arts administrators, and established artists and arts administrators (including those who may not have a disability, but are responsible for accessibility within their organization). The last two Forums will be held on January 8, 2008 in Minot at the Minot State University Campus Library; and on February 20, 2008 in Fargo at the Plains Art Museum. All Forums are scheduled from 1-4pm (CST). The Statewide Conference will be held in Bismarck at the Kelly Inn Hotel, on Monday, April 7, 2008 from 10am-4pm (registration begins at 9am). Forums are conducted by NDCA, Dakota West Arts Council, and the ND Center for Persons with Disabilities. Forums are free and open to the public. There will be a $25 registration fee for the statewide conference. If you are interested in attending any of the forums, the statewide conference, or would like additional information, contact Amy Schmidt at (701) 328-7594, (email amschmid@nd.gov); or Linda Olsrud at (701) 222-6640, (email linda@dakotawest.org). more on Forums & Conference... 2007 Special Edition Ornaments - Unique Hand-Made Christmas Gift/Decoration!! In celebration of the North Dakota Council on the Arts’ 40th anniversary, the Council is offering a Special Edition Ornament for $25. Jon Offutt, the owner and operator of the House of Mulciber Glass Studio in Fargo, was commissioned by NDCA to create this special ornament. This is a unique opportunity to invest in the arts in North Dakota. Limited quantities are available, price of the ornament includes a gift box. Proceeds benefit the North Dakota Cultural Endowment Fund, which was created by the State Legislature in 1979 to assist NDCA in providing artistic opportunities for citizens throughout the state of North Dakota. For more information, or if you would like to purchase a Special Edition Ornament, email mailto:amschmid@nd.gov?subject=Special Edition Ornament. North Dakota Commemorative Quarter Sets Available - Great Stocking Stuffers!! NDCA has a special Commemorative Quarter Set available offering an opportunity to purchase never-circulated, North Dakota quarters in a collectible case for $5.00. Each set will include one quarter from the U.S. Mint at Denver and one from the U.S. Mint at Philadelphia. Great for Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, collectors and for souvenirs! For more information, or to purchase the North Dakota Commemorative Quarter Set, please visit www.nd.gov/arts; email amschmid@nd.gov; or call 701-328-7594. NATIONAL NEWS National Endowment for the Arts Announces New Reading Study: Follow-up to Reading at Risk Links Declines in Reading with Poorer Academic and Social Outcomes The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announces the release of "To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence," a new and comprehensive analysis of reading patterns in the United States. To Read or Not To Read gathers statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers, and adults. The compendium reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society. more on To Read or Not To Read… Chamber Music America Celebrates 30^th Anniversary During Annual Conference CMA Annual Conference takes place January 4–8, 2008. Chamber Music America will celebrate its 30th anniversary during its annual conference at the New Music Institute in New York City. The conference will be a celebration of chamber music’s past and a glimpse of its future. January’s events will toast the occasion with more music than ever, featuring groups such as the Juilliard String Quartet, Ben Allison’s Peace Pipe, the Claremont Trio, the Parker String Quartet, and many more. Ensemble showcases, back by popular demand, will be presented both Friday and Saturday. more on CMA Annual Conference… American Indian Visual and Expressive Arts Grants Deadline: January 15, 2008. The National Museum of the American Indian Visual and Expressive Arts Grants program offers support to a wide range of arts activities with the goal of increasing the knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of contemporary Native American arts. NMAI considers the recognition of living artists of the Western Hemisphere to be of primary importance and will direct support to projects that strengthen scholarship in this underserved field and create opportunities for new and innovative work. Grant amounts will be from $7,500 to $15,000. For more information and to apply, please visit www.nmai.si.edu/vaeag/expressive.html. Call for Nominations: Independent Sector Leadership Award Deadline: January 31, 2008. The John W. Gardner Leadership Award was established to honor outstanding Americans who exemplify the leadership and the ideals of John W. Gardner, American statesman and founding chair of Independent Sector. This award is presented each year to an individual whose leadership in or with the nonprofit community has been transformative and who has mobilized and unified people, institutions, or causes that improve people's lives. Anyone may nominate an individual for the award, but nominations should be made without the candidate's knowledge. more on Independent Sector Leadership Award... 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 mailto:comserv@nd.gov?subject=e-Prairie Arts: Upcoming Events. Check out the current Arts Opportunities available on the NDCA web site! DID YOU KNOW... Many people may know that America's national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner," was written in Baltimore, MD. However, many people may not know that the melody of our national anthem was derived from a popular British drinking song from the mid-1760's titled "To Anacreon in Heaven." ~ NASAA Notes November 2007 Need a Volunteer? Ask a Boomer! Baby Boomers have the highest volunteer rate of any age group, higher than past generations. This article discusses why and how to keep volunteers… ~ theMatureMarket.com OTHER RESOURCES Applying for 501(c) Status Without a Lawyer The IRS has created a new website (http://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 http://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: http://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, http://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
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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