DECEMBER 2015

Welcome to e-Prairie Arts! This electronic newsletter supplements our printed newsletter, Prairie Arts, which is published three 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. Those wishing to unsubscribe, may send an e-mail to comserv@nd.gov as well.

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STATEWIDE NEWS

The North Dakota State Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place December 8th
NDCA, along with the Governor’s Office and Facility Management, invites the general public to the Lighting Ceremony for the 2015 North Dakota State Christmas Tree. The ceremony will be conducted by Governor Jack Dalrymple and First Lady Betsy Dalrymple on Tuesday, December 8 at 5:00 p.m. in the Memorial Hall of the Capitol Building in Bismarck. Live entertainment will be provided, and the ceremony is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the ceremony.

North Dakota’s Art Story
In collaboration with the North Dakota Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) looks at the arts and culture of North Dakota. Check out the video the NEA produced for North Dakota. The NEA made one video for every state. The North Dakota video can be found at https://www.arts.gov/50th/stories/north-dakota-council-arts.

Artful Healing artists needed
The North Valley Arts Council (NoVAC) has partnered with Altru Cancer Center to bring an exciting art program to cancer patients called Artful Healing. NoVAC is looking for artists who would like to be a part of this program. This program provides creative ways to deal with the many daily stresses experienced by cancer patients and their caregivers. The Artful Healing program provides interactive creation of art that is led by a local artist. The program can be done in one or several sessions. Class size is dependent on the activity being offered. All current and previous adult cancer patients as well as caregivers and one adult guest are eligible to participate. There is no fee to the participant. NoVAC will pay the artist a negotiated fee and reimbursements for supplies. This program is funded by the Altru Foundation. Please email Kathy at kathyemmons@novac.org or call 701-772-3710 for more information.

Free live-streaming of the Nutcracker available this Friday!
Schools, hospitals, residential treatment programs, and any other day services for students or the underrepresented, are inviting to join in this Friday, December 4 at 11AM (MST), as the Colorado Ballet live-streams a performance of The Nutcracker online, all over the world. If interested in participating, contact Anne O’Connor, Director of Education and Community Partnerships at Colorado Ballet at anne.oconnor@coloradoballet.org. For more information visit http://coloradoballet.org/about-news/colorado-ballet-seeks-schools-for-free-live-streaming-of-the-nutcracker-performance.

Time to join the Rest Area Program
Have you ever wondered what it takes to get your brochures into the state’s rest areas? Now is the time to ask questions! If you are part of the tourism industry and interested in participating in the Literature Rack Program for 2016, please call Tammy Backhaus for more details, 701-328-2526 or email tbackhaus@nd.gov. The deadline for participation is January 15, 2016. There are no exceptions after this deadline.

Call to teaching artists
NDCA is looking to expand and enrich its Artist in Residence Program through collaborations with teaching artists. Are you a professional artist, musician, writer, actor, director, dancer, media expert, storyteller, folk, traditional or multicultural artist who has experience teaching your chosen medium? Do you want to take an active role in shaping and inspiring the creative capital of tomorrow? Do you celebrate the transformative power of artistic self-expression as a means for creating a higher quality of life for all? If so, please consider joining NDCA to help make the arts central to education in North Dakota and to support and expand arts education opportunities for all citizens within our schools and communities. For more information visit www.nd.gov/arts/sites/default/files/PDFs/callteachingartists.pdf.

NATIONAL NEWS

NEA Big Read program now open
NEA Big Read is accepting applications from non-profit organizations to develop community-wide reading programs between September 2016 and June 2017. NEA Big Read is a national program that broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Organizations selected to participate in the program receive a grant ($5,000-$20,000), access to online training resources and opportunities, digital guides, and promotional materials. Approximately 75 organizations from across the country will be selected. For more information on the program, visit www.neabigread.org/about.php. To review the Guidelines and Application Instructions, visit the NEA Big Read website at www.neabigread.org/application_process.php. Application deadline: January 27, 2016 by 4:00pm CST.

CIRD call for Host Communities
The Citizens Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has announced a Request for Proposals for Rural Communities Facing Design Challenges. The call for host communities for 2016-2017 is intended to help small towns and rural communities, with populations of 50,000 or less, build their capacity and acquire technical expertise to solve their design challenges. As many as six communities will be selected, and receive a $10,000 stipend and in-kind professional design expertise from CIRD to host a two-and-a-half-day workshop.  CIRD will assemble a resource team of subject matter experts to guide the community in addressing the challenges identified by the specific community. Proposals are due on January 12, 2016. For more information visit http://rural-design.org/request-for-proposals. A webinar is being offered to provide more information about the program and process: Thursday, December 10, 2015, 3:00 EST; Secrets to Crafting an Outstanding CIRD Application.

Latest analysis from the National Center for Arts Research
The National Center for Arts Research of Southern Methodist University has released the third edition of its report assessing the health of America's arts and culture sector. The new edition offers insights on trends and considers data relative to nine performance indices, seven of which have been updated since the report's second edition. To learn more visit http://mcs.smu.edu/artsresearch2014/reports/marketing-impact/how-much-total-marketing-investment-does-it-take-bring-one-person-first#/.

Best businesses partnering with the arts in America
Every year, Americans for the Arts, through its Business Committee for the Arts (BCA) program, recognizes 10 businesses of all sizes for their exceptional involvement with the arts that enrich the workplace, education, and the community. These companies set the standard for excellence and serve as role models for others to follow. The honorees are celebrated each fall at the BCA 10: Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America gala in New York City. To learn more and to nominate a local business visit http://www.americansforthearts.org/events/bca-10. Nominations are due January 8, 2016.

Kresge Foundation: New Funding Opportunity Connected to Food
Through Fresh, Local & Equitable: Food as a Creative Platform for Neighborhood Revitalization, the Kresge Foundation seeks to support and accelerate local efforts that successfully use food as a platform for health, economic development and cultural expression, creating co-benefits for all. Kresge is particularly interested in neighborhood-scale projects that develop strong community engagement and leadership; prioritize equity; involve multiple sectors and disciplines; and demonstrate a high degree of readiness to implement an integrated, cross-sectoral vision of food-oriented development. Up to 20 $75,000 grants will be awarded. Applications are due December 14. To learn more visit http://kresge.org/news/kresge-arts-culture-health-teams-launch-food-oriented-grant-opportunity.

EVENT AND EXHIBIT CALENDAR, ARTS OPPORTUNITIES

**Check out upcoming Events and Exhibits listed on NDCA's calendar. 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 other current Arts Opportunities available on the NDCA web site! Post your art activities on Tourism’s web site as well. The arts bring a great deal to tourism within the state of North Dakota and both NDCA and ND Tourism can benefit from joint efforts to market the arts within ND. NDCA encourages studios, organizations, schools and universities to list their art activities on the Tourism web site. The broad reach of Tourism's web site offers an extremely effective way of promoting your art activities. Here is the link to a tutorial on how to enter your activities: http://screencast.com/t/emJIJkyI. For assistance, contact Scooter Pursley at spursley@nd.gov, or 701-328-2874.

Join the Spirit Room in celebrating a visual representation of Miguel de Cervantes’novel Don Quixote. They invite visual artists, poets, and performance artists to enter. This event is part of a series of a cultural celebration honoring Cervantes, a contemporary of Shakespeare, and the 400^th year anniversary of the publication of the second book of Don Quixote. The prospectus is online at www.spiritroom.net/quixote_exhibit.php or directly at www.spiritroom.net/pdf/DonQuixoteFntryForm.pdf. Entry fee: $5. Deadlines: Visual, literary and performance art entry registration forms are available on-line and by mail and must be submitted by Wednesday, December 30, 2015. Contact: Gisselle Tipp at Gisselle@ideaone.net or call 701-237-0230.

Since 1989 the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) has sponsored the International Aviation Art Contest to challenge young people to illustrate the importance of aviation through art. Demonstrating the impact of aeronautics through an interactive, fun medium such as art motivates youth of all ages to become more familiar with aeronautics, engineering and science. The U.S. portion of the contest is sanctioned by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA). Children between the ages of 6 and 17 may participate. Deadline: All artwork must be postmarked and received by state representatives by Friday, January 22, 2016. North Dakota’s representative is Sean Davis: sadavis@nd.gov, or (701) 328-9653. To learn more visit www.nasao.org/education/nasao-center-for-aviation-research-and-education/international-aviation-art-contest/#Theme.

2016 VSA International Young Soloists Competition is now open for entries. Calling all musicians with disabilities between the ages of 14-25. The competition is open to soloists and ensembles, domestic and international applicants, and musicians of all genres. Winners receive $2,500, perform at the Kennedy Center, and participate in exciting professional development activities. For more information about the competition and to apply, please visit www.kennedy-center.org/IYS. Application Deadline: February 10, 2016.

The Red River Watercolor Society National Show (RRWS) has a call for entries for the 23rd National Watermedia Exhibition. The show takes place May 19 – September 4, 2016. Deadline is February 1, 2016. Juror/workshop instructor Tom Francisconi. Top Awards: $1,250; $1,000; $750 plus more. For a prospectus:  #10 SASE to: Diane Harrison, 2842 Lilac Lane N, Fargo, ND 58102; or online at www.redriverws.org/Wordpress, or at www.callforentry.org.

Artists Celebrating Christ is calling artists to enter their Christian themed art before February 15, 2016. Event date: April 14-17, 2016 hosted by University of Mary. For more information visit www.accartshow.com, email info@accartshow.com or call 701-400-2815.

DID YOU KNOW ...

Business leaders think arts education yields work-force skills
Many executives believe that arts education and engagement throughout life significantly improve workforce skills and have contributed to their own career success. This research – the first that specifically studied the role of arts engagement on workforce skills – shows that executives believe there is a strong connection between one’s arts education and his or her potential for professional success. You can read the full report at http://theatreforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Unmasking-Business-Success_-Executive-Perceptions-of-Arts-Engagement-and-Workforce-Skills.pdf.

OTHER RESOURCES