JANUARY 2018

Welcome to e-Prairie Arts! This electronic newsletter supplements our printed newsletter, Prairie Arts, which is published two times per year. e-Prairie Arts will be distributed during the months of January, March, April, May, June, July, September, 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

North Dakota Council on the Arts announces new Executive Director
Following an extensive nationwide search, NDCA is pleased to announce that Kim Konikow has been selected as the new Executive Director effective January 12, 2018. Konikow will be replacing Dr. Beth Gigante Klingenstein who has served in this capacity since July of 2014. NDCA would like to welcome Kim, and thank Beth for her dedication and commitment to the arts during her time at the Council. More information and a press release will be coming soon!

NDCA Artist-in-Residence and Community Arts Access Tiers 1 & 2 grant applications are now open

• NDCA's Artist-in-Residence (AIR) and Community Arts Access (CAA) Tiers 1 & 2 grant applications are now open and early submission is strongly encouraged. The AIR & CAA Tier 1 & 2 grant applications must be submitted online by April 1, 2018.
• As a reminder, NDCA consolidated the Community Arts Access and the Presenter Support grants into one grant program with two tiers, (CAA Tier 1 & 2). Also, the grants are now a once-per-year, Spring, April 1 application submission deadline. Any CAA grant applications for projects/activities taking place from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 must be submitted during the upcoming April 1, 2018, grant round. For more information on which Tier to apply for visit www.nd.gov/arts/grants/general/community-arts-access.
• NDCA also consolidated the Spring and Fall Artist in Residency grant rounds into a once-per-year, Spring, April 1 application and submission process. If you would like to implement a residency at your school during the 2018-19 academic school year, an application must be submitted during the upcoming April 1, 2018 grant round. Please plan accordingly!
• These grants must be completed and submitted via NDCA's online grant system “GO Smart” at http://northdakota.gosmart.org. More information on additional upcoming grants and deadlines will be available soon. Complete descriptions of the grant programs, guidelines, and how to apply, are available through NDCA’s web site at www.nd.gov/arts/grants/grant.html.

NDCA announces North Dakota artist’s works on exhibit at the Capitol
NDCA, along with the offices of State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt, and Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, will be exhibiting the works of Minot artist, Patricia Marquard at the Capitol Building in Bismarck during the months of January, February and March. Marquard’s work will be on display in the Treasurer’s third floor office, and the Attorney General’s first floor office. The full press release is available via this link.

2018 NDCA Teaching Artist Gathering
Rebecca Engelman, NDCA’s Arts in Education Director would like to extend an invitation to join the upcoming 2018 NDCA Teaching Artist Gathering. This event is not just for Teaching Artists currently working with NDCA’s Artist in Residence and/or Arts in Education Collaboration Grant programs – but rather to anyone interested in connecting the arts to school priorities and for creating overall access to the arts in schools. Who should attend: Any teaching artists, classroom teachers, school administrators, parent supporters and/or art managers who develop, implement, and/or fund school related art projects/activities. The gathering takes place Monday, February 12, 2018, at the Bismarck Public Library (515 5t Street, Bismarck, ND) from 9:00am to 4:00pm. A continental breakfast and lunch will be served. Please RSVP at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QTGBCLW.

North Dakota teachers use art to teach thinking, communication skills (article by the Bismarck Tribune)
Earlier this fall, 19 classroom instructors from seven cities in the state convened at the Heritage Center in Bismarck for a two-day workshop with South Dakota State University professors and an art museum director, who are trained in this form of teaching, called visual thinking strategies, or VTS. VTS is the product of collaboration between cognitive psychologist Abigail Housen and Philip Yenawine, who was the director of education at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.  Rebecca Engelman, arts in education director for the NDCA, said VTS extends beyond art. She said she has seen it used as an entry point to other lessons, for example, to study a specific era. One classroom instructor used it at the beginning of a unit on the civil rights movement, and used a picture of Ruby Bridges. To read the article in full, visit http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/north-dakota-teachers-use-art-to-teach-thinking-communication-skills/article_97f038d0-41fc-5d04-8c27-9a86ad3fa501.html.

2018 North Dakota Travel Industry Conference takes place April 16-18, 2018 in Fargo
This year's conference features prominent, renowned speakers including Roger Brooks and topics ranging from building and branding downtowns to expanding your presence on Google. Spend time recharging your creativity and marketing toolbox while networking with peers. To learn more and to register visit www.ndtourism.com/articles/2018-travel-industry-conference.

NATIONAL NEWS

National Endowment for the Arts FY 2019 funding guidelines posted
Guidelines and application materials for three NEA funding categories (Art Works, Challenge America, and Creative Writing Fellowships) are now posted. The fiscal year 2019 Art Works and Challenge America programs support projects taking place beginning in 2019. Guidelines and application materials are in the Apply for a Grant section of the NEA website. In addition, guidelines for fiscal year 2019 Creative Writing Fellowships: Poetry are posted for application by published creative writers. Guidelines and application materials for the fellowships are also in the Apply for a Grant section of the NEA website. Art Works application deadlines are February 15 & July 12, 2018; Challenge America application deadline is April 12, 2018; and Creative Writing Fellowships: Poetry application deadline is March 7, 2018. Visit the NEA's recent grant search for examples of past NEA grants. The NEA's Writers' Corner features many of the past fellows and their work.

Research Report: Rural Arts, Design, and Innovation in America  
This report highlights the economic impact of the arts in rural communities. NEA Director of Research & Analysis, Sunil Iyengar, says, “We’ve long understood that the arts and design can beautify a place and attract new residents and businesses. This report is unique in showing these attributes as closely linked to innovative business practices in rural communities nationwide.” The read the full report visit https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/Rural%20Arts%2011-17.pdf.

National business leaders discuss leveraging the arts for employment diversity, equity and inclusion (Americans for the Arts Monthly Wire, November 2017)
Americans for the Arts and the Arts & Business Council of NY gathered 50 leaders from many sectors including healthcare, finance, hotel, and city government to discuss how they could leverage partnerships with artists and arts organizations to advance business goals in the corporate workplace. Through a discussion led by diversity expert Eric Ellis and an arts activity led by artists from LimeSHIFT, participants had a deep dive into how the arts can address corporate culture, recruiting and retention, and corporate social responsibility, while exploring some of the barriers in this work. More information is available vis this link.

The socioemotional benefits of the arts
The arts are part of a well-rounded education, and new research from WolfBrown and John Hopkins’ Science of Learning Institute lends credibility to idea that arts education early in life can help with socioemotional skills. The study examines the impact of arts education programs on socioemotional development in areas such as tolerance for others’ perspectives and cultural awareness and asks if the arts can foster perseverance, school engagement and self-efficacy.

Vans Custom Culture 2018 competition
Calling all arts educators, administrators, arts organizations, and parents: the Vans Custom Culture design competition is open for registration January 3-31, 2018. Vans Custom Culture was created to inspire and empower high school students to embrace their creativity through art and design and to bring attention to diminishing arts education budgets. Vans has increased the prizes this year! The Grand Prize school will receive $75,000 towards their art program. Four Runner Up schools will receive $10,000 for their art program. For more information visit http://customculture.vans.com.

Native American fellowship in Collections Preservation
The Midwest Art Conservation Center (MACC) in Minneapolis, MN, is offering a Native American Fellowship in Collections Preservation. This is a 12-week, full-time position with a stipend of $11,000. Start and end dates are flexible, to occur between March and August of 2018. Application deadline is February 1, 2018. For more information visit www.preserveart.org/native-american-fellowship-in-collections-preservation.

Shakespeare in American Communities now available
Shakespeare in American Communities is a national program that supports high quality productions of Shakespeare's plays for middle and high school students in underserved schools. Awards total $25,000 and support performances and related educational activities. Application deadline is Thursday, February 8, 2018. To learn more visit https://www.artsmidwest.org/programs/shakespeare/apply.

Save the date for Arts Advocacy Day 2018
Arts Advocacy Day 2018 and the 31st Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy takes place on March 12-13, 2018 in Washington, D.C. Take your place with more than 700 arts advocates from across the country to experience one day of intensive advocacy training from the experts followed by a full day of meetings on Capitol Hill with members of Congress. For more information visit https://www.americansforthearts.org/events/arts-advocacy-day.

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. Contact Tammy Backhaus for more information on signing up for Partner Access.

NEA Big Read, an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, applications are now open. The NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. Showcasing a diverse range of contemporary books that reflect many different voices and perspectives, the NEA Big Read aims to inspire conversation and discovery. Application deadline is Wednesday, January 24, 2018. To learn more and to apply, visit https://www.artsmidwest.org/programs/neabigread/guidelines. An informational webinar will be held on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 1pm. Webinar information can be found at https://www.arts.gov/event/2017/nea-big-read-november-2017-webinar.

2018 Voices of the Wilderness Artist in Residence now available. The Voices of the Wilderness artist residency is a unique opportunity. It is modeled after traditional residencies in the national parks…with a twist. Instead of staying at a remote wilderness cabin, our participating artists are paired with a wilderness ranger and actively engaged in stewardship projects, such as research, monitoring, and education. The idea is to give artists a sense of the stewardship behind America’s public lands, fostering an artistic exploration of these natural and cultural treasures. The hoped-for result is artwork that communicates something of the meaning of these lands. Learn how to become an Artist in Residence at https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r10/home/?cid=stelprd3820977. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2018.

North Dakota presenting organizations are encouraged to apply for the 2018-2019 Arts Midwest Touring Fund. Arts Midwest Touring Fund encourages performing arts touring by providing financial support to arts presenting organizations in the Midwest. The 2018-2019 guidelines are now available with an application deadline on April 25, 2018 for engagements taking place from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019. For the 2018-2019 season, awards for North Dakota applicants will generally be up to 30% of the artist’s contracted fee with a minimum award of $500. Find out more information on how to apply. Contact Christy Dickinson, senior program director, at touringfund@artsmidwest.org or 612.238.8019 if you have questions.

Art50!, exhibitions celebrating the 50th anniversary of the North Dakota Council on the Arts
The North Dakota Art Gallery Association (NDAGA) and NDCA, with support from Starion Bank, organized exhibits to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of NDCA. The exhibits display the artwork of 50 North Dakota artists, as well as the work of the exhibit curator. The touring exhibit that will travel the state through December 2018. A catalog highlighting the works is available to purchase for $10 through NDAGA, a PDF file is also available at www.nd.gov/arts/sites/default/files/PDFs/art50catalogweb.pdf. Please visit http://ndaga.org/index.cfm?page=art50-2 for more information or to request a local showing of the exhibition.

Spirit Trails and Sky Beings: Mythical Scrolls of the Ojibway Nation on display at the SHSND through February 2018
NDCA secured a permanent art gallery at the State Historical Society of North Dakota’s (SHSND) Heritage Center and State Museum in Bismarck, ND. The NDCA, in partnership with the SHSND, uses this gallery space to highlight the arts and artists of North Dakota. The third exhibit through this partnership is titled Spirit Trails and Sky Beings: Mythical Scrolls of the Ojibway Nation. Ojibway tradition states that since the beginning of time the epic struggles and great deeds of mythical beings, spirits, and heroes have affected the lives of people. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/NDCA-HeritageC.

NDCA offers Touring Exhibit opportunity
NDCA’s book, Sundog and Sunflowers: Folklore and Folk Art of the Northern Great Plains received national recognition as a Notable Document from the American Library Association, the book was also awarded first place in the ND Library Association’s 2011 Notable Document Awards. An exhibit, based on the book, is available for touring to cultural organizations, schools, senior centers, and art galleries throughout the state. For more information visit http://bit.ly/SundogExhibit. Contact Troyd Geist at tgeist@nd.gov or by calling (701) 866-0959 to learn more.

DID YOU KNOW ...

Older adults who create art and attend arts events report lower rates of hypertension
In a new report, Staying Engaged: Health Patterns of Older Americans Who Engage in the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) considers data illustrating the arts participation rates of adults aged 55 and older as well as their attitudes about the arts and related health characteristics. The report is based on the results of the 2014 Health and Retirement Study, which was conducted by the University of Michigan with support from the National Institute on Aging and the Social Security Administration. The 2014 edition of this biennial study, which has been collecting longitudinal data since 1992, included for the first time a set of questions about arts and culture engagement. The questions enabled researchers to conclude that older adults who create art and attend arts events report lower rates of hypertension, fewer physical limitations and much higher cognitive-functioning scores than older adults who do neither.

OTHER RESOURCES