NOVEMBER 2016

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.

 Follow us on Facebook ~ for more timely updates and information, "Like" the North Dakota Council on the Arts today!

**How has the North Dakota Council on the Arts benefited you and/or your community? We would love to know! Send your comments to amschmid@nd.gov.**

STATEWIDE NEWS

2017 Governor’s Awards for the Arts call for nominations
It is once again time to nominate outstanding individuals and organizations for the North Dakota Governor’s Awards for the Arts. These awards happen only once every two years; nomination materials must be postmarked by January 13, 2017! A nomination form is available at www.nd.gov/arts/sites/default/files/PDFs/2017nominationform_0.pdf. The North Dakota Governor’s Awards for the Arts program is presented by the Governor’s Office and NDCA to recognize organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts in the state. Nominations are reviewed by members of NDCA, who then submit final candidates to the Governor for selection of the award winners. The awards will be presented at a special public event in Bismarck, on March 28, 2017. Don’t miss your opportunity to nominate an individual or an organization in the following categories: Individual Achievement (artist, staff, or volunteer); Arts Organization; Arts in Education (educator, school, or administrator); or Private Business. Please note that not all categories may be awarded, and/or there could be more than one recipient in a single category. Be sure to save March 28, 2017, for the 2017 Statewide Arts Conference and Governor's Awards for the Arts Ceremony taking place in Bismarck, ND. More information will be available soon at www.nd.gov/arts/programs/statewide-arts-conference.

NDCA announces the North Dakota State Tree Lighting Ceremony to take place December 8th
NDCA, along with the Governor’s Office and Facility Management, invites the general public to the Lighting Ceremony for the 2016 North Dakota State Christmas Tree. The ceremony will be conducted by Governor Jack Dalrymple and First Lady Betsy Dalrymple on Thursday, December 8 at 5:30 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.

Reminder ~ donated ornaments for the State Christmas Tree are due November 10th
NDCA invites artists and crafts people to provide handmade ornaments for the North Dakota State Christmas Tree. The tree will be on display in the Memorial Hall of the State Capitol. Submitted ornaments can vary from traditional to contemporary arts. Items that are commercially produced or made from kits are not eligible. This year’s motif is snowmen ornaments, but ornaments can also be of any shape or medium of the designer’s choosing. Each ornament should include the name of the person entering it, and a brief one or two-line description of the ornament that includes the art form used and the special circumstances through which it was created, such as a class or senior center project. A descriptive listing will be available at the ceremony and will be mailed to everyone who submits an ornament. Ornaments must be received in the NDCA office no later than Thursday, November 10, 2016. The ornaments become the property of the NDCA, and may be hung on the state tree in ensuing years. Mail ornaments to: NDCA, 1600 E. Century Ave., Suite 6, Bismarck, ND 58503-0649.

ND Turnaround Arts students meet, create with famous artists
KFYR TV - Students from four North Dakota schools had world famous artists visit Tuesday, October 11th for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's part of a nation-wide initiative that stresses the importance of arts in the classroom. The students are now the first Turnaround Arts students in the state, and it's not just a day-long event. It's a three-year experience that artists hope will stay with students forever. Playing an instrument or singing a song are typical activities for students at Standing Rock Elementary, but performing alongside artist Dave Matthews, is a first. The full article is available at www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/ND-Turnaround-Arts-students-meet-create-with-famous-artists-396720471.html.

Art50! Exhibitions celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the North Dakota Council on the Arts
North Dakota Art Gallery Association (NDAGA) and NDCA, with support from Starion Bank, organized two exhibits to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the North Dakota Council on the Arts. The exhibits display the artwork of 50 North Dakota artists, as well as the work of the exhibit curator. One of these exhibits is displayed in the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, and the other is a touring exhibit that will travel the state during this anniversary year. The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum exhibit will be displayed through April 30, 2017; and the touring exhibit will be displayed from through December 2018, please visit http://www.ndaga.org for more information on dates and locations. A copy of the full press release is available via this link.

North Dakota Museum of Art announces three new traveling exhibitions
The North Dakota Museum of Art is the State’s official art museum. As it is located in Grand Forks, it can be difficult for schools to plan day trips to the Museum. Due to the great distances some schools face, the Museum started touring exhibitions to towns throughout North Dakota through its Rural Arts Initiative program, which started in 2003. Through this program the Museum delivers, installs, and de-installs exhibitions of original artwork free of charge to North Dakota communities. In addition to free exhibitions, the Museum’s Education Department creates lesson plans and makes them available on the Museum’s website at www.ndmoa.com. A major focus of the Museum’s Rural Arts Initiative is to provide quality arts education for North Dakota students. With schools facing budget cuts, music and art are the first programs to go. In order to assist schools that wish to visit the exhibition, the Museum will provide reimbursements of .80/mile, $10/hr., up to three hours for bus drivers, and up to $75 a day if a substitute teacher is needed to stay with students who may not be able to attend. The three traveling exhibitions are: 1) In Our Own Words: Native Impressions; 2) Beyond Home; and 3) Nancy Friese: Encircling Trees and Radiant Skies. For booking information, please contact Sarah Bowser at 701-777-4195 or sbowser@ndmoa.com. For more information concerning traveling exhibitions visit: www.ndmoa.com/Rural-Arts.

Giving Tuesday
#GivingTuesday takes place this year on November 29, 2016. It is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration, and is celebrating its fifth year anniversary. Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. To learn more visit https://www.facebook.com/GivingTuesday.

Special Edition ornaments on sale!
Since the 2016 Special Edition ornament sold out so quickly, NDCA is once again offering Special Edition ornaments from previous years (that have not yet sold out) at a special discounted rate of 50% off (please check http://www.nd.gov/arts/resources-services/online-store for availability). If you would like to purchase any currently available Special Edition Ornaments, please call (701) 328-7590.

Important notice of deadline change/consolidation to all Community Arts Access, Presenter Support and Artist in Residency grantees!
Beginning January 1, 2017, NDCA will be consolidating the Community Arts Access and the Presenter Support grants into one grant program with two tiers. The combined grant programs will be called the Community Arts Access grant. Also, there will no longer be Spring and Fall grant rounds, the grant will instead be consolidated to a once-per-year, Spring, April 1 application submission deadline. Any grant applications for projects/activities taking place from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 must be submitted during the upcoming April 1, 2017 grant round.
Beginning January 1, 2017, NDCA will also be consolidating 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 2017-18 academic school year, an application must be submitted during the upcoming April 1, 2017 grant round. Please plan accordingly!

NATIONAL NEWS

2016 Post-election webinar hosted by Americans for the Arts & Arts Action Fund
With Election Day upon us, register today for a special, (free to members, $35 non-members), post-election webinar to learn about the federal, state, and local impact on the arts on November 21, 2:00 p.m. (CST).  Staff from Americans for the Arts and Americans for the Arts Action Fund will discuss the future of the arts and arts education in the nation. To register visit www.americansforthearts.org/events/webinars/the-2016-election-what%E2%80%99s-next?delta=0.

The 30th Annual Arts Advocacy Day will take place on March 20–21, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
Arts Advocacy Day is the largest conference of its kind and is the time to make your voice heard on Capitol Hill. Registration will launch in December. To learn more visit www.americansforthearts.org/events/arts-advocacy-day.

Historic Healing Arts and Military Partnership expands
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) announced their expansion of the partnership into Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. The expanded Creative Forces program places creative arts therapies at the core of patient-centered care at ten additional clinical sites, and increases access to therapeutic arts activities in local communities for military members, veterans, and their families. The program is also investing in research on the impacts and benefits of these innovative treatment methods. To learn more visit https://www.arts.gov/news/2016/historic-healing-arts-and-military-partnership-expands.

NEA Big Read to accept applications this fall
The NEA Big Read will accept applications this fall from nonprofit organizations to develop community-wide reading programs. Approximately 75 organizations across the country will be selected to participate in NEA Big Read from September 2017 through June 2018. NEA Big Read is a national program that broadens 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. The application deadline is in January 2017. To learn more about the application process, visit www.neabigread.org/application_process.php.

Bush Foundation Community Innovation Grant applications open
Bush Foundation Community Innovation Grants support communities to use problem-solving processes that lead to more effective, equitable and sustainable solutions. Think of it as civic R&D, allowing communities to develop and test new solutions to community challenges. There are no longer any application deadlines for the Community Innovation grants. Organizations are welcome to apply anytime using the online application system. To learn more and to apply visit https://www.bushfoundation.org/grants/community-innovation-grants. 

November is Native American Heritage Month
What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S., has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose. In 1990 President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November 1990 "National American Indian Heritage Month." Similar proclamations, under variants on the name (including "Native American Heritage Month" and "National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month") have been issued each year since 1994 (information courtesy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior). To learn more visit www.nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about.

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.

The North Dakota-Manitoba District Auditions for the Met Opera National Council are November 18-19 on the University of North Dakota campus with expert judges Keith Wolfe, Opera Birmingham, Robert Breault, tenor and University of Utah, and Nathan DePoint, Fort Worth Opera. New and familiar faces will grace the stage when dreams begin for our singers! All events are free and open to the public. Join ND-MB Met at the Hughes Fine Arts Center on the UND campus. Come for an aria or come for the day. To learn more visit: https://metauditionsmn.org/event/metropolitan-opera-national-council-auditions-north-dakota-manitoba-district. The deadline for all materials including payment must be received by November 4, 2016. The first 30 applications received will be accepted. Contact Dr. Royce Blackburn, District Co-Director at NDMBmetoperaauditions@gmail.com with any questions.

North Dakota Museum of Art’s Artist-in-Residence program now accepting applications: Margery McCanna Jennison has given her ancestral home in western Grand Forks County to the ND Museum of Art to establish the state’s first, full-fledged, Artist-in-Residence Program. Named McCanna House, the residency will offer artists, composers, and writers unfettered time to work in a setting that preserves the history and integrity of one of North Dakota’s first architect-designed, country homes surrounded by rich, agricultural land. The residency consists of 3-5 week blocks of time layered throughout the operating year. Winter dictates that the house is only open from June 1st to the end of September. At this time in the evolution of the program, there will only be 1 to 3 individuals on the property at a time. Artists are asked only to use their time wisely, and be aware of the transformative potential of time spent there. NDMOA will be accepting applications until the end of December, and selecting artists after the New Year. The application fee is $35, plus a $100 cleaning fee if accepted. Residencies will be between three weeks and one month between May 29 - September 15, 2017. To learn more visit http://ndmoa.com/artist-in-residence.

DID YOU KNOW ...

The brain's creative circuitry holds some unexpected secrets that scientists are only just beginning to understand
Daydreaming. Horsing around. Aimless wandering. A sudden, traumatic loss. So many things that seem to conjure an automatic, negative connotation can actually have an interesting—indeed, often positive—impact on our creativity. In fact, the further you dig into the inner workings of the creative side of our minds, the more surprises you’re likely to uncover. Read more about surprising Creativity facts.
~ "7 Surprising Facts About Creativity, According To Science" by John Paul Titlow, September 16, 2016, https://www.fastcompany.com/3063626/work-smart/7-surprising-facts-about-creativity-according-to-science

OTHER RESOURCES