Updates and info from NDCA's ED
I hope everyone is enjoying the summer! Finally! We are quite busy in the office preparing budgets for the Legislative Biennium, having been asked to demonstrate 5-8% reductions. Given that we are already at fixed costs and salaries, the only place these funds can come from is grant programs…and that is certainly not the best solution. We are working hard to protect the agency and your funds!
It is my sense that the arts and culture of ND are largely undervalued. But by sharing your amazing stories, you can make a difference.
The only way to progress forward is if you, yes you, as a citizen approach your legislator. It’s CRITICAL that you connect with them before the end of the year. You can be formal about it, with a written letter, or send an email, or make a call (wait till you can leave a voice message!). Invite them to your place to see a show or exhibition, or even to your studio. Talk to them at the grocery store or post office. Thank them for their support of NDCA, and the support you receive to do your work in your communities. Believe me, they don’t want to hear it from me… Send us a copy, so I can refer to it in conversation.
On to a little finger-wagging. Our grant deadlines exist for a reason; in the bigger picture, it’s how we manage our work load as well as meet reporting deadlines. We are happy to help you, BUT…
- If there is a grant deadline, you must meet it. There can be no exceptions - plan ahead!
- Please make sure your Go Smart file is up to date with the correct contact information, especially if you have had staff changes!
- Record your username and password. We do not have a record of passwords.
- By hitting the submit button, Go Smart updates your grant status, and emails you a copy. Always print a copy for future reference.
In July, I will visit Dickinson and Belfield, as well as Devils Lake. I am planning more visits for August and the fall. If you are ever in Bismarck, please call ahead so we can set up an appointment to meet. I am learning so much about our arts community, and really love championing your work. Be well.
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NDCA announces new board appointments
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Marilyn Lee Dr. Cynthia Lindquist
The North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) announces the addition of Marilyn Lee of South Heart, and Dr. Cynthia Lindquist of Fort Totten, to its board of directors. They were both recently appointed by Governor Burgum to serve on NDCA’s board, effective August 2018. NDCA welcomes Marilyn and Cynthia, and gives a sincere thank you to our departing members, Sarah Snavely and Dr. Richard Johnson, for their time and efforts during their appointed terms. NDCA's board consists of nine members - one from each of the state's regions, and one member-at-large, each of whom is appointed by the governor for a five-year term. Click for additional information on NDCA board members...
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NDCA, along with the offices of State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt, and Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, are exhibiting the works of Bismarck artist Jessica Wachter at the Capitol Building in Bismarck during the months of July, August and September. Wachter’s work are on display in the Treasurer’s third floor office, and the Attorney General’s first floor office. Click for more...
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NDCA announces Individual Artist Fellowship recipients
The North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) has awarded two artist fellowships each in the amount of $3,500. The Individual Artist Fellowship recipients in Visual Art and Media Arts are Brad Bachmeier of Fargo, and Pirjo Berg of Grand Forks. Bachmeier and Berg were recommended by a review panel whose selections were approved by NDCA’s Board of Directors. Click for more...
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Artists named in 2018 Residency Programs within North Dakota State Parks
The Artist in Residency Program is a partnership between the ND Parks & Recreation Department and the ND Council on the Arts where artists are chosen to spend one week in a North Dakota state park. Its goal is to support North Dakota artists in creating works of art that showcase participating state parks while providing opportunities for visitors to develop artistic skills as well as a deeper appreciation of the parks and the artworks inspired by them. The participating artists include Nicole Gagner, Witney Neilson, Kim Olson and Terri Berg. The public is invited and encouraged to attend all of the activities put on by the artists. The events are free of charge in accordance with a state park daily or annual pass. Click for more...
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Second annual North Dakota DisruptWell Summit
The second annual North Dakota DisruptWell Summit, where topics that are affecting the way we live, work and play - Mobility, Energy, Healthcare, Augmented Reality, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence and more - will be discussed on September 11, 2018 at the BSC National Energy Center of Excellence in Bismarck. The Summit will expose you to some of the top thought leaders, innovators, investors and game changers in the region. For more visit https://disruptwell.com.
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U.S. Senate matches proposed U.S. House NEA funding
On June 14, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved their bill to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 by another $2 million, bringing the proposed NEA and NEH budgets up to $155 million each. This funding level precisely matches the ask made by arts advocates who represented every U.S. state during Arts Advocacy Dayand Humanities Advocacy Day in early March of this year. The bill passed unanimously, truly making it a bipartisan effort.
~ Americans for the Arts
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NEA Our Town applications due August 9th
Our Town grants support place-based and knowledge building projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Applications are due on August 9. Click for more...
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A framework for fostering organizational racial equity
A new paper, AWAKE to WOKE to WORK: Building a Race Equity Culture, lays out a framework designed to help organizations move toward race equity through changes in their cultural characteristics, operational tactics and administrative practices. The framework—developed by Equity in the Center based on the contributions of more than 120 diversity, inclusion and race-equity thought leaders as well as a related literature review and data analysis—identifies seven structural “levers” that organizations can use to advance their commitment to racial equity.
~ NASAA Notes
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Beyond Top-Down inclusion
Inclusion is a worthwhile goal for all nonprofit organizations. Designing truly inclusive programming, however, requires the input of the communities to be served, according to an article in Nonprofit Quarterly, Why Are We Having Conversations without Them? The piece argues that efforts to foster inclusive policies and programs need to be informed by the input of the people they support or else they could be one-sided and create a “restrictive form of inclusion” that can be self-defeating.
~ NASAA Notes
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National program to place Indigenous Artists center stage
Western Arts Alliance (WAA), the Portland-based performing arts service organization, is launching Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP), a national program to create new touring and presentation opportunities for Indigenous performing artists. With a lead grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and additional support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, WAA is more than half-way to its goal of raising $1 million to support the program through 2021. Click for more…
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Upcoming national conferences
The 2018 GIA Conference: Race, Space, and Place in Oakland, California, will be held Sunday, October 21 through Wednesday, October 24, featuring over 50 sessions as well as inspiring keynote presentations and performances. GIA members will receive the first opportunity to register and a first look at the conference offerings before they are announced to the public. All GIA members are eligible for discounted conference registration.
National Arts Marketing Project Conference takes place November 9–12, 2018 in Seattle, WA. As arts marketers, we work to create a future that reflects organizational visions to better serve audiences and more deeply and equitably engage the community. But even as we focus on the needs of our organization and community, the world changes quicker and quicker—resources are limited and attentions spans short. Yet, we still must be prepared to not only confront the challenges that come our way—but anticipate them and prepare for them.
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CALENDAR & ARTS OPPORTUNITIES
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NDSU Summer Symposium in Music Education, July 23-27 at NDSU Challey School of Music. Join the music education faculty of North Dakota State University and guests Carlos Abril, Sam Pilafian, Andrea Strauss, and more music specialists for a unique symposium designed to develop effective teaching in music education. Click for more...
Applications are open for the American-Scandinavian Foundation's (ASF) program to support Scandinavian folk arts and cultural traditions in the Upper Midwest (defined as North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan). The Folk Arts Fellowships & Grants program offers opportunities to support artists & scholars as well as grants for public programs & community projects. Applications are open through August 1, 2018.
ADC, Art Design Consultants, Inc. proudly sponsors ART COMES ALIVE (ACA), an annual fine art contest & exhibit that awards the best emerging and professional artists working in North America. Over $300,000+ in awards to artists! Accelerate your artistic career, be acknowledged for your talents, and get your artwork noticed by collectors, corporations, healthcare facilities, hospitality industries, interior designers, art galleries and art dealers! Deadline is August 5th! Click for more…
Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) announces annual Fall Professional Unified Auditions August 26-27, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. For the past 10 years these auditions were in Atlanta but have now moved back to Charlotte. SETC Fall Professional Unified Auditions by the numbers: Participating companies looked to fill over 2,000 roles at the 2017 auditions; Each year dozens of theatre companies and casting representatives participate; An annual average of 200 actors, singers and dancers audition. Click for more…
USArtists International supports performances by U.S. artists at important cultural festivals and arts marketplaces around the globe. Committed to the presence of U.S. based artists on world stages, USArtists International provides grants to ensembles and individual performers in dance, music and theatre invited to perform at significant international festivals and performing arts markets. The application deadlines for USArtists International (USAI) 2019 grant rounds are: September 7, 2018, November 30, 2018, and April 3, 2019 by 11:59 PM Eastern. Click for more...
2019 Levitt AMP [Your City] grant awards available.The Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation announces an exciting grant opportunity serving small to mid-sized towns and cities across the country. Up to 15 grantees will be awarded $25K each in matching funds to produce their own Levitt AMP [Your City] Music Series—an outdoor, free concert series featuring a diverse line up of high caliber entertainment for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. Online public voting determines the Top 25 finalists. Grant applications open on July 17 and are due by September 25, 2018. Click for more...
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