ARTSERVE MI: MCACA Announces FY 2010 Grant Awards

From Mike Latvis, Director of Public Policy at ArtServe Michigan:

ArtServe Michigan
MCACA Announces FY 2010 Grant Awards

This afternoon the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs met to approve its Fiscal Year 2010 Funding Plan. The Council awarded $1,537,000 in Operational and Project support grants as well as its Services to the Field program to 161 organizations in 35 different counties across the state.

Please click here to download a list of grantees by county

In addition to the $1.5 million in grants awarded this afternoon the Council has funded its Regional Regranting Organizations at $500,000 as well as $60,000 in grants to school districts, bringing the total amount distributed by the MCACA to just short of $2.1 million for Fiscal Year 2010.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact Mike Latvis at 248-379-5897 or mike@artservemichigan.org

Available Now: 2011 Collaborative Grant Program Applications from the Arts Counicl of Greater Lansing

from Katie Robiadek, Program Manager at The Arts Council of Greater Lansing:

Arts Council of Greater Lansing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katie Robiadek
517-372-4636

Applications Now Available for Collaborative Arts Grants Funding encourages groups to work
together on new arts and cultural activities for the region LANSING, March 30, 2010-The Arts Council of Greater Lansing announces that applications for its 2011 Collaborative Arts Grant program are now available. The Grants will provide up to $4,000 to local non-profit organizations for new, collaborative arts and cultural activities to be presented within the greater Lansing region.

Applications will be reviewed by a community advisory panel made up of qualified artistic professionals selected on the basis of their familiarity with and expertise in a broad spectrum of artistic practices. The panel will select award recipients based upon the merit of the proposed project, its collaborative efforts, and the project's impact on audiences in the region.

"The Arts Council serves 140 arts and cultural organizations in the greater Lansing region and this grant program will foster greater collaborative relationships to provide quality arts and cultural programming," Executive Director Leslie Donaldson said. "It will aid our artistic community, provide the public with greater arts educational opportunities, and increase support to our local economy." The deadline to apply to the Collaborative Arts Grant Program is June 15, 2010. Grant applications may be downloaded from the Arts Council's website at www.lansingarts.org, under the Resources section.

An optional workshop for organizations interested in applying to the program will be held on May 10, 2010 at 4 p.m. at the Arts Council offices, located at 1208 Turner St., Lansing, MI 48906. To attend the workshop, participants must RSVP by calling (517) 372-4636 x 3. The workshop is free.

The Collaborative Arts Grant Program was established by the Arts Council Board of Directors in February 2009 to promote projects which enhance the Capital region as a rich, cultural destination. For further information on the Collaborative Arts Grant Program provided by the Arts Council of Greater Lansing, please contact Katie Robiadek, Program Manager at (517) 372-4636 x 3 or katie@lansingarts.org. Founded in 1965, the Arts Council of Greater Lansing is a non-profit organization whose mission is to lead, advocate for and advance arts and culture in the capital region. For more information, visit www.lansingarts.org.

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Contact Information:
Arts Council of Greater Lansing
1208 Turner Street
Lansing, MI 48906
(517) 372-4636
info@lansingarts.org

ARTSERVE MI: MCACA Grant Meeting, Summit & Arts Petition

From Mike Latvis, Director of Public Policy at ArtServe Michigan:

ARTSERVE MICHIGAN: MCACA Grant Meeting, Summit & Arts Petition

MCACA Grant Meeting
The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs will meet tomorrow, Wednesday, March 31st to announce the grant recipients for the FY 2010 Programs for Operational and Project Support:

MCACA Council Meeting

Michigan Economic Development Building

Lake Superior Room

300 N. Washington Sq.

Lansing, MI

Wednesday March 31, 2010

1:30 - 3:00 p.m.

As always, ArtServe will attend the meeting and report out the list of grant recipients as well as any other pertinent information.

MCACA Arts Summit
This June, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs will hold a summit in Lansing to gather artists, arts organizations and arts advocates from across the state. The summit, a two day event, will take place on June 22 - 23 and consist of keynotes, performances, workshops, a council business meeting as well as an event at the Capitol Building.

Please take a second to download the save the date flyer and, as always, stay tuned for more information including speakers and an agenda.


Let's Save Michigan - Arts Petition and Pledge
The Let's Save Michigan campaign, www.letssavemichigan.org, has launched a petition to support increasing the state's art funding to $9 million by 2011. I strongly encourage you to click the link below to sign this petition as the campaign will be incorporating this into their testimony when the MCACA budget goes before the Senate Appropriations Committee next month.

Please click here to sign the petition.

Note: If the link does not work please copy and paste the following into your browser - http://www.letssavemichigan.com/page/s/arts

I would also encourage you to sign up to take the campaign's 2010 pledge to begin moving our state in the right direction. The campaign has identified six ways (the arts included) for you to support your local community, help make the state greener, and push for the political change our state needs.

Please click here to take the pledge.

Note: If the link does not work please copy and paste the following into your browser - http://letssavemichigan.com/page/s/pledge

As always if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact Mike Latvis mike@artservemichigan.org or at 248-379-5897.

CALL FOR ARTISTS: "Everything Michigan and Lake County in Particular"

from Pamela of the Pamela Tripp Gallery:

Pamela Tripp Gallery is looking for photographers whose passion is "Everything Michigan and Lake County in Particular". An entire room will be devoted to photography with this theme. Individual spaces are available for rent at $75.00 per month plus 10% of sales. Space size is 4' x 8'. Multiple spaces may be rented. A commitment of the 2010 gallery season is required. Film or digital may be submitted. Must show expertise of the medium, and demonstrate originality in expression with interesting and imaginative composition. Consideration will be based on the strength of the submission. For more information about submitting work, please email: ptripp@carrinter.net

The gallery is open from May 21 to October 24. For more information about the gallery go to: www.pamelatrippgallery.com

CALL FOR ARTISTS DUE 4/17: "Flower Show" at Margot's Gallery

From Margot of Margot's Gallery:

We would like to extend an invitation to you to exhibit in our FLOWER SHOW.

The Flower Show is open to all media. Artists are invited to exhibit their work as they interpret their vision of flowers.

The judge is Sharon Will and her work can be vewed on her site; www.sharonwill.com. Open night is April 23 and runs thru May 22.

Entry drop date: April 10 thru April 17, 10:00 to 6:00.

If you have and question please call 248-628-5398 or email Margotsgallery@sbcglobal. Entry form can be down loaded from web www.Margotsgalleryframe.com

CALL FOR ARTISTS DUE 4/2: Art on the Grand

ART ON THE GRAND – CALL FOR ARTISTS
Saturday and Sunday, June 5 & 6, 2010
Downtown Farmington
Application deadline: April 2

Come join us!
Art on the Grand has changed its date and location; it will be right on Grand River Avenue (our main street) as art takes center stage over the whole city! Events arranged around Art on the Grand will appeal to the high-level crowds—an opening reception, wine/beer tent, hands-on art activities for kids, high quality entertainment, and food from some of our wonderful area restaurants.

A juried fine art/fine craft fair, Art on the Grand is known as the artist-friendly fair, where you are treated with respect. Despite economic woes, this great fair has experienced an overwhelmingly positive response from participating artists, visitors and the City government. One of our artists who has returned every year, told us 2009 was his best year for sales. Farmington is a beautiful town located in the richest county in Michigan (Oakland) surrounded by the larger City of Farmington Hills, with one of the nation’s highest SEV’s, Farmington and Farmington Hills vigorously support the arts, and welcome you to our community.

Artists can apply through www.zapplication.org or at
http://www.downtownfarmington.org. Call the Farmington Hills Cultural Arts Division (248) 473-1870 for information.

Looking for Acrylic Workshop Instructors

From Ellen Cunningham, Educational Coordinator at Chartpak Inc.:

I am writing to you in hopes that you might share the following job opportunity with any Michigan based acrylic painters you might be in contact with. Specifically, we are looking for those capable of demonstrating a still life, landscape, seascape, and floral.

Grumbacher paint is looking for accomplished artists who can teach two hour workshops at a major retailer. We have developed a flexible curriculum in acrylics for an artist to use or to adapt it to fit the artist’s style. Compensation is $100/workshop. We plan to conduct approximately one to four workshops per store per month and the artist will have flexibility in their scheduling. The workshops will be geographically located all over the U.S and Canada. All teaching materials will be provided to the artist at no cost.

If you or anyone you know may be interested, please have them contact Ellen Cunningham at ecunningham@chartpak.com for details. (Chartpak is a manufacturer of fine art supplies. Grumbacher, Koh-I-Noor, Higgins ink, and Clearprint are some of our brands.)

Thank you in advance for any help you might offer,

Best Regards,

Ellen Cunningham
Educational Coordinator
Chartpak Inc.
ecunningham@chartpak.com
1(800)628-1910x222

ArtServeMI: Budget Hearing, Arts Ed & IT Assistance

Message from Mike Latvis, Director of Public Policy at ArtServe Michigan:

BUDGET HEARING, ARTS EDUCATION AND I.T. ASSISTANCE

GENERAL GOVERNMENT TESTIMONY

On Tuesday, Jennifer Goulet and I testified before the House Appropriations General Government Subcommittee in support of the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. We testified on the importance of funding for the state arts council and explained the economic return received through cultural tourism as well as cultural economic development. In the end, ArtServe requested that the committee fund the MCACA grant budget at $9 million for Fiscal Year 2011.

As you know, the Governor's 2011 budget proposal allocates $2.367 million for arts and cultural grants. However, when you look closer you find that this includes the Council's administration budget to support three FTE positions, and funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and income tax check-off revenues at levels likely higher than will be realized. Under the Governor's recommendation, the MCACA will face an estimated $500,000 decrease in 2011 with a grant budget of just $1.8 million and a state investment of only $1 million considering federal NEA funds will be over $800,000.

As you will read in our testimony, a recent report released by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's Corporate Research Unit showed that, in 2008, Cultural Tourism accounted for $1.8 billion in tourism spending in Michigan. That's 15% of the state's yearly tourism dollars, yet the state is only able to support the host institutions with $1 million in funding for Fiscal Year 2011.

To read the MEDC Tourism report please CLICK HERE
To read Jennifer and Mike's testimony please CLICK HERE

The committee will release its budget recommendations to the full Appropriations Committee this coming Tuesday, March 9th and will serve as the first step in the long budgetary process. From now until Tuesday, ArtServe will be contacting advocates who live in each subcommittee member's district to ask them to urge their representative to support ArtServe's request. Following the release of the subcommittee's budget we will be sending out a statewide call to action for each advocate to contact their State Representative.

Stay Tuned...


ARTS EDUCATION ASSISTANCE

Is your school district or school considering cuts to the arts in the coming school year? If cuts to arts education are being considered ArtServe wants to help. Our Local Arts Action Network is a local community-activated alert system, that allows you to gather other advocates in your area at a moments notice. In order to recieve this assistance all we ask is that you email the following information to mike@artservemichigan.org

1. Your name and contact information (e-mail, phone, fax, snail mail address)
2. If known, include the name of your district's fine arts coordinator
3. Brief description of the issue
4. Name of group discussing, taking up or voting on the issue (i.e., city council members, county commission, school board, chamber of commerce)
5. Name of city or county affected by the issue
6. Meeting date/time/location
7. Action you are requesting of fellow advocates (i.e., attend, sign a petition, call or write local elected officials, media, etc.)

Once ArtServe Michigan is notified, an e-mail will be sent to subscribers of the Public Policy EAlerts who live in your city (or county if it is a countywide issue), passing along the above info provided by you and inviting them to contact you if they want to get involved. This also serves as a way that ArtServe can help you build and strengthen your local lines of communication among arts advocates.

To ensure the privacy of all subscribers of the Public Policy E-Alerts, we will blind carbon copy (BCC) every member who would be included in the Local Arts Action Network list.
The e-mail will look like it came from Mike Latvis and will only contain the requester's contact information, making the LAAN an optional service.

For additional information and arts education resources please download our Arts Education Action Toolkit


I.T. ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR METRO DETROIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

Highway T (formerly NPower Michigan) is offering a series of technology assessments, workshops, and clinics to Arts and Cultural organizations in the Metro Detroit area thanks to a grant from the Kresge Foundation. Working directly with a consultant, Highway T can assist your organization in developing a technology plan that can help you best utilize tech to further your mission. All organizations receiving an assessment will be eligible to receive up to $600 in a matching grant towards improving their information technology systems. The workshops and clinics will be centered on using technology to become more efficient and to better communicate with your community. If you are interested in any of these opportunities, contact Zakia Beshara at zakia@highwayt.org. Highway T is a program of the Michigan Nonprofit Association.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact ArtServe MI's Director of Public Policy, Mike Latvis directly at mike@artservemichigan.org or 248-379-5897.