Are you an artist in Alaska? Want up to $5000 to jumpstart your art career? Or are you more established? Well, then there’s $12,000 for you.

How? Although it is no guarantee the money is actually yours, all you need to do is to apply for an Individual Artist Award. All you have to do is apply.

One of my company’s clients is Rasmuson Foundation, and every year they support individual artists (Note: this means you do NOT have to be a nonprofit organization) through their Individual Artist Awards program. You can read the grant guidelines to find out more, however, here are the categories for grants:

1. Project Awards are open to all artists and offers up to $5,000 support for short-term projects that have a clear benefit to the artist and the development of their work. Examples include travel and fees associated with workshops and other advanced study opportunities, professional documentation of an artist’s work for submission to juried shows or galleries, and costs associated with the creation or installation of work that is scheduled for public viewing.

2. Fellowships are open to mid-career and mature artists and are unrestricted $12,000 awards. In 2010, only artists working media, multidiscipline and new genre, music composition or visual arts are eligible to apply for a fellowship. Fellowships support activities that contribute to an artist’s creative work such as workshops, residencies, training, projects, collaborations, experimentation in other arts fields, costs of equipment or studio space, travel expenses and retreats.

3. One Distinguished Artist is selected annually with a $25,000 unrestricted award in recognition of creative excellence and superior accomplishments in the arts. The award recognizes the artist’s creative output and contributions to the state of Alaska. Only mature artists are eligible for the Distinguished Artist award, and artists in every discipline can apply or be nominated.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s show Alaska that Tok has some incredibly talented artists here! Help me encourage Shauna Lee, Frank Entsminger, Helga Wagenleiter, Ken Lisbourne and others that they should apply! Don’t forget artists in Tanacross, Tetlin and Northway.

DEADLINE IS MARCH 1. If you have questions about the awards, the application, process or eligibility, you are welcomed to call Rasmuson Foundation directly – they are more than happy to help you every step of the way:

TEL (907) 297-2700
TOLL-FREE IN ALASKA
(877) 366-2700

Do you know an artist in Alaska? Please send them a link to this Web page or send them to Rasmuson Foundation’s Facebook Fan Page for more information.

P.S. We’re are starting to talk about the Tok Arts Fair that will run this summer, hopefully in conjunction with a mini farmer’s market. If you are interested, let Francine from the General Store or Shauna Lee or me know. This will be an opportunity for Tok and area artists to show and sell their wares with NO COST to the artist.