Monadnock region - Arts Alive is offering $50-$250 mini-grants to artists and creative businesses in the Monadnock region. Applications have been open since July 1st and will close August 31st. Grants will be selected by peers and awarded to projects that further either the artist or creative business - expanding their professional abilities or increasing how many people they can reach with arts experiences.
“We’re going to be really flexible with how this money can be used,” says Executive Director Jessica Gelter. “Supplies for a project, marketing your work, a short term studio rental, getting work framed, booking time in a recording studio or performance space, hiring a babysitter and ordering takeout for several nights so you can focus on a project, gas for your car to get to a series of gigs, attending a workshop - whatever it is that will help you move towards the next level.”
The application is simple and available online at monadnockartsalive.org/mini-grants. Most questions are multiple choice or check boxes and ask about the artist and their project. Awardees will be chosen by a panel of local leaders in the creative community based on:
Artists, writers, performers, and creative business entrepreneurs are all encouraged to apply. Grant awards will be distributed via check. Awardees will need to fill out a W9 form to receive their payment.
To help raise the funds for this program, Arts Alive conducted a NH Gives Day online fundraiser. The $2,000 raised will cover anywhere from 8 to 40 mini-grants. In the past, Arts Alive has partnered with local businesses to build this fund and create opportunities for local artists to advance professionally. To partner with Arts Alive on this project, reach out to Executive Director, Jessica Gelter at jessica@monadnockartsalive.org.
Arts Alive’s mission is to ignite human creativity and spark connection. The organization will nurture the facilitators of creativity across our community because access to arts and creativity is a human right.
“This is our creative way to do some research,” says Alison Wilder, Arts Alive board member. “We’re launching this in order to collect information about artists, performers, and other creatives whose businesses are emerging and who need a boost. That is one of the key groups we serve with our field trips, workshops, and fiscal sponsorship programs. We want to better understand where they’re at. This just made sense, instead of paying a consultant to do research or investing in advertising an online survey, we’re going to put money into the hands of creatives in our community.”
Applications are available on the Arts Alive website at monadnockartsalive.org/mini-grants.
