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Oklahoma Arts Council News

October 2014

Oklahoma Arts Council Grant Workshops and Listening Sessions Coming to a Community Near You

Oklahoma Arts Council staff members are embarking on a series of upcoming grantwriting workshops and "visioning" sessions in communities throughout the state, and we want to hear from you!

Beginning November 3, free workshops in six different Oklahoma communities will offer you the opportunity to hear tips on applying for Oklahoma Arts Council grants and get answers to your grants-related questions. The two-hour workshops will include listening sessions for you to share with us the vision you have for the arts in your community and the state.

Click here for the details...

Apply for the 2015 Leadership Arts Program

Interested in becoming a leader for the arts in your community? The Oklahoma Arts Council's Leadership Arts program can equip you with the tools, information, and network you need to be a guiding voice and supporter of strengthening your community through arts and culture.

Each year, 30 Oklahomans from across the state are selected to participate in the program. Participants meet four times during the spring for two-day sessions, each in a different Oklahoma community to highlight and learn about local arts and cultural assets. Sessions include group work, presentations, panel discussions, tours of local art spaces, and more. Participants graduate during the Oklahoma Arts Conference in the fall.

Sessions for the 2015 Leadership Arts program will be held in the following communities. Participants are required to attend all sessions in order to graduate.

Sulphur (February 25-26)
Guthrie (March 25-26)
Bartlesville (April 22-23)
Oklahoma City (May 20-21)
Oklahoma Arts Conference (October TBD)

Online applications will be available soon, so stay tuned! Learn more about Leadership Arts here.

Apply for Oklahoma City's Pre-Qualified Artist Pool

The City of Oklahoma City's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is seeking artists to join a list of individuals and teams that are pre-qualified to be considered for public art projects. Projects are funded through the city's one percent for arts ordinance, which was approved in 2009. Artists will be eligible for projects with budgets for public art under $25,000.

To be eligible, practicing artists must be at least 18 years of age maintaining legal residence in the U.S. Artists may apply and be considered independently, as part of a team, or both. Prior experience with public art commissions is not required.

Click here for details. Submit an application by November 13.

Submissions Being Accepted for First-ever Oklahoma Youth Poet Laureate

The Oklahoma Literary Arts Alliance is inviting young writers and leaders who are committed to civic and community engagement, poetry and performance, and education and human relations across Oklahoma to submit works for the inaugural Oklahoma State Youth Poet Laureate competition.

Through October 20, submissions are being accepted from young poets, rappers, leaders and activists ages 14-19. Submissions should consist of five original poems, raps, or performances with one of the works focused on the theme of "Education and Youth Leadership" in Oklahoma. The 2014 Oklahoma Youth Poet Laureate will receive a book deal, conduct a reading tour, and make special appearances throughout Oklahoma for one year.

Entry guidelines are available here.

New Resources for Arts-based Community Development

New resources are available from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to assist in arts-based community development projects that are authentic, equitable, and augment local assets. Resources include:
Case studies of more than 60 projects that have been funded by NEA Our Town grants
2015 Our Town grant program guidelines

Beyond the Building: Performing Art Organizations and Transforming Place, a national convening that will be broadcast on November 3

As you look to use local arts and cultural assets in your community development efforts, these and other resources available from the NEA can help guide your efforts. Click here for more information.

Request for Proposals: Artists Engaging in Social Change

The Surdna Foundation is accepting proposals for artist-driven projects that are developed in response to the specific needs of the artist's community. Now through November 12, proposals are being accepted from artists, culture bearers, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Artists and collectives that are not incorporated as a 501(c)(3) must apply under a fiscal sponsor. A wide variety of artistic disciplines are eligible for support including traditional arts, visual arts, literary arts, dance, theater, film/video, music, and more.

View the guidelines and apply for funding through the Artists Engaging in Social Change program.

Opportunity to 'Take Your Grant Research & Writing Skills to the Next Level'

The City of Tulsa is partnering with eCivis, Inc. to host an upcoming professional development seminar aimed at helping grant writers become more competitive. Featuring Dr. Beverly Brown, author and longtime grant writer for government agencies, nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, and other grant seeking groups, the Take Your Grant Research & Writing Skills to the Next Level seminar will take place October 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the City Hall at One Technology Center in downtown Tulsa.

Learning outcomes of the event include gaining an understanding of how program officers and peer reviewers score grant applications, adopting "writing to win" best practices, and generating a list of key funding search terms related to your project.

Event details and ticket information is available here.

Apply for Smart Growth America Workshops

Apply to bring a community development expert to your city or town through a program being offered by Smart Growth America. Now through Thursday, October 23, units of local government, tribes, and regional governments can apply for one of 12 workshop types. Principles of smart growth covered in select workshops include the concept of placemaking, preserving your community's unique character, and policy development.

Workshops can help community stakeholders who are working to incorporate local arts and cultural assets in overall development efforts.

Click here to learn more about the opportunity to apply for Smart Growth America workshops.