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Oklahoma Arts Council News

July 2013

Now Accepting Nominations for the 2013 Governor's Arts Awards

Each year, the Oklahoma Arts Council honors deserving individuals and organizations that go above-and-beyond for the arts and cultural industry in our state and make an impact in our communities and schools. Now through August 9, we invite Oklahomans in communities statewide to help bring recognition to those who are making a difference by nominating them for a Governor's Arts Award. This fall, during the 38th annual Governor's Arts Awards event, Governor Fallin will honor selected recipients at the state Capitol.

Award categories include: Governor's Award, Arts in Education, Business in the Arts, Community Service, Media in the Arts, and Public Service in the Arts (government leaders & employees).

Deadline for nominations is Friday, August 9. To submit a nomination or for more information click here.

NEA Art Works Deadline August 8

The deadline to apply for the National Endowment for the Arts' (NEA) Art Works grant program is August 8. Grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 are available to support programs that aim for one of four outcomes:

1) Creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence
2) Public engagement
3) Lifelong learning in the arts
4) Strengthens community livability through the arts

The NEA strongly encourages innovative projects within each of these areas. For more information visit the NEA's website.

Rural Oklahoma Institutions Can Host Smithsonian Exhibition on Sports

Museums, libraries and historical societies in Oklahoma towns of fewer than 20,000 residents can apply to host a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution called Hometown Teams during 2015. The exhibit will examine the role of sports in shaping our culture and communities.

Organizations in six Oklahoma communities will be selected to host the exhibit, and each exhibition will last six weeks. The program is being offered for only $500, with the Oklahoma Humanities Council and Smithsonian paying the remaining costs. To complement the exhibit, host sites would develop programming or exhibits that highlight their own hometown sports history.

Deadline to apply is October 1, 2013. Applications and more information is available online at www.okhumanities.org.

Upcoming Conference Calls for Communities Working to Revitalize

CommunityMatters® is teaming up with the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) to co-host a series of conference calls designed to help communities working on a design or planning project get the skills they need to succeed. Communities looking to revitalize their Main Street, create an arts district, boost their identity, or create a local vision are encouraged to take part in the upcoming conference calls.

Participation is free but registration is required.

Upcoming calls include:

For more information or to register for the conference calls, click here.

The Return of 'Second Tuesday Coffee' for New and Emerging Arts Leaders

Interested in connecting with other new and emerging arts leaders in your community over coffee? The return of "Second Tuesday Coffee" will give members of Oklahoma's New and Emerging Arts Leaders ( ONEAL) network the opportunity to get involved and mingle with the next wave of local arts leaders. Informal gatherings will be held throughout the state, so be looking for a "Second Tuesday Coffee" in a community near you. The next "Second Tueday Coffee":

Tuesday, July 9
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Cuppies and Joe ( map)
Oklahoma City

For those involved in the ONEAL Mentorship Program, "Second Tuesday Coffee" is also a great chance for you to meet other mentees in the program. For updates about "Second Tuesday Coffee" and other ONEAL events, be sure to follow ONEAL on Facebook and Twitter. For more information contact Joshua Lunsford, community arts director, at (405) 521-2025 or joshua.lunsford@arts.ok.gov.

Bring Performing Artists to Your Community through M-AAA Touring Grants

August 1 is the next deadline for eligible organizations to apply for Regional Touring Program grants of up to $5,000 from the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA). The grant category supports presenters and touring artists within the M-AAA region, including Oklahoma. Eligible projects include two parts: a complementary arts activity and a public performance. Grants underwrite 50 percent of the artist or ensemble's fees. The August 1 deadline applies to activities occurring between October 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013.

Click here for Regional Touring Program guidelines.

Governor Appoints Three New Council Members

The Oklahoma Arts Council welcomes three new appointed board members as its fiscal year begins July 1. Governor Mary Fallin has appointed Tricia Everest, Desmond Mason and Lee Allan Smith, all from Oklahoma City, to join the 15-member board that provides oversight of the state government agency. The three were approved by the state Senate during the recent legislative session.