Artists invited to apply for grants starting January 15

On January 15, Rasmuson Foundation will begin accepting applications for the 2018 Individual Artist Awards Project Award and Fellowship grants.

Project Awards and Fellowships are grants of $7,500 and $18,000, respectively, that can be used to purchase needed equipment, explore techniques and undertake activities that aid in an artists’ development. Approximately 25 Project Awards and 10 Fellowships are awarded annually. In addition to the grant award, recipients will have an opportunity to participate in a course with Creative Capital, one of the preeminent artist skill-building organizations in the country. The content will focus on helping artists build the business-side of their practice.

“Artists contribute so much to the vibrancy of Alaska,” said Jeff Baird, program officer for Rasmuson Foundation. “These grants provide them resources to invest in their craft and grow as artists.”

Project Awards are available in 11 artistic disciplines: choreography, crafts, folk and traditional arts, literary arts/scriptworks, media arts, multidiscipline, music composition, new genre, performance art, presentation/interpretation, and visual arts.

The available Fellowship categories rotate annually. For 2018, Fellowship applications will be accepted in media arts, multidiscipline, music composition, visual arts, new genre, and presentation/interpretation.

Launched in 2004, the Individual Artist Awards program has awarded 443 awards to artists in 54 communities across Alaska.

The Distinguished Artist Award is also a part of the Individual Artists Award program. Candidates are identified through a nomination process that has concluded for this year.

Eligibility

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have lived in Alaska more than two years, and not received an Individual Artist Award in 2016 or 2017. Artists are encouraged to apply online at www.rasmuson.org before March 1. Call (877) 366-2700 (toll free in Alaska) for more information.

Workshops

The Foundation will host a few workshops to provide an overview of the program and to answer application related questions.

Anchorage: 4 to 5 p.m. on January 31 at Rasmuson Foundation.

Online: 4 to 5 p.m. on February 6. Check www.rasmuson.org for specifics on how to connect.

Fairbanks: 2 to 3 p.m. on February 3 at the Bear Gallery at the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts.

Haines: 2 to 3 p.m. on February 9 at the Haines Public Library.

About the Foundation

Rasmuson Foundation was created in May 1955 by Jenny Rasmuson to honor her late husband, “E.A.” Rasmuson. Through grantmaking and initiatives, the Foundation is a catalyst to promote a better life for all Alaskans.