Program Guidelines - Artists

Iowa Arts & Culture Resilience Grant

As part of its broader fiscal year 2022 grant funding strategy, the Iowa Arts Council has transitioned Art Project Grants to Resilience Grants for fiscal year 2022.

Iowa Arts & Culture Resilience Grants provide professional development support to Iowa’s artists to undertake activities that advance their professional capacity and enhance their artistic practices.

Funding for the Iowa Arts & Culture Resilience Grant is made possible by an annual appropriation from the Iowa Legislature to the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Applicants must adhere to the funding policies of the Iowa Arts Council and federal government through 2 CFR Part 200.

Timeline

Fiscal Year 2022 Application Deadline
May 3, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. for the funding period of July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022

Funding Notification
Applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email by June 30, 2021

Final Report Deadline
Grant recipients are required to complete a final report by August 1, 2022

Funding

Grant Amount

Applicants may request funding for eligible expenses that are incurred and expended within the eligible funding period.

Minimum Grant Request: $500
Maximum Grant Request: $5,000

Eligible Use of Funds

Grant funds may be used for expenses incurred within the eligible funding period for activities that advance an artist’s professional capacity or enhance their artistic practice allowing them to achieve a goal related to their artistic career. Types of eligible activities include:

Creation of new work
Training in business skills
Attending professional development opportunities
Submitting completed works to exhibitions and festivals
Learning new or advanced techniques
Upgrading marketing and promotional material
Adapting performances or artistic services to new platforms due to pandemic

Ineligible Use of Funds

Grant funds may not be used for the following activities or expenses:

Budget shortfalls
Capital expenditures, including equipment over a total of $5,000 per unit
Deficit or debt reduction, including loan, line-of-credit, or mortgage payments
Donations or contributions to other organizations
Expenses incurred prior to or after the funding period
Foreign travel
Fundraising or benefit
Lobbying activity
Prizes and awards
Religious activity

Funding Period

Grant funds must be used for expenses incurred within the eligible funding period of July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022.

Matching Funds Requirement

Applicants are required to demonstrate matching funds to support the proposal in an amount that is equal to or greater than the total grant amount requested from the Iowa Arts Council. Applicants may not request more than 50% of the total cost of the proposal in grant funding. For fiscal year 2022, the required match may be either in-kind or cash. Grant funds from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs or its divisions shall not be used as matching funds for this program.

Applicant Requirements

Eligible applicants must meet all of the following requirements. Individuals who do not meet these requirements are not eligible to apply.

Professional individual artist, filmmaker, musician, or creative writer
Current, full-time Iowa resident physically located in Iowa for the duration of the funding period
Legal Iowa resident as defined by Iowa Code 422.4 and Iowa Administrative Code 701.38.17 (422)
21 years of age or older
An application from an individual artist must support a project that is initiated and managed by the individual artist, not an organization. Project must be designed to benefit the individual artist and may not benefit an organization with which the individual applicant has a formal affiliation such as employment or volunteer service.
Individuals who seek funding on behalf of programs or entities that are not yet formally organized as a nonprofit must apply as an organization and adhere to the Fiscal Agent Policy
Applicants who represent an artist collective, artist team, or band must apply as an individual on behalf of the group and clearly state their individual role in the project proposal as the individual will be legally obligated to the terms of the grant agreement.

Ineligible Applicants

The following types of entities are not eligible to apply:

For-profit corporation or business
Organization/individual that uses a fiscal agent or the Iowa nonprofit or federal tax-exempt status of another organization.
Individuals enrolled in any type of undergraduate or graduate degree granting program on May 3, 2021
Iowa Arts Council administered grantees who have already received a grant from the department for the current application funding period.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs grantees with an outstanding final report or who have been placed on a department funding moratorium

Iowa Arts Council Administered Grant Program Eligibility

Applicants may not submit more than one application during a single grant deadline or cycle regardless of grant program
Applicants may not apply for both the Resilience Grant and the second round of the Artist Fellowship
Applicants may not receive a Resilience Grant, Greenlight Grant and an Artist Fellowship in the same fiscal year

Resilience Project Requirements

Eligible projects must be directly related to advancing the professional capacity or enhancing the artistic practice of the applicant’s artistic career. Applicants must demonstrate how the project and related activities will enable them to achieve a strategic goal related to their artistic career. Types of eligible projects and activities include:

Creation of new work (e.g. upgrading materials or equipment for a specific project, paying other artists to enhance work through collaboration)
Training in business skills (e.g. attending classes to learn about strategic planning, business management, communication, fundraising)
Attending professional development opportunities (e.g. attending workshops or conferences to expand network/audience, learn best practices)
Learning new or advanced techniques (e.g. receiving training in new techniques or methods in art form)
Upgrading marketing and promotion material (e.g. designing new graphics, website, professionally documenting work, print materials)
Adapting performances or artistic services to new platforms due to pandemic (e.g. purchasing new equipment to transition work to virtual platforms)

Funding Priorities

Applications are encouraged from all applicants that meet the applicant eligibility requirements; however, priority will be placed on applications from individuals that represent populations that have historically been under-resourced by arts and cultural funding due to geography, gender, race/ethnicity, disability, or socioeconomic status as defined in the fiscal year 2022 grant strategy.

Review Process

Department Eligibility Review

Submitted applications are reviewed by staff for completion, eligibility and adherence to published funding priorities and guidelines. Applications are reviewed as submitted. New application information or subsequent application clarification submitted after a program deadline is not considered. Staff will also review an applicant’s record of compliance and good standing with the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, State and Federal government. Applications or applicants determined by staff to be ineligible or incomplete will not move forward to panel review and are specifically denied any appeals process.

Competitive Panel Review

Eligible applications will be referred to a competitive review by a volunteer citizen panel of Iowa arts and culture professionals with appropriate expertise commensurate to the purpose of the grant program. Applications will be scored and ranked based on the published scoring rubric. Panel ranking and recommendations are submitted to the Administrator of the Iowa Arts Council and Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for consideration and funding approval. Applications will be awarded funding based on the ranked list, funding priorities, and available funding. All funding decisions are final and may not be appealed due to dissatisfaction. Applicants may review the department appeals policy for information on grounds for appeal and the appeal process.

Decision Notification

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email by June 30, 2021. Applicants are notified of the status of their application whether they are or are not selected to receive funding. Applicants will be contacted if any additional information is required and are encouraged to refrain from contacting staff for application status updates until funding decisions are made.

Application Questions and Scoring Rubric

The Resilience Grant Scoring Rubric will be used to evaluate applications. Each section has criteria and corresponding point values to ensure a fair review process. The rubric is on a scale of 24 points. Application questions are for reference only. Applicants must review and complete application requirements in the Slideroom portal.

Applicant Profile

1. Artistic Discipline
Select your primary artistic discipline(s) using a broad definition of each as the information will be used to track need and impact of funding.

2. Artist Resume or Curriculum Vitae
Upload an artist resume or curriculum vitae (CV). Document must demonstrate applicant’s activity as an Iowa artist.

3. Artist Website
Enter the URL(s) of up to three websites that contain samples of your artistic work or artistic work that you have a direct role in producing. Identify your role (e.g. commercial work, fine art work, lead vocalist, etc.) in the first column and the website URL in the second column.

4. Vision Statement
Enter the artist vision statement of the applicant submitting the proposal. The statement should be no more than 1-2 sentences and should describe the vision for the artist’s work overall not a specific project.

5. Artistic Work Summary
Describe applicant’s artistic work and career, including:

Type of artwork(s) created including concept and form
Notable achievements in career

APPLICANT PROFILE: 3 points possible
3 Applicant demonstrates they are an active, professional Iowa artist with exceptional capabilities in concept and form of artwork. Career progress is demonstrated through a record of relevant, notable achievements.	2 Applicant demonstrates they are an active or professional Iowa artist. Relevant notable achievements are identified.	1 Applicant does not demonstrate they are an active, professional Iowa artist. Relevant notable achievements unclear or are not identified.

Public Value
Describe how the public engages with the applicant’s artwork or artistic practice, including:

how and where the artwork is presented
goods, services, or programs offered (e.g. lessons, products, documentation), if applicable
target audience including service area

PUBLIC VALUE: 3 points possible
3 Applicant demonstrates public value of their artwork or artistic practice by actively presenting artwork or offering goods, services and programs to relevant, specified audiences.	2 Applicant demonstrates they present their artwork or offer goods, services or programs to the public.	1 Applicant does not demonstrate the public value of their artwork or artistic practice.

2020 Adaptation
Describe how the applicant adapted artistic practice and/or career over the past year, including:

production of artwork
presentation of artwork or related goods & services
business planning and financial sustainability

2020 ADAPTATION: 3 points possible
3 Applicant demonstrates initiative and creativity in adapting artistic practice and/or career over the past year.	2 Applicant appropriately adapted artistic practice and/or career over the past year.	1 Applicant demonstrates little effort to adapt artistic practice and/or career and/or unclear how artistic practice and/or career were adapted.

Strategic Goals
Describe strategic goal(s) and activities the applicant seeks to achieve that will advance their professional capacity or enhance artistic offerings related to their artistic career within the funding period.

STRATEGIC GOALS: 3 points possible
3 Applicant identifies exemplary, achievable strategic goal(s) and activities that will clearly increase their professional capacity or enhance their artistic career within the funding period.	2 Applicant identifies adequate goal(s) and activities with some demonstrated benefits to their professional capacity and artistic career within the funding period.	1 Strategic goal(s) are unclear and/or it is unclear how activities undertaken will increase professional capacity or enhance the applicant’s artistic career within the funding period.

Use of Funds
Describe how the grant funds will support activities that allow the artist to achieve identified strategic goal(s) within the funding period, including:

Description of opportunity, good or service
Explanation of relevance and how opportunity, good or service was selected
Where the required 1:1 matching funds will come from

Use of Funds Documentation
Upload supporting documentation that demonstrates the quality and relevance of the proposed use of funds. (e.g. bio or work samples of collaborating artist or contractor, price quote for work to be accomplished, link or screenshots of website for conference or class. Do not include a list of links unless they specifically direct the panel to relevant content. Panel will not search for relevant material).

USE OF FUNDS: 3 points possible
3 Applicant clearly identifies how the grant funds will be used to achieve the strategic goal(s) related to artistic career within the funding period. Applicant demonstrates high quality and relevant selection(s).	2 Applicant provides adequate information on how the grant funds will be used to achieve the strategic goal(s) within the funding period. Selection(s) are of average quality.	1 Applicant does not clearly identify how the grant funds will be used to achieve the strategic goal(s). Selection(s) are of poor quality and/or relevance to artistic career is unclear.

Budget Form

BUDGET: 3 points possible
3 Project budget and intended use of requested funds are clear and appropriate. Project demonstrates financial support by leveraging diverse sources of cash and/or in-kind match that are well-defined.	2 Project budget, intended use of requested funds and sources of applicant match are identified.	1 Project budget, intended use of requested funds or sources of match are unclear or inadequate.

Work Samples
Upload 1-5 media samples that demonstrate the quality of applicant’s artwork or artistic practice.

Work Samples: 3 points possible
3 Work samples are of high quality and clearly demonstrate exceptional capabilities in artistic concept and form.	2 Work samples are of average quality and demonstrate capabilities in artistic concept and form.	1 Work samples are of poor quality or demonstrate inadequate capabilities in concept and form.

Overall

Case for Support: 3 points possible
3 Application is clear, concise and well-composed. Case for support is exemplary and merits investment from the State.	2 Application is clear. Case for support is adequate.	1 Application is unclear or poorly composed. Case for support is inadequate or does not merit State investment.

Glossary of Terms and Definitions

Applicants should refer to the glossary for clarification of program terms and definitions.

Accessibility

The Iowa Arts Council is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to eligible applicants. For technical support submitting the online application, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator, Lindsay Keast at 515-281-5773 or lindsay.keast@iowa.gov, at least two weeks in advance of application deadlines.

Questions

Potential applicants are encouraged to review all published material and contact Grant Services and Artist Programs Manager Veronica O’Hern at veronica.ohern@iowa.gov with questions well in advance of application deadlines.