Call for Artists: Deadline for Artist Access Grants is May 6

Attention artists of all disciplines: There’s an opportunity to receive as much as $1,000 toward your project thanks to the Artist Access Grants Program. Administered by the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs and Tigertail Productions, the program was established in 1997 to fill a need.

That was the year Mary Luft, founder and director of Tigertail, approached the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs about developing the program. “I was able to get grants to do travel and research but eventually some of those disappeared. So when that happened I approached Cultural Affairs about developing this program,” said Luft.

And like her challenges, Luft felt there was a need in the community to individual artists to access opportunities to study and do their work.

The program awards $25,000 in total grants with up to $1,000 to individuals. Luft fondly recalls printmaker Tom Virgin, also a Miami teacher who received a Knight Arts Challenge grant to bring a printing press to Miami. “After that grant he just kept taking it to a different level and with our grant, he now learns, trains, and works with master artists,” said Luft.

According to the Cultural Affairs Website, The Artist Access Grants Program provides funding support for practicing, professional, and emerging artists residing in Miami-Dade County to take advantage of specific professional development and skill-building opportunities (outside Miami-Dade County) to help advance their careers as working artists. Funds may be used to cover attendance at advanced workshops, master classes, or seminars; to participate in artist residencies; to engage in activities that are specifically capable of advancing or propelling a professional career; etc.

All the opportunities and disciplines covered are listed on the Cultural Affairs Website, as are the downloadable guidelines. The program happens three times a year in February, May, and November.

For this particular round prospective, applicants must call and request a phone consultation with Luft, the program’s administrator, by calling 305-324-4337 by April 29, at least one week prior to submitting an application by the May 6 deadline.

Click on this link for details: http://www.miamidadearts.org/artist-access-art-grants-program.