Assistance to Contemporary Fine Craft Artists and Curators: Long-Term Grants
Deadline
1 March 2007
Program Description
Long-Term Grants provide support over a one-year or two-year period to professional fine craft artists or curators (for research only) who have made a significant contribution to contemporary fine craft. The period of activity covered by the grant must have a series of opportunities in the fields of research, production, career and networking development. The program of work must be designed to advance the long-term artistic and career development of the artist at a key moment in their career. It must include at least two of the following activities:
- Research/Professional Development: A period of independent research at a key period in the artistic practice of the artist or curator. This period may include participation in artist residencies and other professional development activities. The project must demonstrate the capacity to advance the artistic practice of the applicant. The grants also support critics and curators in the research of editorial or curatorial work leading to the production of articles, books and exhibitions in the field of contemporary Canadian craft.
- Production of a new body of work: The production of one or more new bodies of work. The project(s) must demonstrate the capacity to advance the practice of the artist.
- Production towards a confirmed public presentation of your work: The production of one or more works that are the object of at least one confirmed public presentation in a professional context. The project must demonstrate the capacity to advance the career of the artist.
- Career development: A period of activities that advance an artist’s career; for example, travel and research to expand the growth of a professional network with partners such as critics, curators, art dealers or publishers; or the development of promotional tools such as web sites, portfolio or small monographs. You must demonstrate that the project occurs in a key period that affects the progression of your career.
Eligibility
General Eligibility Criteria
To apply to the Canada Council for the Arts, you must be a Canadian citizen or have Permanent Resident status, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You must meet Canada Council’s definition of a professional artist, which is an artist who:
- has completed his or her basic training (university or college graduation or the equivalent in specialized training, such as two or three years of self-directed study or apprenticeships)
- is recognized as such by his or her peers
- is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if financially feasible.
To meet the above definition as a fine craft artist or curator, you must also:
- have produced an independent body of work
- have at least three public presentations of work in a professional context over a three year period, and
- have maintained an independent professional practice for at least three years.
Students are not eligible.
All Canada Council programs are accessible to Aboriginal artists and artists of diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
Professional Context
Artists’ public presentations and exhibitions, both in Canada and abroad, must be in a professional organization or context where the artists’ work is recognized by a professional curator, gallery owner/art dealer, or collective of professional artists.
In Canada, to be considered professional, an organization must be a public art gallery, a museum or an artist-run centre that pays a professional fee to participating artists. The condition of paying fees does not apply to commercial galleries or professional venues outside of Canada.
The Canada Council for the Arts recognizes that, for contemporary fine craft artists from Aboriginal as well as culturally diverse communities, and in rare cases, artists living in remote areas, the networks for peer recognition and exhibition venues may exist in alternative venues. The acceptance of these venues will be determined with the expertise of Aboriginal and culturally diverse communities in the Visual Arts Section and, if necessary, in collaboration with peers in the milieu.
Specific Eligibility Criteria
You must:
- have shown evidence of outstanding artistic achievement with at least three exhibitions of international, national or provincial importance
- have a detailed work plan with confirmed activities
- have at least one confirmed exhibition, public presentation, publication or other professional engagement during the tenure of the grant
- have proof of unpaid sabbatical or other professional leave without pay, and
- have received at least one prior Creation/Production/Professional Development or similar grant from the Canada Council for the Arts or other arts funding agency or foundation.
Artists may not hold a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant and a Long-Term Grant at the same time.
Ineligible Expenses
Grants cannot be used for:
- projects that have been completed already
- studio and/or business set-up
- ongoing studio and/or business maintenance
- manufacturing a line of production items
- commissioned projects
- industrial projects
- student projects
- educational projects
- the production of publications such as catalogues, anthologies or “how-to” books, and
- costs incurred for the production, presentation and circulation of an exhibition.
Other Restrictions
Capital and large equipment costs, are not eligible.
You may apply for only one Canada Council Grant to Professional Artists program (or to one deadline of that program) in any fiscal year (1 April to 31 March). The Canada Council will also accept from you one request for a Travel Grant per fiscal year.
You can receive a maximum of two Grants to Professional Artists from the Canada Council in any 48-month period.
Note: If you are an established professional artist who works in more than one discipline, such as Fine Craft and Music for example, and meet the eligibility criteria as an established artist in both disciplines, you may apply to two different Grants to Professional Artists programs per fiscal year. You must, however, accept or refuse the first grant offered by the Canada Council within two weeks of the date of the grant notification. If you accept the first grant offered, your other application will be withdrawn from any subsequent competition in that fiscal year.
Each disciplinary section defines its own criteria for determining who is considered to be an established artist. For the Visual Arts Section, established artists are those at a mature stage in their careers who have created an extensive independent body of work and have made a nationally and/or internationally recognized contribution to their discipline through public presentation of their work. Established artists must have at least 15 years of exhibition history, in a professional context.
Note that meeting the eligibility criteria allows you to apply to the program. It does not, however, guarantee that you will receive a grant.
Grant Amount
The grant amount is $40,000 per year. For applicants requesting a two-year grant, the grant amount is $40,000 per year to a total of $80,000.
This grant supports a period of comprehensive activities in research, creation, production and career development. Note that grants cannot be used for projects that have been completed. Educational projects, capital and large equipment costs are not eligible. The applicant’s work plan may include all, but must include at least two, of the following.
Research/Professional Development
For studio time and travel for a period of independent research and professional development; this may also include participation in residencies and specialized professional development activities (workshops, specialized training, etc.).
Eligible costs include:
- subsistence to a maximum of $2,000 per month
- small equipment and material costs
- research
- travel related to activities in the work plan
- costs related to an artist residency
- professional development costs, including training, and
- studio rental and technical costs.
Production of a new body of work
For the production of one or more new bodies of work.
Eligible costs include:
- applicant’s honorarium
- studio and small equipment costs
- materials
- technical and other related costs
- salaries and fees
- transportation of materials related to the project, and
- travel related to production of works.
Production towards a confirmed public presentation
For the production of one or more works that are the objects of at least one confirmed public presentation in a professional context.
Eligible costs include:
- applicant’s honorarium
- studio and small equipment costs
- materials
- technical and other related costs
- salaries and fees
- transportation of materials related to the project
- shipping costs for exhibitions outside of Canada or at Canadian venues that do not receive operating support from the Canada Council for the Arts, and
- travel related to production of works.
Costs normally assumed by the exhibiting organization are not eligible.
Career development
For activities that advance an artist’s career, such as travel and research to expand a professional network with partners such as critics, curators, art dealers or publishers; or the development of promotional tools such as websites, portfolios, documentation and/or small monographs.
Eligible costs include:
- subsistence to a maximum of $2,000 per month
- travel related to the planned activities
- portfolio and documentation costs
- promotion activities/websites, and
- technical and career development services.
Application Form
Assistance to Contemporary Fine Craft Artists and Curators: Long-Term Grants (pdf, 403 KB)
This form can only be printed and cannot be filled out on-line.
Further Information
Michel Gaboury
Visual Arts Section
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5265
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired callers: (613) 565-5194
January 2006