29 County artists receive micro grants from Aroostook Creative Network

Prey, an oil painting by Sarah Smith of Houlton

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine—The Aroostook Creative Network Micro-Grant Program recently awarded micro-grants up to $1,000 maximum to 29 artists who live and work in Aroostook County, Maine.

Grantees are: Elizabeth Allen, Silver Ridge (Pottery); Bernadette Anderson, Houlton (Ink and Digital); Morgain Bailey, Presque Isle (Photography and Painting); Susan Beaulier, Ashland (Enameled Metal Jewelry); Casey Blackstone, Fort Fairfield (Sewing); Risica Caputi, Island Falls (Printmaking); Chelsea Cheney, Mapleton (Clay Sculpting); Beth Ann Cummings, Caribou (Metal and Enamel Work); Travis Cyr, Caribou (Music); Joseph Davis, Fort Kent (Native American Artwork) Elisabeth Dumond, Van Buren (Drawing and Painting); Joanna Dumond, Presque Isle (Multidiscipline); Amy Durland Faulkner, Mars Hill (Pottery); Stephanie Ferland, Portage Lake (Watercolor and Block Printing); Brianna Gerrish, Presque Isle (Ceramic Sculpting); Jennifer Holmes, Limestone (Music); Terry Kelly, Presque Isle (Chair Design and Building); Caleb Lovejoy, Fort Fairfield (Mixed Media); Sharon Mossy, Fort Fairfield (Quilting); Dylan Ouellette, Presque Isle (Ceramics); Gina Parent, Houlton (Mixed Media); Julie Plummer, Fort Fairfield (Stained Glass and Laser Engraving); Steve Plummer, Fort Fairfield (Blacksmithing); Peter Rogers, Caribou (Ceramics); Amy Schwartz, Fort Fairfield (Multiple Mediums); Sarah Smith, Houlton (Oil Painting and Drawing); Frank Sullivan, Littleton (Painting and Drawing); Diane Vo, Presque Isle (Stained Glass and Basketry); and, Heidi Welch, Madawaska (Basket Weaving).

Funding for the Aroostook Creative Network Micro-Grant Program is made possible from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment of the Arts.

“We are very excited for artists in Aroostook County. This micro-grant program has been such a success. There was such a range of diverse artists, such as ceramicists, photographers, potters, jewelers, music, painters, and Indigenous artists,” said Sheila Jans of Madawaska, regional development director for the Maine Arts Commission. “The requests from applicants exceeded the funding we had, but we hope this program will be a catalyst for artists of all disciplines to come together as a vibrant creative network.”

The micro-grant program is administered by Wintergreen Arts Center. Applications were reviewed by a review panel of community-based artists and arts/cultural advocates from southern, central, and northern Aroostook County.

About Aroostook Creative Network:  The Aroostook Creative Network provides micro-grants up to $1,000 maximum to individual artists who live and work in Aroostook County, Maine. Artists may use micro-grant funding to help create new or existing work, enhance their artistic skills or abilities, participate in opportunities that will benefit their career, and improve their ability to share their art with the public. Funding is made possible by the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment of the Arts. The program is administered by the Wintergreen Arts Center.

Micro-Grants for Artists

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Applications Open: March 20, 2024
Deadline:  May 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.
Maximum Award: $1,000
Required Match: None
Award Cycle: July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025

GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

Aroostook Creative Network provides micro-grants up to $1,000 maximum to individual artists who live and work in Aroostook County, Maine. Artists may apply for micro-grants to help create new or existing work, enhance their artistic skills or abilities, participate in opportunities that will benefit their career, and improve their ability to share their art with the public. This grant program has limited funds.

The micro-grant program is administered by Wintergreen Arts Center. Applications will be reviewed by a review panel of community-based artists and arts/cultural advocates from southern, central, and northern Aroostook County. Funding was made possible by the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

CRITERIA

• Applicants must be 18 years or older.
• Projects must take place between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.

Ineligible Expenses:

• Debt or loan repayment
• Equipment purchases over $5,000
• Home office or home studio rent and expenses
• Activities and courses for which undergraduate or graduate level education is given
• Projects that support or oppose a particular political party or candidate for public office
• Projects that are exclusive to members of a particular religious faith group

HOW TO APPLY

For information and help with applications, contact Dottie Hutchins, Wintergreen Arts Center at wintergreenarts@gmail.com or 207-462-1313.  DEADLINE for applying is MAY 31, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

Supporting Material

To include images, sound, videos, or writing samples to support your application, please send the following:

For Videos – Please upload only (MP4, WMV, YouTube, Vimeo), 3-5 minutes max. in length. 

REVIEW PROCESS

Submitted applications are first reviewed by staff for completion, eligibility, and funding guidelines. Applications are then reviewed by a panel of arts and culture professionals from all parts of Aroostook County. Panelists will review, discuss, and score each application.  

AWARD PROCESS

If your application is funded, you enter into a Letter of Agreement (LOA) with Wintergreen Arts Center. You must comply with all requirements stated in that agreement. Your award money will be mailed to you by late July 2024. You may need to pay costs upfront with your own money and then be reimbursed when you receive payment.

All applicants are notified, whether approved or declined, by email. If you receive an award, you will also receive future emails with next steps.

REPORTING

Awardees are required to submit a report on how your grant helped you and any additional details you’d like to share with us. Questions will be sent to awardees. The final report date is March 14, 2025. A final report is a requirement to apply and receive funding for the next round of micro-grants.

PROCESS TO CALCULATE SCORES

Criteria

• Merit and Impact – 50%

How the project will support and positively impact the artist’s goals and practice in meaningful and clearly identified ways. As expressed through the answers to question #4 and question #5.

• Artistic Excellence – 25%           

As demonstrated in skills and techniques, the artist’s creative process shows a unique vision or perspective, and the work is meaningful and has clearly identified ways to an intended audience. As expressed through the answers to question # 2, question #4, and supporting uploads.

• Planning – 25%

How it relates to the proposed project, partners/collaborators involved, the budget, and goals with clear descriptions and details of the outcome. Plus, details provided that helps make a convincing case that this project will succeed. As expressed through the answers to question #1 (a and b) and question #3.

GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

Funding for the Aroostook Creative Network Micro-Grant Program is made possible from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment of the Arts. The program is administered by the Wintergreen Arts Center.