Artist Mini-Grants (Mississippi Arts Commission)

Artist Mini-Grants (Mississippi Arts Commission) is sponsored by Mississippi Arts Commission. The Artist Mini-Grant program supports the professional development of individual artists by helping fund registration for appropriate conferences and workshops, promotional efforts, or expendable artistic supplies.

[](https://arts. ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/minigrants-for-individuals/#) [](https://arts.

ms.gov/grants/grants-for-individuals/minigrants-for-individuals/#) * Board & Acknowledgements * Annual Report and Budget Request * Sign-Up for the MAC E-Newsletter * America250 Mississippi Public Art Grant * Public Art in Community Grant * Grants for Organizations * Frequently Asked Questions * Mississippi Whole Schools * Folk and Traditional Arts * Arts Day at the Capitol * Arts Education – Tools for Educators * Mississippi Poet Laureate * Accessibility Resources * State and National Organizations # Mini-Grants for Individuals The **Individual Artist Mini-Grant** supports established and emerging professional artists based in Mississippi by providing funds to assist with 1) artistic professional development, 2) promotional materials, or 3) the purchase of expendable art supplies.

Artistic professional development includes attending an arts-based training, conference or workshop and the travel costs associated with such an opportunities.

Promotional materials include creating or updating an artist website, or creating and/or printing business cards, brochures, postcards, etc. Expendable art supplies include paints, paints, pencils, clay, glaze, fabric, brushes, guitar strings, canvases, etc. **Applicants may apply for up to $500. Individual Artist Mini-Grants are disbursed no earlier than two weeks prior to the project start date.

Supporting documentation must be included as part of a final report submitted via E-Grant. ** _Priority will be given to individuals who have not yet received funding through grants in recent grant rounds or those residing in MAC’s identified underserved counties.

_ Artists who are applying for the first time are strongly encouraged to consult the resources available on this website such as the **Frequently Asked Questions**page and to contact a MAC program director to discuss whether or not their project would be eligible for funding before submitting an application. #### **Individual Mini-Grant Applications opens on May 1. ** #### **Deadline for grant submission is 11:59 p.

m. on June 1. ** _Please note: MAC will provide reasonable accommodations for those individuals who are unable to access MAC’s online grant system.

Paper applications are available upon request. Applicants must request a paper application no later than two weeks before the deadline, and it must be postmarked by the application deadline.

_ **Artist Mini-Grants can support:** **-Professional Development** Examples of eligible Individual Artist Mini-Grant uses include: * * Expenses incurred for an**in-person or online professional conference or workshop** where the applicant will receive training in their artistic discipline.

_(Typical expenses include registration, airfare, lodging, transportation)_ * **To support booth fees** or other applicable fees**related to showing or selling artwork**_(See below for ineligible uses of funds)_ **-Marketing and Promotional Materials** Examples of eligible Mini-Grant uses include: * * Creating or updating a website design _(this can include a one time cost such as hiring someone to design a website or purchasing a website creation platform but cannot include on-going hosting or domain costs)_ * Commissioning promotional materials to increase your artistic presence online * Commissioning professional photographs or the development of an online gallery or portfolio * Printing promotional materials for free distribution, such as: business cards, brochures, postcards, bookmarks, etc. * Producing items such as t-shirts, art prints, CDs, etc. for the purpose of selling directly to customers and expanding the artist’s reach Examples of eligible Mini-Grant uses include **expendable items**used by the artist to create new work such as: * * * Paints (pigment sticks, watercolor, oils, etc.), pencils (charcoals, watercolor pencils, etc.), printmaking ink, clay, glaze, wood, linoleum, fabric, adhesives, brushes.

* _MAC CANNOT fund equipment or non-expendable supplies such as cameras, easels or recording equipment.

_ **Other things that MAC cannot fund:** * Expenses incurred before a grant is awarded * Purchase of ANY permanent equipment such as: * Non-expendable items (computer software) * A presentation by an applicant at a conference or workshop * On-going fees such a memberships or web hosting * Study towards an academic or professional degree You may apply for an Individual Artist Mini-Grant if you are: • A professional artist producing work of high artistic quality.

Individuals are considered to be professional artists if they: ◦ earn at least part of their annual income in their artistic work, ◦ consider their artistic endeavors as a career, ◦ maintain a high level of artistic quality, and ◦ make a significant time investment in their artistic disciplines through practice, performance or production • More than 18 years of age • Not a full-time or part-time student in a degree seeking program; and • A permanent, legal, full-time resident of Mississippi at the time of application and throughout the grant period.

Applicants may be required to show proof of residence (such as driver’s license, proof of domicile, homestead, utility bills). Please Note: Individuals can only receive ONE Mini-Grant per fiscal year. Individual Artist Mini-Grant applications are adjudicated based on the artistic excellence of the applicant’s work and the degree to which the proposed project will further their artistic career.

**Please note:**MAC will provide reasonable accommodations for those individuals who are unable to access MAC’s online grant system. Paper applications are available upon request. Applicants must request a paper application no later than two weeks before the deadline, and it must be postmarked no later than the application deadline.

In addition to a narrative describing yourself as an artist and how this Mini-Grant will assist you, please be prepared to submit the following information through the E-Grantsystem: * Your current **artistic****resumé**. * **Documentation** that supports your funding request.

* _For example, a copy of a conference brochure (with registration price listed), an estimate on airfare or other travel expenses, an estimate from a designer or printer, or the catalog page featuring the supplies you wish to purchase.

_ * **Work samples** that have been created within the last three years If you have trouble uploading the work sample files to E-Grant, please consult the tutorials available in MAC’s **Frequently Asked Questions**before contacting MAC staff.

**Literary Artists**: Applicants will be required to submit 5-10 pages of fiction, creative non-fiction, play writing (original or adaptation), or a screenplay completed within the last three years. Poetry work samples should include 3-5 pages completed within the last three years. If your submitted work sample is an excerpt from a longer work, you may include a one-page synopsis of the work as a whole.

**Media Artists:**Applicants will be required to submit 5-10 minutes of excerpts of your work completed within the last three years. You must also include a list of the work samples and it should include, for each excerpt, the title, length, date completed, technique, original format, genre (documentary, experimental, etc.) and the applicant’s role in creating the submitted work.

**Performing Artists:** Applicants will be required to submit 5-10 minutes of representative work that has been completed within the last three years. Musicians should include at least three songs in their sample. On the list of work samples indicate the title, names of the artist(s), date, and location of recording.

**Visual Artists**: Applicants will be required to submit six high resolution digital images that feature work completed within the last three years. ### Work Sample File Types **Ineligible File Types:** Please note, the above programs have the ability to export to, or save a PDF. * If you share media from your website, link directly to the video/audio rather than the home page.

* MAC recommends applicants upload using the following file types: MP3, MOV, MP4, WMV, WMA. * MAC recommends applicants upload links to video or audio files. Applicants can link to websites such asYouTube,Vimeo,Soundcloud,Bandcamp, etc. * MAC recommends applicants upload using the following file types: Word (.

doc or . dox), PDF (. pdf), or JPEG (.

jpeg). * You may upload links contained in a Word Document or PDF. Upon approval, successful applicants are issued a grant contract.

Mini-Grant funds are disbursed no earlier than two weeks prior to the project start date listed in the application. Supporting documentation must be included in a final report submitted by the recipient through E-Grant.

For questions about the Mini-Grant program, or to determine if your project is eligible to receive funding, contact one of the following MAC Program Staff members, based on your artistic discipline: **Visual Arts**, Victoria Meek, 601-359-6031, vmeek@arts. ms.gov **Performing Arts & Filmmaking/Media Arts**, Leslie Barker, 601-359-6529, lbarker@arts.

ms.gov **Literary Arts & Folk and Traditional**, Kristen Brandt, 601-359-6075, kbrandt@arts. ms.gov _If you do not know where you fit, you may email info@arts. ms.gov._ #### Mississippi Arts Commission [](javascript:; "Close")[](javascript:; "Next")[](javascript:; "Previous")