ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: SPONSORS

ARTIST RESIDENCIES FOR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

The Artist in Residence program brings schools and community organizations together with artists to share in-depth, engaging, personal and sustained arts learning experiences. Using experienced artists listed in the Arts Learning Artist Directory, the Artist in Residence program offers opportunities for learners of all ages to participate in the creative process, bridge cultural differences and cultivate fresh ways of seeing, responding to and learning through the arts. Applicants should demonstrate that they value collaborative learning and show that they are prepared to host an artist in residence by providing evidence of broad-based planning efforts, flexibility, appropriate evaluation strategies and strong organizational support. The OAC also recognizes the hard work of established residency sponsors by allowing them to apply for two-year grants, reducing their administrative burden. By bringing together artists and members of the public to cultivate creativity, the Artist in Residence program transforms lives and contributes to the growth of individuals, communities and society as a whole.

Application Deadline: NEW: February 1

• What the Program Supports
• Who May Apply
• How to Apply
• Review Criteria

View a list of application questions for Artist in Residence.

View a list of Artist in Residence FAQs.

WHAT THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS

The Artist in Residence program (AIR) provides one- or two-year grants to place accomplished professional artists in a variety of educational and community settings to facilitate learning in, through and about the arts. Residencies may be planned for a minimum of two weeks to a maximum of eight weeks in length. A maximum of four classes or contact sessions per day may be scheduled with the artist in residence.

Residency sponsors select artists from a roster of pre-screened professional artists listed in the Arts Learning Artist Directory. Artists and sponsors collaboratively plan an in-depth art-making experience that engages participants of varying ages, cultures, experiences and ability levels within a mutually supportive and creative learning environment. The artist also shares his or her artistic work with residency participants and the larger community. At least one core group is selected to work with the artist every day during the residency while peripheral groups meet with the artist less often. The artist also works with the sponsor to design and hold a professional development workshop involving staff in a hands-on art-making experience to deepen their understanding of the creative process and the artist’s discipline. The artistic work of participants is shared with the community at the conclusion of the residency.

Allowable Expenses
OAC funds are used to support artist fees. Please refer to the Funding Restrictions section of the OAC Guidelines for a list of activities the OAC cannot fund. In addition to these restrictions, OAC funding cannot be awarded for:

• Residency-related activities designed in preparation for (or in conjunction with) school competitions.
• Residencies that are part of higher education coursework or that will serve those students exclusively.

Grant Awards
The total professional fee for an artist is $1,200 per week. Grants are awarded to the residency sponsor to cover $800 per week. The sponsor is responsible for the remaining $400 per week. Sponsors are also required to provide a budget for supplies and assist the artist in locating free or reduced cost housing if the residency location is more than one hour from the artist’s home. Schools are asked to provide a daily lunch for the artist, if possible. Artists are responsible for all other meal and travel costs for the residency.

If a residency involves more than two artists, the sponsor must contact the Arts Learning coordinator to confirm the appropriate funding amount for the residency.

Please note: Applicants who receive two-year funding may not receive a larger award in the second year than awarded in the first year.

WHO MAY APPLY

Eligible organizations include—but are not limited to—public, private, charter or parochial schools (pre-kindergarten through university level) and other community or social service organizations that provide arts programming. All applicants to this program should have nonprofit status or nonprofit intent.

Eligibility Requirements for Two-Year Funding
Experienced residency sponsors who have demonstrated excellent work are eligible to apply for two-year grants, which will help reduce their paperwork while allowing them to sequence residencies in new and fresh ways. Applicants must have successfully completed at least two OAC AIR residencies in the last four fiscal years and completed all necessary paperwork.

Criminal Background Checks
The OAC does not have the statutory authority to require criminal background checks of the artists participating in the Arts Learning Artist Directory. However, schools and some organizations are required by the Ohio Revised Code or by internal policies and administrative procedures to conduct such checks. Arts Learning Artist Directory artists may be required to submit to a criminal background check in order to work in schools or organizations.

HOW TO APPLY

Please refer to the Grant Process for Organizations of the OAC Guidelines for a step-by-step guide to the entire process of applying for and managing an OAC grant.

Planning
Residency plans may be developed in two ways. For new applicants, an art discipline is selected and general ideas for the residency are described in the application. After the grant is awarded, an artist is selected from the current roster of AIR artists and formal planning begins. At least one month in advance of the residency’s start date, the artist travels to the residency site for a planning session with members of the sponsor’s planning committee and a representative from the OAC. Together they develop the residency plan. Previously funded applicants often plan their residency with an artist prior to submitting their application. If a grant is awarded, the artist and the sponsor’s planning committee will further develop their plans.

Two-year funding applicants may designate a discipline and/or artist for the first year of the grant period only, or they may present a plan for a discipline(s) and/or artist(s) for both years of the grant. Grantees who receive two-year funding but did not designate a discipline and/or artist for the second year are free to choose any discipline or artist from the Arts Learning Artist Directory for the second-year residency.

All funded sponsors are required to send representatives from their planning team to the Artist in Residence Fall Conference to learn more about the residency experience, the planning process and to meet the program artists. Most sponsors begin the artist selection process after attending the fall conference.

Application Basics
New applicants are encouraged to contact the Arts Learning program coordinator to discuss the program’s grant Guidelines and application process. All applications to the Artist in Residence program must be submitted via the OAC’s OnLine Grant Application system (OLGA). No paper applications are accepted.

New applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a draft application through OLGA at least 30 days before the final deadline date. To submit a draft, follow the instructions on the final page of the online application. Returning applicants do not need to submit a draft application.

Please note: No special mechanism exists within the application form to choose the two-year funding option, so two-year applicants must: (1) notify the Arts Learning coordinator of their interest in being considered for two-year funding, and (2) include “TWO YEAR REQUEST” in the first line of question 1. Summary in the OLGA application.

Applicants must submit their application electronically via OLGA by 5 p.m. on the final deadline date. If the application is not submitted electronically, it will not be accepted. Your organization will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to the primary contact listed in the application) when your application is received. For assistance with OLGA, call the help desk at 614/728-4449 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, or e-mail olgahelpdesk@oac.state.oh.us.

• A signature page
• One letter of support from the school principal, executive director or project director of the organization that is applying. A letter of commitment from the artist should also be included if the artist is named in the application.

The signature page and support materials must be received in the OAC office by 5 p.m. seven calendar days following the final application deadline date (regardless of postmarked date). If the signature page and support letters do not reach the OAC within this timeframe, the application will not be accepted. Organizations will be notified via e-mail (sent through OLGA to the organization’s primary contact) when the signature page and support materials are received.

YEAR TWO GRANTEES: UPDATE REPORT
Prior to the second year of an AIR grant, applicants who were approved for two-year funding are required to submit a brief summary of residency plans for the second year of the grant and a budget by February 1. Your organization will receive detailed instructions via e-mail (sent through OLGA to the primary contact) by January 1.

Timeline
The timeline below presents a general outline of the grants process for the AIR program for sponsors. Please note that if a deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or state holiday, the deadline will be extended until the next business day.

Application Available in OLGA	November 1
Draft application deadline	January 1
Final application deadline	February 1
Support material deadline	7 calendar days following the application deadline
Application review	April
Grant award announcement (via e-mail)	early July
Fall Conference	Late September/Early October
Grant period	July 1 - June 30
Final report deadline	30 days after residency end date

For 2-year grantees only
Year 2 update available in OLGA	January 1
Year 2 update deadline	March 1
Year 2 grant award announcement	July
Fall Conference	Late September/ Early October
Year 2 grant period	July 1 - June 30
Year 2 final report deadline	30 days after residency end date

Evaluation and Scoring
A panel of OAC staff members and outside arts professionals evaluates and scores the Artist in Residence: Sponsors grant applications and support materials. These reviews are not open to the public; however, a summary of the panel’s comments about an organization’s application will be sent to all applicants.

At the panel meeting, an evaluative discussion will occur for each application. Following the discussion, each application will be scored based on how well it meets the review criteria. This score, along with a funding recommendation, will be presented to the OAC board. All funding recommendations must be approved by the OAC board, the only body authorized to make final funding decisions.

The review process is competitive; not all applications are funded. A cutoff point in the scores may be determined so that applications below a certain score are not funded.

Review Criteria
Applicants will be given a numerical score based on how well their application meets the criteria in the following evaluation categories: 1) Artistic/Educational/Cultural Value; 2) Community Participation and Accessibility; 3) Planning, Evaluation and Documentation; and 4) Organizational and Financial Management. Evidence of meeting the criteria will be found in the application’s narrative, budget information, support materials and website. There is a maximum of 100 points across the four categories:

Evaluation Criteria

• Activities support learning in, through or about the arts;
• Applicant is committed to in-depth, hands-on art-making with a core group of learners.

• Applicant demonstrates an openness to designing an accessible and inclusive residency experience;
• Applicant provides ideas for involving the larger community in the residency, when appropriate.

• Applicant's proposed ideas support AIR program philosophy;
• Staff/teachers and administrators demonstrate a commitment to having a well-planned and well-executed residency;
• Staff/teachers and administrators have ideas for documenting observable changes in arts learning.

• Applicant is prepared to provide appropriate space and time for the artist visit;
• Applicant has budget for sufficient supplies for the selected art form.