MEDIA ARTS: Art Works

Introduction | Deadlines (March or August) | Project Reporting and Evaluation | Application Review | Contacts | If you wish to apply | Grant Amounts & Matching Funds

Introduction

The guiding principle of "Art Works" is at the center of everything we do at the NEA. "Art Works" refers to three things: the works of art themselves, the ways art works on audiences, and the fact that art is work for the artists and arts professionals who make up the field.

To make "art work," the NEA has included the advancement of innovation as a core component of its mission as a way to ensure the vitality of the arts. We recognize that arts and design organizations are often in the forefront of innovation in their work and strongly encourage innovative projects which are characterized as those that:

• Are likely to prove transformative with the potential for meaningful change, whether in the development or enhancement of new or existing art forms, new approaches to the creation or presentation of art, or new ways of engaging the public with art;
• Are distinctive, offering fresh insights and new value for their fields and/or the public through unconventional solutions; and
• Have the potential to be shared and/or emulated, or are likely to lead to other advances in the field.

Through the projects that we support in the Art Works category, we want to achieve the following four outcomes:

• Creation: The creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence,
• Engagement: Public engagement with diverse and excellent art,
• Learning: Lifelong learning in the arts, and
• Livability: The strengthening of communities through the arts.

 Please note:      

• Partnerships can be valuable to the success of projects. While not required, applicants are encouraged to consider partnerships among organizations, both in and outside of the arts, as appropriate to their project.

• American arts and design organizations must be inclusive of the full range of demographics of their communities, as well as individuals of all physical and cognitive abilities. Toward that end, we encourage projects for which NEA support is sought to strive for the highest level of inclusiveness in their audiences, programming, artists, governance, and staffing. We also welcome projects that will explicitly address the issue of inclusion.

• We are interested in projects that extend the arts to underserved populations -- those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability. This is achieved in part through the use of Challenge America funds.

• The Art Works category does not fund direct grants to individuals. Direct grants to individuals are offered only in the category of Literature Fellowships.

Grants generally will range from $10,000 to $100,000. Grants of $100,000 or more will be made only in rare instances, and only for projects that the Arts Endowment determines demonstrate exceptional national or regional significance and impact. In the past few years, well over half of the agency's grants have been for amounts less than $25,000.

Deadlines [Back to Top]

Art Works applications will be accepted under two deadlines: March 7, 2013, and August 8, 2013. Apply under the deadline with the NEA outcome (in bold below) and project example that most closely corresponds to the primary focus of your proposed project. You will be asked to indicate the outcome that is most relevant to your project in your application and on the application form (you also will be able to select a secondary outcome).

An organization may submit more than one application under the Art Works category through the Media Arts discipline under the August 8, 2013, deadline. Organizations that are considering more than one Media Arts Art Works project under the August deadline must consult the Media Arts staff (mediaarts@arts.gov) before applying. (All organizations must apply directly on their own behalf. Applications through a fiscal agent are not allowed.)

For your application to be considered complete, every item that is required MUST be included in your application package, which must be submitted no later than the application deadline date under which you are applying. An organization cannot add missing items and/or resubmit the application (in whole or in part) after the application deadline.

March 7, 2013, Application Deadline
January 1, 2014, Earliest Beginning Date for Arts Endowment Period of Support

Engagement

• Media festivals, showcases, panels, and seminars that include film/video artists, video game and transmedia designers, critics, and/or scholars, and are open to the general public.
• Exhibition and/or touring programs of media art including the production of program notes and commentary by visiting artists, scholars, and critics.
• Services to the field including activities that provide media artists and organizations with resources that are essential for artistic growth and development.
• Facilities access that makes production and post-production equipment available to media artists.
• Publications on issues pertinent to the media arts field, both practical and aesthetic, and both digital and in print.

Learning

• Programs for the media field including workshops/residencies/conferences that are designed for media artists, critics, scholars, and are open to the general public.
• Education and related activities for youth, adults, intergenerational groups, and schools. (If your project is for youth, see "Choosing the Right Discipline for Youth Projects" to help you in your discipline selection.)

Livability

• Media arts exhibitions, festivals, and other activities in public spaces that are intended to foster community interaction and/or enhance the unique characteristics of a community.

If you are considering Livability as a primary outcome, please review the Livability reporting requirements in order to help ensure that your project is aligned with the intent of this outcome. If you have any additional questions, please contact the Media Arts staff at mediaarts@arts.gov.

August 8, 2013, Application Deadline
June 1, 2014, Earliest Beginning Date for Arts Endowment Period of Support

Creation

• Media art productions: Projects may include high-profile multi-part or single television and radio programs (documentaries and dramatic narratives); experimental, animated, transmedia, or interactive work; performance programs; arts-related segments for use within an existing series; apps for mobile or tablets (projects must be developed and made available for both iOS and Android devices); multi-part webisodes; installations; and video games. Productions must demonstrate the creative use of media, fulfilling, and when possible, extending their artistic possibilities. All phases of a project are eligible for support including research and development, production, completion and distribution costs with the exception of narrative scripts. Productions where the primary purpose is instructional, journalistic (except arts journalism), or promotional will not be considered.

Engagement

• Regional, national, or international distribution of media as art or about the arts, including the development of web portals, hubs, mobile and tablet apps (developed and made available for both iOS and Android devices), or other innovative uses of technology or new models to provide audiences with access to media artists and art works; or distribution projects developed to aggregate artistic content, resources, and knowledge that enable the efficient dissemination of arts-related information.
• Preservation, restoration, or archiving of media art works, and services that support preservation, restoration, or archiving efforts.

Project Reporting and Evaluation [Back to Top]

We ask all applicants to define what they would like to achieve, how they will assess the degree to which it is achieved, and, upon completion of the project, what they have learned from their experiences. Such feedback need not entail large-scale or expensive evaluation efforts. You should do what is feasible and appropriate for your organization and project. When a grant is completed, you must submit a final report and answer questions on your achievements and how these were determined. Arts Education grantees will be required to describe the assessment methods used to assess learning, and they will be required to submit any tools used to assess learning with their Final Report. (Please note that assessment tools may be shared publicly. If your tools are proprietary and have copyrights or trademarks attached, you will be asked to note that in your application and Final Report.) Before applying, please review the reporting requirements for the outcome that will be selected for the proposed project: Creation, Engagement, Learning, or Livability.

Beyond the reporting requirements for all grantees, selected Art Works grantees will be asked to assist in the collection of additional information that can help the NEA determine the degree to which agency objectives were achieved. You may be contacted to provide evidence of project accomplishments including, but not limited to, work samples, community action plans, cultural asset studies, programs, reviews, relevant news clippings, and playbills. Please remember that you are required to maintain project documentation for three years following submission of your final reports.

Application Review [Back to Top]

This category uses the agency's traditional method of application review. Applications are submitted to the Media Arts staff and are reviewed by a diverse group of experts in the media arts field.

Applications are reviewed on the basis of artistic excellence and artistic merit. For more detailed information on how artistic excellence and artistic merit will be evaluated, see the "Review Criteria." You can find additional information in the "Application Review" section of the "Frequently Asked Questions." See the "Application Calendar" for information on when we expect to announce grant awards and rejections.

Contacts [Back to Top]

Media Arts Specialists: Mary Smith, Dan Sonnett at mediaarts@arts.gov

If you wish to apply: [Back to Top]

CFDA No. 45.024
OMB No. 3135-0112 Expires 11/30/2013
January 2013

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
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Washington, DC 20506