Arts Education Residencies FY27
Montana Arts Council
Guidelines
Montana Arts Council
The Montana Arts Council is the agency of state government established to develop the creative potential of all Montanans, advance education, spur economic vibrancy, and revitalize communities through involvement in the arts. The Montana Arts Council supports robust arts learning for all ages and abilities in communities across Montana.
Residencies grants are designed to inspire and engage learners through an experiential learning model. While projects may involve other essential learning components, the primary goal of this program is to connect learners with professional artists or teaching artists for hands-on learning. Grant awards are between $2500 and $10,000 and require a 1:1 match. For organizations submitting their first Residencies request, or for Tribal or Class C or smaller schools, a 2:1 match (2/3 of the project cost) is offered.
Fees paid to artists or teaching artists;
Travel support for artists or teaching artists;
Consumable supplies and small tools directly related to the focus of the project;
A combination of the above, with the largest share of the funding directed toward artists' time.
Projects can be designed to engage one or more guest artists working with a single core group of learners or with multiple groups over days, weeks or months; these projects share in common the key components of experiential learning, a depth of knowledge gained and a strong emphasis on the process of art creation. Because of this emphasis, activities under the Arts Education Residencies grant category must include hands-on learning.
Project Timeframe | Grant Deadline | Notification Date |
July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 | March 19, 2026 at 11:59 PM | May 15, 2026 |
Applications will be reviewed and scored against the following criteria:
The project exhibits artistic and educational merit.
Thorough plans for implementation and evaluation are evident.
Preliminary planning will ensure equitable access and learner engagement.
Project management and budget appear sound
Grant awards may be prioritized to equalize arts learning opportunities across geographic area, arts disciplines, and core learning groups. Repeat project must demonstrate a significant change in the project focus, art form or audience to be considered for funding.
Grant applications are first reviewed by MAC staff and then by a panel comprised of local and regional professionals from the arts, nonprofit and arts education communities, chaired by a non-voting member of the council. The panel will discuss applications in a public meeting and subsequently make recommendations to the full body of the Montana Arts Council which will then make final funding determinations.
Applicants must refrain from contacting panel or council members, individually or as a group, before or during the review process. Applicants may attend the panel meeting as observers but will not be allowed to discuss their application.
Applicants may request a summary of reviewers’ comments from staff after the grant review is complete. These comments can provide useful insight for future grant requests or for the current project.
The process is competitive; there may not be funding available to award grants to all eligible requests or at the amount requested. Your application is not a guarantee of a grant award.
All applicants must be one of the following:
Nonprofit organization with an IRS 501(c)(3) ruling, incorporated in Montana and registered and in good standing with the Montana Secretary of State.
K-12 Public School
Tribal College or university arts program with ongoing outreach programs that significantly extend services beyond the campus. Tribal or university arts programs must
submit a letter with the date the program was established, signed by the authorizing official.
Local chapter of a national tax-exempt organization registered and operating within the state of Montana as verified by MAC staff.
Unit of government
Public education institution
Organizations must be formally and continuously operating in Montana for a minimum of one year prior to the project start date.
Those organizations currently operating under a fiscal sponsorship or other structure need to contact MAC staff to determine eligibility.
Residencies grants may not be awarded to individuals.
Projects may not be funded retroactively, must not begin until July 1, 2026 or later, and must fall into the specified timeframe of the grant unless otherwise approved by MAC staff.
Organizations may receive only one Arts Education Experiences award and one Arts Education Residencies award inside of the same fiscal year.
All current and prior MAC reporting must be in compliance.
Grantees must obtain a SAM UEI# prior to receipt of funding. Applicants should obtain this number from https://sam.gov using the "Get the Unique Entity ID" button. There is never a charge to receive a SAM number though it can take several weeks.
Grantees must appropriately credit the Montana Arts Council in all publicity for the supported project as specified in the grant contract.
Any changes to the funded project must be submitted in writing to the Montana Arts Council and approved by MAC staff.
Grantees must pay the total amount due to any contracted guest or teaching artist(s), based on mutually agreed-upon terms, no later than the final day of the project.
Share news of your awarded project with your local legislators to help demonstrate the impact of the grant program, along with invitations to public events as applicable.
A final report, assigned within the online grants management system, will be due 30 days after the project's completion. This report will include:
A finalized project budget with accompanying explanation of budget changes;
A narrative summary of your grant project activities and outcomes, together with assessments and/or evaluation of the project, including formal or informal survey results;
Photographs of the project in action, project work samples, audio or video file of a guest artist working with participants, digital media, newspaper articles or social media posts about the project;
Copies of any communications shared with legislators.
When you are ready to apply, please contact Monica Grable, Arts Education Director, at (406) 444-6522 or Monica.Grable@mt.gov. This is especially recommended for new applicants.
To obtain an alternate format of the guidelines or application, or for other ADA accommodation needs, please contact Kristin Han Burgoyne, Accessibility Coordinator, at kburgoyne@mt.gov or 406-444-6449.
Project Information
Character Limit: 100
Please provide a brief one-sentence description of your project which will be used publicly to announce your grant if awarded.
Character Limit: 250
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Yes No
Uncertain
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Yes No
Character Limit: 250
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Same day with a single group of learners Same day with multiple groups of learners
Over days, weeks or months with the same group of learners Over days, weeks or months with multiple groups of learners
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Yes No
Character Limit: 100
Character Limit: 100
Who is leading the arts learning residency?
Character Limit: 100
From the drop-down menu, choose the primary artistic discipline of the residency artist(s) or organization.
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Arts Integration Dance
Film Folk/Traditional Literary Arts Media Arts Multidisciplinary Music Performance Art Theatre
Visual Art Other
Character Limit: 100
Use this space to share a link(s) to the organization's and/or artist's website or primary public interface. If none, please leave blank.
Character Limit: 2000
Provide a second URL to the arts learning provider's website or primary public interface as needed.
Character Limit: 2000
Financial Information
Character Limit: 20
Use the table below to enter your expenses for this project. Expenses must match or exceed the amount of the request.
Please contact Monica Grable (Monica.Grable@mt.gov) with any questions.
Cost Category | Enter a description of the expense item | Amount |
Fees for artist or learning provider | 1 Teaching Artist @ $75 per hour x 20 hours | $1500 |
Travel - transportation | 120 miles @ $.71.5 per mile | $ 85.80 |
Travel - lodging | 2 nights hotel @$125 each | $250 |
Facility use fee | Art Center painting studio, 12 hours @ $60 per hour | $720 |
Supplies | Watercolor paper, paints | $344.20 |
Please use the space below to further clarify the amounts entered above or to add additional information you wish to share with the review committee.
Character Limit: 1000
The total of all funds should equal the total expenses for the project as entered above indicating the amount of the required match. First-time applicants as well as Tribal or Class C or smaller schools receive a 2:1 support and therefore provide 1/3 of the total project cost as their match; all others must include a 1:1 cash match. Please contact Monica Grable (Monica.Grable@mt.gov) with any questions.
What is "applicant cash"?
Applicant cash is the portion of the project budget, if any, the organization intends to pay out of their own funds.
Other Funding. What does this mean?
These are other sources of funding. This might include other grants, cash donations, or expected sales, registrations or admissions you anticipate collecting.
Funding Source | Amount |
MAC Grant Request | $2500.00 |
Admission/Tickets/Registration | $750.00 |
Other Grant | $1500.00 |
Cash Donations | $250.00 |
Applicant Cash | $500.00 |
Please use the space below to further clarify the amounts entered above or to add additional information you wish to share with the review committee. Include explanations of any donated cash, goods or services that contribute to the outcome of this project.
Character Limit: 1000
Narrative
Describe the core group(s) of learners participating in the project.
Who are the learners who will gain experience through the project? Why has this particular group been chosen? Is there a particular need you are working to address?
Character Limit: 1500
Define up to 3 succinct arts learning objectives. Begin objective statements with 'learners will'... What arts-related knowledge or skills do you hope the learners will have gained by the conclusion of this residency?
Character Limit: 1000
Please describe the project in detail.
What art discipline(s) will the learners explore and how will students be engaged in hands-on learning in that art form? What specific art making skills will be introduced by the artist(s) and what process steps will the students follow? Will a culminating exhibit or event be included in the project activities?
Character Limit: 5000
If your project takes place in a public school during the regular school day, please list any Montana Standards for Arts the proposed project will meet. Please go into detail to demonstrate how the project activities will address each standard included. Additionally, if your project involves the study of Native American artwork or culture, briefly discuss how the proposed project meets Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians and with whom you are consulting on your project, such as a Native artist, educator, tribal elder or Native American Studies scholar.
If your proposed project takes place outside the school day, please consider how the Arts Standards or Essential Understandings might enhance your project.
Character Limit: 10000
If the residency takes place in a public school during the school day, will the artistic skills and knowledge shared by the teaching artist(s) be integrated with other subject areas? If yes, please describe in detail.
Character Limit: 2500
Provide details on the process undertaken, to date, in planning for the proposed residency activities.
If partnering with a group of community members, educators or administrators, please identify the stakeholders involved and their respective roles as well as the meetings that have taken place or are planned to take place.
Character Limit: 2500
Please share the steps undertaken to ensure equal access to the residency activities by the designated arts learners. Also share your plan, if any, to make the learning visible through community involvement.
Character Limit: 2500
If a public event (exhibit, concert, etc.) is a part of this project, please enter that date below. If the public component stretches over multiple dates, enter the date of the first public event.
Character Limit: 10
Please list the physical locations of all sites where the arts learning will take place and include the Montana county where the sites are located.
If your proposed project is statewide or regional and/or will serve more than 5 sites, please download the spreadsheet
provided here, complete and upload using a file name that indicates your organization and program year.
Character Limit: 1000 | File Size Limit: 2 MB
If sponsoring the artist(s) in residence, please provide detail on the artist selection process and why they are the best fit for the planned residency activities. If engaging an artist(s) or organization you have worked with previously, briefly address why it is important to invite the same artist(s) to return. If the applicant is directly providing the residency activities, please share your unique capacity to carry out the proposed activities.
Character Limit: 2500
Provide a resume/CV or one-sheet for each residency artist or organization leading residency activities. Only one upload is allowed, therefore multiple items must be combined into a single PDF. Please contact MAC staff for assistance in combining files if needed.
File Size Limit: 4 MB
Provide work samples (images, lesson plans, other) by residency artist(s) here. Only one upload is allowed, therefore multiple items must be combined into a single pdf. Please contact MAC staff for assistance in combining files if needed.
File Size Limit: 8 MB
Briefly describe the residency structure.
If the project involves multiple sessions, core groups of learners, or more than one teaching artist, please upload a detailed schedule or timetable below.
Character Limit: 2500
File Size Limit: 2 MB
How will you assess participant learning and understanding during the project? How will you know students have gained the knowledge and skills in the artistic form listed as your objectives above? This might be as simple as recording student's audio responses post-activity or using a short survey tool.
Character Limit: 2500
For school-day projects using a formal assessment tool, please upload that sample here.
File Size Limit: 2 MB
Upload any additional items that would help inform your request, using the space provided here to identify the uploaded item(s).
Character Limit: 1000 | File Size Limit: 8 MB
File Size Limit: 8 MB
Contacts and Accessibility
For questions or assistance with the application process or to discuss development of your project, contact Monica Grable, Arts Education Director, at Monica.Grable@mt.gov or (406) 444-6522. MAC staff is available to provide technical assistance—including a review of your application draft—or to provide an alternate format of the guidelines or application as needed.
For other ADA accommodation needs, please contact Kristin Han Burgoyne, Accessibility Coordinator, at kburgoyne@mt.gov or 406-444-6449.
Assurances and Signatures
Click here to read the assurances. Check the box below to certify that you have read and understand the assurances.
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I have read and understand the assurances
The guidelines available at the top of this application form include information on eligibility, evaluation criteria, important project dates and more. Please indicate below that you have read and understand the guidelines.
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I have read and understand the guidelines
Grant funds are paid upon return of the grant award contract. It is the grantee's responsibility to pay the total amount due to any contracted guest or teaching artist(s), based on mutually agreed upon terms, no later than the final day of the project.
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I understand that the teaching artist(s) must be paid no later than the conclusion of the residency.
Click here to access the application signature page and complete signatures according to the policies and procedures of your organization. The signature page must be signed by someone who is authorized to commit funds for the school/organization; this person is almost always a principal or superintendent for a school, an executive director or the president of the board for an organization. The signature of the teaching artist, or representative of artist organization or guest artist/company as they apply, signifies commitment to the project.
Please print the signature page, have the appropriate authorizing officials complete and sign, then upload using the button below.
File Size Limit: 2 MB
Click on the print application link in the top right of this form and review a pdf file of the application; check that all items required appear in the pdf file. Using the button below please indicate your understanding that this is how it will appear to the review committee and acknowledge that the way the application appears is the applicant's responsibility.
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I have reviewed my application.
I have added administrator@grantinterface.com to my contact list.
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Yes
Character Limit: 50
Character Limit: 10
By clicking "I Agree" below and typing my name in the box above, I am authorized to make application on behalf of this individual or organization and the information provided is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
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I agree