AISC Residencies FY25

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. Fifteen individuals appointed by the Governor oversee the Montana Arts Council.

Artists in Schools and Communities Grant Program

The Montana Arts Council strives to foster access to robust arts learning on behalf of citizens of all ages and abilities. To that end, the Artists in Schools and Communities (AISC) grant program supports a wide range of arts learning projects through its two subcategories: AISC Experiences and AISC Residencies.

AISC Residencies

The AISC Residencies grant connects learners of all ages and abilities with professional teaching artists through a diversity of learning formats and settings. Residencies range from a couple of hours to months-long experiences and may engage one or several guest artists working with a single core group of learners or with multiple groups, all sharing 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 AISC Residencies grant category must include hands-on learning.

AISC Residencies Application Deadline: March 14, 2024 at 5 PM

Applications are submitted electronically through MAC's online grant management system.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and scored against the following criteria:

The project exhibits artistic and educational
Thorough plans for implementation and evaluation are
Preliminary planning will ensure access and community
Project management and budget appear

Applications may be prioritized to equalize arts learning opportunities across geographic area, arts discipline, and core learning groups.

Review Process

Requests submitted to the AISC Residencies category will be reviewed 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 AISC review panel will discuss requests in a public meeting to be held in late April, 2024; applicants will be invited to attend as observers. Review panelists will make recommendations to the full body of the Montana Arts Council which will then make the final funding determinations.

A summary of panel comments is made available to applicants upon request. Applicants are encouraged to contact MAC staff following the review to receive comments, regardless of the outcome, as they provide useful insight for the project and/or future grant requests.

Grant Period

FY25 AISC Residencies grants will support activities taking place between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Please note that funds cannot be awarded in support of project activities that have already occurred.

Award Amounts

Requests in this category must fall within the range of $2500 - $10,000.

Notification

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by June 15, 2024.

Eligible Applicants

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, and in existence for one full year prior to receiving funds
University or Tribal College arts program with ongoing outreach programs that significantly extend services beyond the campus
Tribal K-12 school
Unit of government
Public educational institution
Local chapter of a tax-exempt national organization

Restrictions

AISC grants may not be awarded to
Projects may not be funded retroactively and must not begin until July 1, 2024 or
Organizations are not prevented from submitting to more than one AISC category during the FY25 cycle, such as Experiences and Residencies.

Requirements

A 1:1 cash match. For first time-grantees, Tribal schools or Class C or smaller schools, MAC will provide a 2:1 match (2/3 of total project funding.)
Organizations must be in compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Applicants must be formally organized and continuously operating in Montana for a minimum of one year prior to project start date.
Grantees will be required to obtain a SAM number as a UEI (Unique Entity Identifier). Applicants may obtain this number from https://sam.gov/content/home using the “Get a Unique Entity ID” button.

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.

Grantee Responsibilities

All current and prior MAC reporting must be in compliance and a SAM UEI# obtained in order to receive funding.
Organizations must maintain eligibility and continued compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Grantees must appropriately credit the Montana Arts Council in materials and announcements related to the supported project during the award period.
Modifications to the planned grant-supported project need to be submitted in writing to the Montana Arts Council and approved by MAC staff.
Grantees are encouraged to share news of their awarded project with their local

Reporting Requirements

A final report will be required, due 30 days following the project's completion. The final report, to be assigned as a follow up in the grants management system, will include:

A finalized project budget with accompanying explanation(s) of budgetary differences
A narrative summary of grant project activities and outcomes, together with assessments if used
A minimum of three pieces of supporting documentation, to include samples of artwork related to the project, process photos, audio or video of the artist working with participants, websites or other digital media, newspaper articles or social media pieces about the project, and formal or informal survey results
Copies of letters or other communications shared with legislators as applicable

Other Grant Program Considerations

In addition to the AISC Residencies grant category, you may wish to consider applying to these other MAC grant programs:

AISC Experiences grants fund a wide array of arts learning experiences for students of all ages and abilities through:

a school or organization's purchase of tools, supplies and small equipment to support experimentation with new arts media and methods;
transportation to support first-hand experiences with art or artists; or
fees supporting direct engagement with guest artists for a virtual or in-person learning session that may or may not include hands-on learning

2024 AISC Experiences applications are due at 5 PM on April 18, August 15 and December 12..

Strategic Investment Grants (SIG) provide up to $1000 in funds to enable artists and nonprofit organizations to pursue opportunities that will enhance their artistic careers and/or ability to achieve their mission. SIG awards are provided as a reimbursement grant that helps offset expenses related to opportunities for professional development, market expansion, and art events. Grants are reviewed on a monthly basis.

SIG supports a wide variety of arts-related activities and opportunities, including (but not limited to)

Attendance at workshops, conferences, residencies, and
Exhibiting at trade shows, gallery showings, conferences, festivals, or other art
Public outreach and marketing for events or
Expansion of online presence or entry into new online
Performances, public art installations, demonstrations, or
Investments in technology or tools that will represent a clear step forward

Project Information

Project Name*

Character Limit: 100

Amount Awarded

Character Limit: 20

Project Description*

Please provide a brief one-sentence description of your project. This description will be used publicly should a grant be awarded.

Character Limit: 250

Project Start Date*

Character Limit: 10

Project End Date*

Character Limit: 10

Is this the applicant's first AISC request?*

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Yes No

Uncertain

Is the applicant a Class C or smaller school?*

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Yes No

Will students of American Indian/Alaska Native ethnicity be served through this residency?*

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Yes No

Uncertain

Approximate total number of learners and the primary age group(s) to be served:*

Character Limit: 100

How will the residency activities be structured?*

Choices

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

Is the applicant organization providing the residency activities as the artist(s) in residence?*

Choices

Yes No

Project Artist(s) or Organization*

Name the artist(s) or arts organization providing the residency activities.

Character Limit: 50

Residency Artist(s) Contact Name*

Character Limit: 100

Artist's or Organization's Primary Discipline*

From the drop-down menu, choose the primary artistic discipline of the residency artist(s) or organization.

Choices

Arts Integration Dance

Film Folk/Traditional Literary Arts Media Arts Multidisciplinary Music Performance Art Theatre

Visual Art Other

Residency Artist(s) Contact Email Address*

Character Limit: 100

Residency Artist(s) Phone Number*

Character Limit: 15

Artist Links

Use the spaces below to provide links to the residency artist's or organization's website and/or primary public interface.

Character Limit: 2000

Narrative

Arts Learning Objectives*

Identify up to 3 succinct arts learning objectives.

What discipline-related knowledge or skills do you hope the learners will have gained by the conclusion of this residency?

Character Limit: 1000

Project Overview*

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

Planning Process*

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

Montana Arts Standards and Indian Education for All

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

Curriculum Integration

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: 5000

Core Learners*

Describe the core group(s) of learners participating in the project.

Who are the learners who will participate and what is the age range of those involved? Why was this particular group chosen?

Character Limit: 1000

Need Addressed*

Briefly, what specific educational or artistic need is being addressed through this residency?

Character Limit: 1000

Access to Residency*

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: 5000

Assessment of Student Learners*

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.

For school-day projects using a formal assessment tool(s), please upload below.

Character Limit: 2500 | File Size Limit: 2 MB

Project Activity Locations*

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

Teaching Artist Selection*

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: 5000

Artist Resume/CV or Promotional One-Sheet*

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: 8 MB

Artist Work Samples

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

Residency Schedule*

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.

Character Limit: 2500 | File Size Limit: 4 MB

Amount Requested*

Character Limit: 20

Project Budget*

Use the form provided here to submit your project budget; be sure to include the amount you are requesting from MAC. Once completed, use the naming convention below to rename the file and upload. In the space provided, add budget notes as needed. Note: If your budget has been created in Numbers rather than Excel, please save as a PDF before uploading.

OrganizationName_FY25AISCResidencyBudget

Character Limit: 500 | File Size Limit: 2 MB

Additional Support Materials

Upload any additional items that would help inform your request, using the space provided here to identify the uploaded item(s).

Character Limit: 500 | File Size Limit: 8 MB

Additional Support Materials Upload 2

File Size Limit: 8 MB

Assurances and Signatures

Assurances Statement*

Click here to read the assurances. Check the box below to certify that you have read and understand the assurances.

Choices

I have read and understand the assurances

Terms of Payment*

Grant funds are initiated upon return of the grant award contract. It is the grantee's responsibility to pay the total amount due to the teaching artist(s), based on mutually agreed upon terms, no later than the final day of the project.

Choices

I understand that the teaching artist(s) must be paid no later than the conclusion of the residency.

Application Signature Page*

Click here to access the application signature page.

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 signifies commitment to the residency.

Please print it, have the appropriate authorizing officials complete and sign and upload using the button below.

File Size Limit: 2 MB

Review of Application*

Click on the print application link and review a pdf file of the application.

I understand that this is how it will appear to the review committee, that all items required appear in the pdf file, and that the way my application appears is my responsibility. I have reviewed the guidelines and understand that my application will be reviewed based on this criteria.

Choices

I have reviewed my application.

Grant Contact*

I have added administrator@grantinterface.com to my contact list.

Choices

Yes

Please type your name in the box below.*

Character Limit: 50

Date*

Character Limit: 10

Signature Verification*

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.

Choices

I agree