American Masterpieces: New Hampshire Inspirations
Deadline: May 2, 2008

Grant Coordinator: Lynn Martin Graton
lynn.j.graton@dcr.nh.gov
(603) 271-8418

These FY09 Grant Guidelines are valid for grant period July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009

This grant opportunity is made possible through funding to the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts for its American Masterpieces initiative. The American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius initiative was developed to introduce Americans to the best of their cultural and artistic legacy. The national initiative consists of three components - touring, local presentations, and arts education. Programs presenting acknowledged masterpieces selected from a wide variety of art forms will tour to large and small communities in all 50 states. Arts education makes up a substantial portion of the initiative, both by bringing students to the exhibitions, presentations, and performances, and by creating substantial and engaging in-school programs. Nationally funded presentations will be supported with promotional materials so that institutions throughout the country can create programs consistent with the overall theme.

New Hampshire Inspirations is the State Arts Council’s implementation of the national American Masterpieces initiative, and will support the presenting, touring, and/or teaching of masterpiece works that have a connection to the Granite State. The masterpieces may be by, or inspired by, any artist who lived, worked or visited New Hampshire for any length of time. In addition to masterworks by New Hampshire natives or residents would be masterworks by artists who have been residents of the MacDowell Colony, such as West Side Story by composer/conductor Leonard Bernstein; significant works by artists who have summered here, such as American Impressionist Childe Hassam’s paintings of poet Celia Thaxter’s garden on the Isles of Shoals and members of the Cornish Arts Colony; or masterpieces by artists who were inspired by an aspect of New Hampshire’s history, culture, or natural landscape.

Purpose of Grant

• To showcase the work of American artists, craftsmen, authors, and architects who are acknowledged masters in their fields;
• To demonstrate the historical or cultural significance of American masterpieces to New Hampshire, either in origin or in influence;
• To demonstrate artistic excellence in the quality of the presentation or the project;
• To educate the public about American Masterpieces with New Hampshire connections;
• To encourage collaborative partnerships between arts organizations and humanities scholars and organizations;
• To increase appreciation for and a greater understanding of the role the arts play in education in grades pre-kindergarten through adult education;
• To make the arts more accessible in communities that are underserved due to economic, geographic, or other barriers;
• To strengthen an arts organization's capacity for audience development.

Maximum Grant Request
Requests may be made for $1,000-$7,500. Applicants may apply for more than one grant per fiscal year in this category. No one organization will be awarded more than $7,500 in one fiscal year in this category.

Important Note: All grant categories and amounts are subject to change, depending on availability of state and federal funds for any fiscal year.

Required Match
At a minimum, grants must be matched on a one-to-one cash basis. State Arts Council funds may not be matched by other State Arts Council or National Endowment for the Arts funds. In-kind contributions from partnering humanities organizations e.g., a history department at a college or university, are allowable as a portion of the required cash match.

Who May Apply?
Nonprofit organizations with incorporation in New Hampshire and a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service, or units within post-secondary educational institutions or other cultural organizations in New Hampshire (e.g., a college art gallery, public television, or a history museum), who also meet the following conditions:

• Produce, present, or serve the arts for the benefit of the general public;
• Have a 3-year history of professionally developed arts programming prior to the application deadline;
• Make their programs and facilities accessible to people with disabilities;
• Have an independent board of directors or advisory council that meets at least quarterly;
• Have submitted all required reports on past State Arts Council grants.

Eligible Projects

• Project must feature art by American artists, preferably with connections to New Hampshire;
• The masterpiece(s) featured in the project must have a historical and/or cultural significance to New Hampshire and/or the nation;
• Project must have an educational component to it, emphasizing the historical or cultural significance of the piece, and its relevance to New Hampshire.

Restrictions
The grant does not support:

• College, university, or school projects that are not open to the public;
• Projects sponsored by arts organizations incorporated in New Hampshire, but with headquarters in a "border" town of a neighbor state (within 30 miles of NH's border), unless they have significant representation of NH residents on their boards and demonstrate that at least 50% of the individuals who benefit from their work are NH residents;
• Presentations for membership organizations that are not open to the public.
• Performances, presentations, or educational interpretations of works not by American artists, craftsmen, authors, or architects;
• Projects that are already receiving funding from any other State Arts Council grant category;
• General operating expenses not related to this project;
• The administrative expenses of current Operating Grantees (Costs associated with artist fees, travel, supplies and materials may be supported);
• Hospitality costs.

Sample Projects
Eligible disciplines may include, but are not limited to:

• Choral Music
• Musical Theatre
• Dance
• Visual Arts
• Performing Arts
• Literature
• Architecture

Sample Projects:

• Educational activities that help convey the significance of American choral music and provide access to the rich legacy of American choral history;
• Culturally significant American songs featured in choral performances by traditional and/or professional New Hampshire artists intended for audiences such as: festivals, agricultural fairs, seasonal celebrations, nursing homes, community gatherings, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and exhibitions, etc.;
• Workshops, classes or lecture-demonstrations to enhance performances of American choral works for under-served communities;
• Choral music that is created by New Hampshire artists or MacDowell Colony artists or inspired by music, art, or poetry associated with New Hampshire, such as:
• Composers Amy Beach, Aaron Copland, and Leonard Bernstein
• Shaker Music
• Poet Robert Frost
• White Mountain School Painting
• Staging of American Dance works that have artistic, historical or cultural significance to New Hampshire. Such dance programs must also include educational and interpretive components such as study guides, student performances, lectures, and exhibitions.  Artists who are considered masters in the field of American dance can be selected, whether living or deceased, and regardless of the dance form or style in which they work. Examples may include:
• A public performance of classical dance, promoted as a method of introducing the community to masterworks by American choreographers, and accompanied by educational material or workshop/discussion;
• At each site, performances, panel discussions, lectures, school showings, open rehearsals, film or video showings, symposia or other activities allowing general audiences access to the history of the dance work and the process of creating choreography;
• A collaboration of organizations, including musical ensembles, dance companies, community-based dance organizations, presenting institutions, or schools/universities to create a public performance and awareness of masterpiece dance works and their significance to New Hampshire;
• Works by Philobolus, a contemporary dance company that got its start at Dartmouth College, with accompanying programs for local schools;
• Restaging of works by choreographers Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis, who performed at the performance center known as Mariarden in Peterborough, NH, and influenced Martha Graham.
• Visual arts of cultural or historical value to New Hampshire. Such exhibits must also include educational or interpretive components such as study guides, lectures, exhibitions, or informational brochures.  Examples may include:
• Exhibitions of works by a single artist, school of artists, artist colony, arts movement, arts genre;
• Enhanced educational materials or programs such as catalogues, brochures, documentaries, or study guides; 
• Theatrical production based on the work of Maxfield Parrish;
• An exhibition of coin designs by Augustus Saint Gaudens;
• An exhibition of studio pottery with lectures on the significance of work by master potters Edwin and Mary Scheier on the American crafts movement;
• A film about photographer Lotte Jacobi;
• Study guides on New Hampshire furniture makers;
• A photographic exhibition showcasing the work of National Heritage Fellow Newt Washburn, basket-maker, and his apprentice.
• Musical Theatre presentations that celebrate the collaborative genius, evolution, diversity, and cultural contribution of the American musical theater. Projects must also include educational or interpretive components such as study guides, lectures, exhibitions, or informational brochures. Examples may include:
• Concert Staging of lesser known masterworks;
• The production of masterworks with significant outreach to students;
• Presentation of works of American Masters such as MacDowell Fellow Leonard Bernstein (Candide, On the Town, West Side Story) with a post-show discussion on the works of Leonard Bernstein;
• A community theatre company or coalition of community theatres presenting a weekend theatre festival featuring contemporary musical theatre productions by American playwrights and songwriters accompanied by educational components chronicling the role of summer theatre in New Hampshire.

How to Apply
Applicants are strongly encouraged to either attend one of the Council’s grant information sessions held in the fall (please see the State Arts Council website for specific dates) or to discuss their proposals with the Coordinator whose name appears above before writing their applications. Draft applications maybe reviewed if submitted at least two weeks in advance of the application deadline. First time applicants are especially encouraged to submit draft copies.

• Fill out the Application and Budget Form: MSWord / PDF
• Answer the Narrative Questions
• Provide Support Materials
• Follow the directions in How to Prepare the Application Package

Deadlines
Applications must be postmarked or hand delivered to the NH State Council on the Arts office at 2 ½ Beacon St, second floor, Concord, by 4:15 p.m. on the deadline date noted above. Office hours are Monday - Friday, 8:15 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. The office is closed all state and most federal holidays. Late applications will not be accepted. The Council cannot accept applications transmitted by facsimile (FAX) or be responsible for applications lost in transit. Errors and omissions may affect a panel's evaluation of your application, so please prepare your application carefully and follow instructions.

Notification
Applicants will be notified of their application status approximately ten weeks after the application deadline.

Payment
NHSCA disperses funds appropriated from public sources, both federal and state. Checks are issued by Administrative Services of the State of NH, not the Department of Cultural Resources or NHSCA.

Upon receipt of properly executed grant forms, the State of New Hampshire generally pays grants under $5,000 to grantees within 4 to 6 weeks. If a grantee is awarded $5,000 or more or has received other State Arts Council funds which brings the cumulative total received for that fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) to $5,000 or above, grants need to be approved by Governor and Council; consequently, payment can take up to ten weeks. Grantees should plan cash flow accordingly. All awards are subject to availability of state and federal funds.

IMPORTANT: All grant agreements for applications submitted for the March 3, 2008 deadline must be returned by August 6, 2008. Failure to return the grant agreement by the specified date could result in cancellation of the grant and reallocation of funds. All funded projects must be completed by June 30th of the fiscal year they are submitted and approved.

Payment of a grant will be withheld if Final Reports for previous grants are not in compliance with policy below.

Grant Period and Final Report
The grant period is July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009. A final report is due 30 days after the completion of your project, but no later than July 31, 2009. An extension of up to three months may be requested by writing to the grant coordinator responsible for administering the grant. The request should be sent no later than July 15, 2009 and should briefly note why the extension is necessary and the date the report will be submitted. A status report will be due with the request.

Failure to submit the final report by the required date will result in the organization becoming ineligible to apply for NHSCA funding for two years. Additionally, failure to submit the final report may result in a withholding of funds from any currently awarded NHSCA grant. Click here for the Final Report Download Center.

Funding Criteria
The following criteria will be used by reviewers to rate applications:

Artistic Quality
The artistic excellence of the project or program, which includes:

• Quality of the works of art that the project will feature;
• Quality of the artists and arts organizations involved;
• Significance of the featured artwork(s) to America’s artistic heritage.

Public Benefit to New Hampshire Citizens
The artistic merit of the project, which includes:

• Demonstrated significance to the historical, artistic, and/or cultural heritage of New Hampshire;
• Extent to which the project broadens access to the arts and/or presents art that otherwise would not be available;
• Ability of the project to impact more than one community;
• Potential to enhance the educational experience of the audience or participants;
• Where appropriate, the potential to reach underserved populations such as those whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, ethnicity, economics, or disability.

Administrative Capacity

• Applicant’s ability to carry out the project including the appropriateness of the budget, the quality and clarity of the project goals and design, the resources involved, and the qualifications of the project's personnel;
• Plans for documentation, evaluation, and dissemination, as appropriate to the project;
• Board composition and staff qualifications;
• Credentials of outside contractors (if applicable);
• Realistic timetable for project;
• Sound marketing and fundraising plans;
• Well planned strategic partnerships, if appropriate, to carry out the project.

Narrative Questions
Please answer the following narrative questions on no more than 5 typed pages. Margins, fonts (not smaller than 12 point), and spacing should provide easy reading for the panel reviewers. Please number and respond to the following questions in the order in which they appear, noting the section titles in bold. If a question is not applicable, please list it and indicate same.

Who Are You & What Are You Going to Do?

1. Organizational Profile: Provide a brief profile of your organization including its mission and a description of the community(ies) you serve. Please remember that some of the panel reviewers will not be familiar with your organization.

2. Project Summary: (150 words or less)
Summarize your proposed project noting:

• Featured American Masterpiece(s);
• Programs or services being offered;
• Targeted audience & participants;
• Timeline for planning and implementing project;
• Touring component (if applicable);
• Outline of specific, comprehensive plan for crediting the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts for supporting projects that are funded.

Why Are You Doing It?

3. Project Goal: State the goal(s) and intended outcomes of this project, and how it relates to your organization’s long-range plan.

4. Cultural and/or historical significance to New Hampshire: Explain how this project meets the requirements of the NH Inspirations initiative, with focus on:

• Works created or inspired by American artists or craftspeople
• New Hampshire connection to the work.

5. Arts Education: Describe the educational component of this project.

How Are You Going to Do It?

6. Project Director/Consultant/Partners: Include name and qualifications of the Project Coordinator or Consultant who will be involved with this project and attach his/her bio or resume. If you are working with humanities partners, provide names and background information on the scholar or organization.

7. Financing: Complete the project budget expense and income forms. Provide a brief narrative describing how you plan to meet the one-to-one cash match.

8. Marketing/Outreach Plan:

• How will you attract participants to be a part of the project or program?
• How will you attract the general public to experience the project or program?

9. Accessibility:

• Identify the ways you will provide access to people with disabilities and senior citizens so they may benefit from this project (i.e., physical access, programmatic access via large print programs and signage, sign language interpretation, assistive listening devices, transportation).
• Identify how or if your project will provide arts access/exposure to underserved populations.

How Will You Evaluate and Document It?

10. Evaluation: How will you measure success? Describe the qualitative and/or quantitative measures you will use to know if your intended outcomes were achieved. Please attach copies of evaluation forms, if applicable.

11. Project Documentation: How do you plan to document this project (i.e., video, web site, print, photography)?

Required Support Materials
6 copies of

• Board-approved financial statement for most recently completed fiscal year.

(Arts organizations embedded within institutions (i.e., an art gallery within a university) should submit an income statement for the past two years and other financial documents, approved by a financial officer of the supervisory institution. This income statement should detail how much support the arts organization has been receiving from internal and external sources, as well as where those funds have been going. These organizations should submit a balance sheet, if available.)

• List of current board or arts advisory committee members with addresses, e-mails, and affiliations.
• One page resume or bio of project director.
• Selected relevant program materials such as fliers, handouts, workshop announcements, and any applicable organizational promotion material. See Preparation of Work Samples for instructions on preparing work samples/support materials.
• Description and/or samples of educational material that will be presented as part of this project. Where a presentation, lecture, or workshop is applicable, provide an outline of the topics that will be covered.

One copy of

• First-time applicants only: Tax exempt status letter from the IRS and a copy of the Letter of Good Standing that was received upon registering with the Attorney General's office.
• A completed New Hampshire Nonprofit Checklist found at this link: http://www.nhcf.org/page16898.cfm. This checklist conveniently lists all the legal requirements for NH Nonprofit Organizations.

NOTE : Registration of IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofits is required every five years, for the years ending in 0 or 5. This means that 2005 was a year for all nonprofits to do so. This registration may be done on-line at www.sos.nh.gov.

How to Prepare the Application Package
1. Fill out and sign the original application & budget form.
2. Complete narrative questions.
3. Make 1 copy of the application and narrative questions for your files.
4. Make 6 sets (5 copies and your original) to submit to New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. Be sure to copy both sides of the application form. Please do not use binders, folders, protector sheets. Staples or clips are acceptable. Each set should contain the following items arranged in the order in which they are listed:

• the signed application and budget form (the original application should be with the first set)
• narrative questions
• board approved financial statement
• list of board members
• project director biography or resume
• letters of support (optional)
• sample evaluation form(s), if available
• sample program materials

5. First-time non-profit organization applicants only (municipalities and schools are exempt from this requirement):

• One copy of IRS letter certifying 501(c)(3) status.
• One copy of the Letter of Good Standing that was received upon registering with the NH State Attorney General’s office.

IMPORTANT: If applying for more than one grant include only one IRS letter and one Letter of Good Standing and make a note in your packet that you have submitted these with another application.

Mail or hand-deliver to:

 NH State Council on the Arts
2 1/2 Beacon Street, 2nd Floor
Concord, NH 03301

by 4:15 PM on the deadline date noted above. Put everything together in one package, putting the set with the application form with original signature on top. Include a SASE for any materials that need to be returned.

Why all these copies?
The original is for the State Arts Council files. The copies are for the five panelists who will read your application prior to review and discussion at the panel meeting.

Last updated: February 22, 2008