Individual Artists

Community Artist Roster Application Guidelines
Deadline: April 3, 2009

Due to budget cuts, new applicants can not be accepted for FY2011.

The State Arts Council encourages organizations throughout the state to bring professional New Hampshire artists into their communities to engage residents in the arts-making process. To that end, financial assistance for these participatory projects involving roster artists is provided to public and private nonprofit organizations, municipalities, governmental agencies, and schools (if programs are open to community members at a time they can participate).

Performing, literary, media and visual artists are eligible to apply for Community Artist Roster membership. Artists must have the ability to relate effectively to community leaders and members of all ages and be skilled at engaging them in participatory arts programs in a variety of community sites. They must also be able to assist in planning community arts projects and be willing and able to communicate with leaders and volunteers.

Professional artists are those who devote the majority of their time practicing, performing, and/or teaching an arts discipline and who receive payment for their work in that discipline.

Who May Apply?
Professional New Hampshire artists who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply for roster membership:

•  Legal residency in the state of NH prior to application (if a group, at least one member must have residency);
•  Appropriate professional compensation for their work;
•  Documentation of a minimum of two years (and at least six engagements) of experience in doing multi-day arts programs within a community that involve participants in the creative process;
•  Poets: one full-length book or 10 poems accepted for publication during the past 10 years in anthologies or poetry magazines;
•  Fiction Writers: one full-length book or three short fiction pieces accepted for publication during the past 10 years in anthologies or magazines that regularly include fiction (Self-published work does not establish eligibility);
•  If the Council concurs that a particular arts discipline is not fully represented on the artist roster, nonresident artists who have demonstrated their commitment to offering their programs on a regular basis in NH may be accepted as roster members.

Application Review Process

•  Initially, the Council's Creative Communities Coordinator reviews applications for eligibility and completeness.
•  During the late spring/early summer months, discipline panels comprised of professional artists in the literary, performing, visual and media arts are convened to review support materials without the identity of the applicants being known.
•  For performing and literary artists applying for Community Arts Roster membership: A professional evaluator will be assigned to attend a live performance or reading occurring between May 15 and October 15 of this year. For visual or media artists applying for Community Arts Roster membership: If you are not offering any programs during this time period, arrangements for a live demo class or studio visit and interview will be made.
•  If both the tape and site reviews are favorable, you will be interviewed by a panel of arts administrators and presenters to evaluate your management expertise, ability to communicate effectively, and quality of promotional materials. This panel makes roster membership recommendations to the Council for their final approval.

Evaluation Criteria

• Artistic excellence, quality of work and level of creativity;
• Ability to engage groups/community members in a variety of settings, including ability to communicate effectively, rapport with audience/program participants of different ages, and flexibility in offering programs in a variety of spaces;
• Ability to educate groups/community members about their art form through program notes, master classes, workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and multi-day community residencies;
• Management expertise, including professionalism in public relations, contract negotiations, marketing (including via website), technical information (ability to explain technical needs to presenting organizations), and established fee structure; and
• Quality of promotional materials such as video or audiotapes, website, photos/slides, flyers, CD-roms, etc. for distribution to presenting organizations.

How to Apply
Applicants are encouraged to contact the coordinator whose name appears above prior to applying to confirm eligibility and discuss their application.

1. Complete the Roster Application Form: MSWord / PDF
Please be sure to check off the roster(s) for which you are applying and be sure to answer the appropriate questions.
2. Answer Narrative Questions: MSWord / PDF
3. Complete the Disclosure Form: MSWord / PDF

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4. Be sure to include the attachments and relevant support materials as indicated on the application. Support materials should demonstrate the quality of your recent work, no more than five years since completion. Do not submit original copies. See Preparation of Work Samples for instructions on preparing work samples/support materials.

Important Information About Support Materials
Support materials showing examples of the artist's work are a very important part of the artist's application. Arts discipline panels rate your materials through an anonymous review of support materials. Applicant's name should not appear within any of the work samples. Example: For DVD/VHS, cue past title credits or edit out any reference to applicant’s name. For hard copy materials, block out applicant's name.

The quality of the work, as experienced in the materials submitted, is a primary factor in determining artistic ratings. Each artist should prepare materials according to the requirement specified for each discipline. All works should be recent (done within the last five years). Reproductions of all work samples should be of the highest quality possible.

5. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope or other mailing parcel if you want your materials returned. Be sure to keep a copy for your own records. Mail your application materials by the deadline noted above (postmark deadline) or hand deliver to the State Arts Council office by 4:15 pm on that date.

How to Submit Your Application
1. Submit original and 4 copies of each of the following in this order:

• Completed application form
• Narrative Questions

2. Attach to the original signed copy:

• Completed Disclosure Form
• Support materials of your work with self-created support material sheet
• Label this packet "ORIGINAL"

3. The 5 individual packets and support materials must be postmarked or hand delivered to the NH State Council on the Arts office at 2 ½ Beacon St, Suite 225, 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 email. It is not responsible for applications lost in transit.

Important Note: The Council cannot be responsible for duplicating, separating or collating application materials.

Application Deadline
Applications must be postmarked or hand delivered to the NH State Council on the Arts office at 2 ½ Beacon St, Suite 225, 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 NHSCA cannot accept applications transmitted by facsimile (FAX) or email.  It is not 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 status by November of the year in which they apply.

Roster Period
To remain on the roster, members must:
1. Document their program activity via update requests we send every other year to show that they have been working in the arts; and
2. Receive satisfactory evaluations from presenting organizations for projects we have funded. If evaluations are continually marginal or unsatisfactory, roster members will be contacted and interviewed. If Roster membership is suspended, artists must re-apply to be reinstated.

What's Next?
You will be notified of your roster status by November. If approved for roster membership, you will be asked to submit a roster listing for the online New Hampshire Artist Roster. Guidelines for formatting and content will accompany your letter notifying you of your roster membership. You may wish to visit the roster online prior to submission of your entry.

Last updated: August 5, 2009