RISCA Fellowship Guidelines & Application Forms

PURPOSE

Fellowships encourage the creative development of artists by enabling them to set aside time to pursue their work and achieve specific career goals. Fellowships may be used to help artists devote more time to their work, or to provide funds for the purchase of materials and supplies, or for other activities such as travel and research to enhance their skills and practice.[back to top]

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be at least eighteen years of age and a resident of the State of Rhode Island for at least twelve consecutive months prior to the date of application. Rhode Island State Law (§ 44-30-5) defines a "resident" as someone "who is domiciled in this state" or "who is not domiciled in this state but maintains a permanent place of abode in this state and is in this state for an aggregate of more than one hundred eighty-three (183) days of the taxable year". Students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in an arts discipline at the time of application are ineligible to apply, as are members of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, its staff, spouses or immediate relatives.

Fellowship grant recipients will be ineligible to apply in the same category for two deadlines following receipt of an award (example, if you apply on October 1, 2001 and receive a grant, you may not apply again until October 1, 2004). Recipients of Merit Award grants may apply at subsequent deadlines. Recipients of previous grants in any category may not apply unless all final reports for previous grants have been submitted.

Applicants are eligible to apply in more than one category provided they have sufficient work and submit entirely different applications and work for each discipline. Different excerpts from the same piece do not constitute separate work.

Supporting documents or materials used as the basis for awarding a past fellowship grant or merit award may not be used in a new application in any fellowship category.

Applicants may only submit work created and completed within the three years prior to the date of application. [back to top]

CATEGORIES

Fellowships will be awarded each year, with the number varying according to panels' recommendations and Council action. Fellowships are currently offered in the following categories:

April 1 deadline:

• Crafts
• Film & Video
• Folk Arts
• Fiction
• Poetry
• Playwriting/Screenwriting
• Photography
• Three-Dimensional art

October 1 deadline:

• Choreography
• Design/Applied Arts
• Drawing & Printmaking
• Music Composition
• New Genres
• Painting

The applicant makes the final decision as to the category of application. Further information about the categories and the supporting document/material requirements are listed under "How to Apply."[back to top]

REVIEW PROCESS

The review process for Fellowships is outlined below:

• All applications are reviewed by staff to determine compliance with eligibility requirements (see Eligibility section above). Council staff may call upon applicants or grantees to furnish proof of their eligibility for a RISCA grant.
• A panel consisting of one in-state member, one out-of-state member and a third regional (not to exclude Rhode Island) member chosen for their involvement, mastery, or accomplishments in a particular arts discipline reviews each applicant’s supporting documents or materials. RISCA employs a “blind review” process designed to protect the anonymity of the applicant and to guarantee assessment purely on the basis of the artistic merit of the works submitted through the application process.
• The panel will recommend a Fellowship Winner and a Fellowship Merit Award Winner. Panels are strongly encouraged to recommend awards, but reserve the right to decline to make a recommendation if they feel that no applicant displays sufficient quality to warrant receiving either a fellowship or a merit award.
• The panel’s recommendations are presented to the Council for approval.

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REVIEW CRITERIA

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of artistic quality, as defined within the context of each individual arts discipline (and by traditionality, in the case of applicants for the Folk Arts fellowship). Since quality in most arts disciplines is determined through the review of support materials such as slides, manuscripts, compact discs, and the like, applicants should submit the best quality support materials possible. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that support materials are prepared adequately for panel review.[back to top]

GRANT AMOUNTS

Fellowship recipients receive a $5000 award. Merit Award recipients receive a $1000 award. The Council reserves the right to increase or decrease either the amount or the number of awards given per discipline or program-wide in any given year. RISCA grant awards are contingent upon the availability of funds from the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and the National Endowment for the Arts.[back to top]

DEADLINE

Applications for fellowships must be received in the Council office by no later than the close of business (4:30pm) on April 1 or October 1 (see above schedule). During months when the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline will be 4:30 PM on the next business day. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted or reviewed.[back to top]

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants should submit the following materials: " Signed original Fellowship application form and two copies of the supporting materials reference sheet, filled out as required in accordance with the type of supporting material (slides, videos, CDs, etc.) submitted. " Required support materials as specified in the Supporting Document Requirements section below. " One copy of the applicant's resume and/or biographical statement (These will not be presented to the review panel and are used only by staff for verification purposes). Artist statements will not be reviewed except where requested for specific disciplines (see New Genres and Design/Applied Arts categories below). " Self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of supporting documents. Material will not be returned without a return envelope with sufficient postage. FOR FOLK ARTS APPLICANTS ONLY: Original and five single-sided, collated copies (total 6) of responses to the questions on the Fellowship in Folk Arts Supplemental Information Sheet, located on page ***.[back to top]

SUPPORTING DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS

Supporting documents include audiotapes, videotapes, CDs, DVDs, manuscripts, and slides. All supporting documents submitted must be duplications of works. No original or single editions of works will be accepted. Supporting documents will be utilized for the duration of the review process; please plan accordingly.

The applicant must submit work that has been created within the three years prior to the date of application. Work created prior to this time, even if the work has been substantially revised within the designated time period, is not eligible for submission.

All work submitted for review must be complete and not a work-in-progress. The applicant must be the primary creative force behind the work.

Although some artists work in collaboration with other artists when they create work, Fellowships recognize the achievement of the individual creative artist. RISCA recognizes the importance of artistic collaboration and encourages collaborative projects through other categories of Council support (see Requests for Proposals). Work cannot be submitted as support material unless the applicant is the principal creator of the complete work. Consequently, no other artist may submit the same piece as support material at this deadline or in any future RISCA application. Artists can submit the same support materials for a Fellowship and an Individual Project Grant (RFPI) if they are applying for both.

Both a minimum and a maximum number of supporting documents are indicated. If too few are included, the application will not be considered. If too many are submitted, the panel will only review the maximum number allowed in the order submitted. Please be aware that your work will be viewed one image at a time, in the order you have designated. Images should be numbered and arranged according to the Supporting Documents Reference Sheet. For each item please list on the Supporting Documents Reference Sheet the title, medium, dimensions, year of completion, and duration where applicable. If any other clarification about the image is necessary for viewing, no more than one line per image may be added to the Supporting Documents Reference Sheet for clarification. (For example, if a painting is on a three-dimensional surface or if a musical composition incorporates sections of improvisation, that may be briefly noted.)

Supporting documents must be prepared according to the specifications listed below. As the review process is completely anonymous, the fellowship applicant's name must not appear on the Supporting Documents Reference Sheet, nor embedded within any images that the panel will view.

The following supporting documents are required:

• Choreography may include any dance discipline (such as modern dance, ballet, hip-hop, Latin dance, etc), but must consist of a deliberately composed dance sequence, which is part of a meaningful whole. In other words, the Choreography Fellowship awards accomplishment in the art of choreography rather than dance. Submit a minimum of two, maximum of three, works on videotape or DVD, cued to sections chosen by the applicant and totaling a minimum of 10 minutes. On the Supporting Documents Reference Sheet the applicant should include a complete listing of the works submitted including title, year of completion, duration of total piece as well as cued section, number of performers, and the title and composer of the musical score if applicable.
• Crafts (including, but not exclusively, the manipulation of materials such as clay, wood, metals, fiber, glass, etc.): Submit a minimum of 8, maximum of 10, slides or images on PC compatible disc (see instructions for digital submissions below). Detail or installation views may be included, however the application may not exceed 10 images total.
• Design is defined as work created using an applied, utilitarian approach, with a focus on the use by others (such as architectural, landscape, urban, fashion, interior, industrial, and graphic design): Submit a minimum of 8, maximum of 10, slides or images on PC compatible disc (see instructions for digital submissions below). You may include a design statement, to be reviewed by the panel, explaining the submitted works. Your name must not appear in this statement.
• Drawing and Printmaking (such as pencil, ink, charcoal, conte crayon, pastels, lithography, aquatint, mezzotint, woodcut, linocut, etching, intaglio, monotype, silk-screen, and all other printmaking techniques): Submit a minimum of 8, maximum of 10, slides or images on PC compatible disc (see instructions for digital submissions below).
• Film and Video: Submit a minimum of one work (no longer than ten minutes) or a maximum of fifteen cued minutes of work completed within the past three years. . Work must be submitted in VHS videotape format or on DVD. On the Supporting Documents Reference Sheet the applicant should indicate his or her role/s in each of the productions.
• Folk Arts: The folk arts are defined as those artistic practices that have a community or family base and express that community's aesthetic heritage and tradition. The learning process is informal and is passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth, apprenticeship, and imitation. Applicants should submit supporting documents in slide, audiotape or videotape format. Submissions should reflect the artist's most recent work, preferably work created within the last three years. Applicants must consult the RISCA Folk/Traditional Arts Program staff prior to the application deadline
• Poetry: Submit FIVE copies of a maximum of 15 pages. NOTE: YOUR NAME/ADDRESS SHOULD NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE ON THE MANUSCRIPTS. Manuscripts should be presented in professionally formatted, typewritten form; photocopies from journals or books will not be accepted.
• Fiction: Submit FIVE copies of a manuscript comprising no more than 30 pages of one complete work or short stories. NOTE: YOUR NAME/ADDRESS SHOULD NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE ON THE MANUSCRIPTS. Manuscripts should be presented in professionally formatted, typewritten form; photocopies from journals or books will not be accepted.
• Playwriting/Screenwriting: Submit FIVE copies of a complete full-length play or screenplay, or a long one-act comprising a minimum of 30 pages in length. NOTE: YOUR NAME/ADDRESS SHOULD NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE ON THE MANUSCRIPTS. Manuscripts should be presented in professionally formatted, typewritten form; photocopies from journals or books will not be accepted. For literature applicants: RISCA encourages applications in literature, including the submission of work in languages other than English. However, if non-English literary works are submitted, the applicant must also provide an English translation of each work, along with information identifying the translator.
• Music Composition: Submit a minimum of two, maximum of three, works in the format of audio tapes or CDs representing a minimum of 10 minutes of music. Scores of the submitted musical works should be included where applicable. Please indicate the placement of the cued musical selection within the score. THE NAME OF THE COMPOSER SHOULD NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE ON THE SCORE.
• New Genres: This category includes work that does not fall within the traditional categories of RISCA's Fellowship program. New Genres may integrate more than one arts discipline or incorporate new technologies and innovative processes. It includes, but is not limited to: performance art, conceptual modes, audio art (other than music composition), multi-media works and other experimental interdisciplinary art forms. The applicant must be the primary artistic force behind the work, not a performer or interpreter of the work of another artist. Applicants should submit documentation of a minimum of one, maximum two, works/performances in one of the following formats (per work): videotape, DVD, audio tape, CD, slides (maximum 15), or digital images (see specifications for submitting digital images below). All computer generated work must be submitted in IBM format and in media available to the Arts Council in order for the work to be reviewed by panelists or jurors. Applicants must consult with Council staff prior to applying to ensure that their work can be reviewed using available resources (software and hardware). Work that cannot be reviewed with available resources, as defined by the Arts Council, must either be converted or presented in another medium. Also include FIVE copies of any accompanying text.
• Painting (such as oil, acrylic, tempera, encaustic, watercolor, and gouache): Submit a minimum of 8, maximum of 10, slides or images on PC compatible disc (see instructions for digital submissions below).
• Photography: Submit a minimum of 8, maximum of 10, slides or images on PC compatible disc (see instructions for digital submissions below).
• Three-Dimensional Art (such as sculpture and environmental work): Submit a minimum of 8, maximum of 10, slides or images on PC compatible disc (see instructions for digital submissions below). [back to top]

NOTE ON DIGITAL SUBMISSIONS:

Applicants may submit a PC compatible CD (or slides) with no fewer than 8 and no more than 10 images representing artwork completed within the past three (3) years. Image files must be titled with the name of the category you are submitting in, and numbers corresponding to the numbered Support Materials Reference Sheet (For example, poetry1.jpg, poetry2.jpg, poetry3.jpg, or painting1.jpg, painting2.jpg, painting3.jpg, etc.) The sheet should includes the title, medium, size and year of completion of each work (the artist's name should not appear on this sheet.) The artist's name CANNOT appear on or alongside digital images. Any digital images labeled with the artist's name or any other personal information will be disqualified. Images must be in standard JPEG (.jpg) format, and should be no more than 800 KB in size. Images should be roughly 600 x 900 pixels. (Make sure that one dimension of the image is at least 600 pixels, and that no dimension of the image is more than 1000 pixels.) Please do not imbed images into a Power Point presentation. JPEGs will be opened using Windows Picture & Fax Viewer. If they cannot be easily opened, they will not be considered. Emailed images will not be accepted. The artist/applicant's name should be written on the CD or CD case. CDs will not be returned.

*If you have any questions regarding your digital submission, please call us @ 222-3880 [back to top]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

All RISCA grant award programs are contingent upon the availability of funds from the Legislature of the State of Rhode Island and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. The applicant certifies that the information contained in the application, including all supporting documents and attachments, is true and correct to the best of his or her knowledge. Any fraudulent statement made in the application will be grounds for denying a grant award. RISCA is accountable for the expenditure of public funds. Therefore, wherever possible and appropriate, grantees MUST acknowledge the Council's support with the credit line "supported in part by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts". [back to top]

LIMITS OF LIABILITY

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is not responsible for damage or loss of materials submitted to its office, whether or not such damage or loss is caused by negligence of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, its employees or agents. All supporting documents submitted must be duplications of works. No original or single editions of works will be accepted.

Supporting documents will be mailed back to an applicant only if a self-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage is provided. Supporting documents from applications without a self-addressed stamped envelope will be held for sixty (60) days following the award decision and may be picked up during normal business hours, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, at the Council offices. The supporting documents (or a copy thereof) from funded applications become the property of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts; ownership and copyright of the actual work remain with the applicant.[back to top]