WHAT IS THE EMERGING ARTIST GRANT?

The annual Emerging Artist Grant seeks to reach, connect with, and support talented and diverse artists throughout Pinellas County and provide them more opportunities to grow as artists through financial support, mentorship, and high-quality visual, literary, and/or performing arts exhibition. The Emerging Artist grant is also one of the important ways that Creative Pinellas encourages, highlights, and supports Pinellas County as an influential art and cultural destination.

Up to ten outstanding artists with proven promise, a history of success, a strong portfolio of work, and a vision for their future may receive Emerging Artist grants in the following fields:

• Choreography (of all kinds)
• Interdisciplinary arts (a combination of more than one type of genre of art that often involves technology and digital arts)
• Literature including poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction (does not include journalism, self-help, children’s books, and books with a structured commercial purpose)
• Media Arts (film, photography, computer and digital arts, audio, and interactive media)
• Music Composition
• Theater Creation (playwriting, directing, musical direction, stage design, and stage lighting)
• Visual Arts (2D and 3D visual arts of all kinds)

Grantees are given a $2,000 financial award and invited to produce a new collection of work, which will be displayed or performed at an exhibition at Creative Pinellas. Each grantee will be paired with a mentor to guide them through their development as an artist.

Throughout the funding period, recipients will have several opportunities to showcase their creative process through regular blogs, public presentations, and online activities.

HOW DO I CHOOSE WHAT ART CATEGORY TO APPLY FOR?

If you are an artist who does more than one type of artwork, you may not be sure which category to submit your application. To help answer that question, think about it in this way:

Your job in the application is to make the best possible case to the panel. Therefore, applying in the category that allows you to showcase your strongest body of work is generally a good idea. Also, the application requires work samples no more than five years old and current support materials. So, applying in a category that allows you to make the strongest presentation of work samples and support materials is best.

Sometimes artists want to use the grant to stretch into another type of art. That is fine (especially if/once you receive the grant); you can write about that in your artist or vision statement. But for the grant, it is a good strategy to apply in the category where you can represent the quality and success of the work you have already done.

You can also consider applying as an interdisciplinary artist.

Finally, always ensure your application meets the minimum guidelines for submission, and read the Grant Guidelines before completing your application.

WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR HELP?

If you have further questions, contact us at grants@creativepinellas.org.

WHERE IS MORE INFORMATION?

Additional information may be found on the main grant page, including links to the guidelines and live workshop events.

CAN I APPLY TO MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY OF ART?

No. You can only submit one application in one category. You may want to apply as an interdisciplinary artist if you work in more than one category.

I’M A MUSICIAN, BUT I DON’T SEE IT LISTED AS AN ELIGIBLE TYPE OF ARTISTIC FOCUS. AM I ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

As a musician, you can apply under the Music Composition, Musical Theatre, or Interdisciplinary categories as long as you are applying as the creator of original work (or are an equal partner in a team that creates original work). If you are performing the work of other creators are not eligible to apply for the Emerging Artist Grant.

I’M AN ACTOR, BUT I DON’T SEE IT LISTED AS AN ELIGIBLE ARTISTIC FOCUS. AM I ELIGIBLE TO APPLY?

As an actor, you are eligible to apply under the Theater Creation, or Interdisciplinary categories as long as you are applying as the creator of original work (or are an equal partner in a team that creates original work). Actors portraying other creators’ work are not eligible to apply for the Emerging Artist Grant.

CAN AN ARTIST APPLY IF THEY ARE ENROLLED IN A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY CLASS IN AN UNRELATED SUBJECT? WHAT IF I AM ENROLLED AS A GRADUATE STUDENT?

Yes, but only if you are not enrolled in any high school, undergraduate, or graduate degree program with the same or similar focus to the artwork that you are creating during the grant award period. For example, if you are majoring in history, you can apply in any category. If you are majoring in graphic design, you can apply in Choreography, Music Composition, and Literature, but you can’t apply to anything with a visual element. The reason is that the grant assigns a mentor to you who will focus on your development as an artist. If you are in school, that mentor’s input may create conflict with the information you are getting from faculty. So, waiting until you are not in a related arts-education program to apply is better.

CAN AN ARTIST PARTNERSHIP OR COLLABORATION APPLY FOR AN EMERGING ARTIST GRANT?

Artist partnerships and collaborative teams may also apply for this grant. (For partnerships, all artists contribute equally. For collaborations, the artist-lead gets support from other artists who contribute to the original work.)

HOW IMPORTANT IS MY RESUME/CV?

Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is very important to the review and scoring process. It helps to give the panelists a full picture of who you are and what you have accomplished. Up to twenty-five percent (25%) of your panel review score will come from a review of your resume/CV.

A strong resume or CV includes your education (formal and non-degree seeking), exhibitions, collaborations, publications and reviews, awards and honors, grants and sponsorships, and any other information you feel helps tell your story.

Do not submit a narrative biography in place of your resume/CV.

HOW DO I CHOOSE WHICH OF MY WORK SAMPLES TO SUBMIT?

Submit copies of your original and unique work that best showcases who you are as an artist. Submit completed work (not works in progress).

99% of the time, the samples you submit need to have been completed within the last five years. If your samples are older than five (5) years, they need to have a strong connection to your current work, and the application also needs to have your current work.

So, for example, if you are going back to revisit a subject, process, etc., from your past in your current work, you can submit a sample of that older work for reference. You need to include the current work it is related to, and it would be a good idea to discuss what you are doing in your artist’s vision statement so that the panel can understand why you have submitted older work.

I’M INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR AN EMERGING ARTIST GRANT BUT WANT TO KNOW IF THERE ARE RULES OR RESTRICTIONS ON HOW I CAN USE GRANT FUNDS.

The Emerging Artist Grant is unrestricted and allows you the freedom to use the funding to best advance your work and career in any way you choose. However, you are expected to produce new work for the Emerging Artist Exhibit, so most grantees use the funds to support that new work.

Please consult your accountant or financial planner if you are concerned with your tax and liability status.

DO I HAVE TO COMPLETE MY APPLICATION IN ONE SITTING, OR AM I ABLE TO SAVE MY WORK AND RETURN TO IT LATER?

You do not need to complete your application all at once. You can save and return to the application as many times as you want. Just make sure you submit your application by the deadline. You can save your progress, exit, and return to your application anytime during your completion. To review and edit your application, sign in to your profile at https://creativepinellas.smapply.io.

MAY I ASK CREATIVE PINELLAS TO REVIEW OR PROOF MY APPLICATION?

In the interest of fairness and transparency, Creative Pinellas cannot review or proof your application before submission. Successful applicants have found that it is most helpful to have a friend, colleague, or mentor review their application before it is submitted.

I’M STUCK. CAN CREATIVE PINELLAS HELP ME WITH MY ONLINE APPLICATION?

Yes, Creative Pinellas can help you with technical and logistical questions. You can also click on the white circle with an “i” inside to bring up the application help menu. You will be able to read the application FAQs, contact the site administrator, and submit a technical support request form. If you are still having difficulty, contact us at grants@creativepinellas.org.

CAN I SEE A PREVIEW OF MY APPLICATION BEFORE I COMPLETE MY SUBMISSION?

Yes, you will be able to review and edit your application as many times as you want until you finalize your application by completing the “Certification” task and clicking “Mark as Complete.”

IF I FIND A MISTAKE AFTER SUBMITTING MY APPLICATION, MAY I CORRECT IT AND RESUBMIT IT?

Once you finalize your application by completing the “Certification” task and clicking “Mark as Complete,” you can no longer make additions, corrections, or edits. Creative Pinellas will not accept any form of resubmittal. Creative Pinellas staff highly recommends that you find a friend or colleague to review your grant application before you complete the submittal process.

MAY I DROP OFF OR MAIL IN A COPY OF MY APPLICATION?

No, all applications must submit via our online application at https://creativepinellas.smapply.io.

WILL I RECEIVE A COPY OF MY SUBMITTED APPLICATION?

You can view your application online anytime by signing into your profile at https://creativepinellas.smapply.io.

I HAVEN’T RECEIVED NOTIFICATION ABOUT THE STATUS OF MY APPLICATION. WHEN SHOULD I CONTACT CREATIVE PINELLAS?

The system is designed to provide you with an automatic email from our online program once you submit your application. You can also view the status of your application by logging in to your profile at https://creativepinellas.smapply.io. If you have not received any notifications or emails, contact us at grants@creativepinellas.org.

WILL I BE REQUIRED TO ATTEND THE PANEL REVIEW?

You are not required to attend the panel review. However, it can be very beneficial to hear the panelist’s comments, so we encourage you to participate.

WHEN WILL THE LIST OF GRANTEES BE ANNOUNCED?

After the Public Panel Review, you will be notified of the final decision for awards. Grantees will also be published at creativepinellas.org.

IF I RECEIVE AN AWARD, WHAT WILL I BE REQUIRED TO DO?

Once the grantees are announced, Creative Pinellas will contact you to submit a W9 form and other necessary financial paperwork to process your grant.

Production: Each grant recipient is asked to produce new work for the Emerging Artist Exhibit. During the grant period, you will meet with someone from Creative Pinellas to discuss your plans and the artwork you want to show. No later than 120 before the Emerging Artist Exhibit, we will ask you to commit to the number of pieces, so we can start planning the exhibit.

Mentorship: Creative Pinellas will pair you with a professional artist mentor for the grant period. You will meet regularly with your mentor and work together to develop your skills and career.

Creative Pinellas will recommend the mentor based on thoughtful pairing. You do not get to choose your mentor, although Creative Pinellas is open to suggestions.

Blogging: As a grant recipient, you are asked to actively write an online journal (a blog on your co-branded webpage at www.creativepinellas.com) a minimum of fifteen (15) times throughout the grant period. These blog posts may include written word and photographs, videos, or audio recordings. The blogging process has proven to be effective in building the awareness and reputation of participating artists regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Public Presentations and Engagement: As an Emerging Artist Grant recipient, you are asked to participate in the following events and programs throughout the grand funding period:

• Up to two Artist Conversations panel discussions as part of Creative Pinellas’ Art + Innovation series.
  
  
• Up to two open studios, shared space, performance space visits, live streaming, or pre-recorded events sponsored by Creative Pinellas.
  
  
• Creative Pinellas-sponsored artists showcase and other special event opportunities.
  
  
• Emerging Artists exhibition (required) at the Gallery at Creative Pinellas. The specific date will be determined and announced during the grant funding period.
  
  

You are also asked to provide Creative Pinellas with links to your own websites, Facebook, and other social media platform pages to actively promote your relationship and connection to Creative Pinellas.

Reporting/Invoicing: You will be required to complete a Post-Grant Report to detail your experiences during the grant funding period. This report should provide a general accounting of expenses, detail your activities during the grant funding period, and include a general log of mentor/grantee meetings. Requests for payment for payments are made in SMapply.

Social Media: You are invited to promote Emerging Artist Grant events, activities, and blogs to your own social media audiences, email lists, and other means. Creative Pinellas will promote these Emerging Artist Grant events, activities, and blogs.

Other Media: You may be interviewed about your work and creative process for the Creative Pinellas blog and podcast, “Arts In’. You may also be featured in organization and partner publications, both online and in print, such as arts maps, articles, brochures, the web, and mobile apps.

NEED FURTHER HELP? HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT A TOPIC NOT COVERED HERE?

Contact us at grants@creativepinellas.org.