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Long-Term Grants to Contemporary Fine Craft Artists and Curators

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The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to equity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from diverse Aboriginal, cultural and regional communities, including people with disabilities.

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Deadline

1 March

If this date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

Please refer to the Program Guidelines for detailed information.

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Program Description

Long-Term Grants provide support over a two-year period to Canadian, established professional fine craft artists or curators (for research only) who have made a significant contribution to contemporary fine craft.

Programs of work must be designed to advance the long-term artistic and career development of artists at a key moment in their career. A key moment is defined as a time when there is a shift or progress in an artist’s practice or level of career activities.

Artists must include at least two of the following types of activities in their program of work:

  • research/professional development
  • production of a new work
  • production for a public presentation
  • career development.
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Eligibility of Applicants

General Eligibility Criteria

To apply to this program, you must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent resident status, as defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You do not need to be living in Canada when you apply.

You must also meet the Canada Council’s definition of a professional artist, which is an artist who:

  • has specialized training in the field (not necessarily in academic institutions)
  • is recognized as a professional by his or her peers (artists working in the same artistic traditions)
  • is committed to devoting more time to artistic activity, if possible financially.

To meet the definition of a professional contemporary fine craft artist or curator, you must also have:

  • produced an independent body of work
  • maintained an independent professional practice for at least three years
  • had at least three public exhibitions of work in a professional context over a three year period (for artists)
  • at least three publications to your credit (for critics)
  • produced at least three exhibitions or publications (for curators).

Specific Eligibility Criteria

In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria above, you must:

  • show evidence of outstanding artistic achievement with at least three exhibitions of international, national, provincial or territorial importance in contemporary fine craft
  • have at least one exhibition, public presentation, publication or other professional engagement confirmed for the grant period (if you are applying for support of production for public presentation or career development activities)
  • have received critical recognition through three published reviews or catalogue texts
  • have received at least one creation or one production or similar grant from the Canada Council for the Arts or other arts funding agency or foundation (you must indicate this in your curriculum vitae or résumé).
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Eligibility of Programs of Work

Programs of work supported by this grant must include a series of opportunities in the areas of research, production, career and (or) networking development.

Your program of work must include at least two of the following activities:

  • Research/professional development: A period of independent research at a key period in your artistic practice. For example, this could be defined as time away to research, explore or open oneself up to new concepts, techniques, materials, processes, or ways of working. This may include participation in artist residencies and other professional development activities. The grants also support critics and curators in the research of editorial or curatorial work leading to the production of articles, books and exhibitions in the field of contemporary Canadian fine craft.
  • Production of new work: The production of one or more new bodies of work. The project(s) must demonstrate the capacity to advance your practice.
  • Production for public presentation: The production of one or more works for which you have at least one confirmed public exhibition. The presentation of your work must be in a professional context that marks an expansion or advancement in the level of recognition or critical reception and dissemination of your work.
  • Career Development: A period of activities that advances your career. An example is travel and research to expand a professional network with partners such as critics, curators, art dealers or publishers. Career development activities can include the development of promotional tools such as a website, portfolio or small monographs. You must demonstrate that the project occurs in a key period that affects the progression of your career. For example, this could be defined as a time when focusing on the career aspects of your practice can fully take advantage of recent increased interest in your work.
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Grant Amount

The grant amount is $40,000 per year for two years in a row, for a total of $80,000.

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Further Information

José Niaison
Visual Arts Section
Canada Council for the Arts
350 Albert Street, P.O. Box 1047
Ottawa ON  K1P 5V8

1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or (613) 566-4414, ext. 5269

TTY : 1-866-585-5559

December 2011