Northampton Arts Council, Inc.
The Northampton Arts Council works to to support and nurture arts activities in the community, stimulate improved public awareness and support for the arts, and oversee public art projects for the city of Northampton. The Council awards grants twice each year to artists and arts groups from both state and locally-raised funds, and seeks to improve public awareness of the arts. Its goals include maintaining and preserving the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Northampton, programming such annual events of interest to the community as First Night Northampton, Performance, the Silver Chord Bowl, KidsBestFest, Summer Concert Series, Four Sundays in February, and advocating on behalf of the arts community.
The Northampton Arts Council believes that art is for everyone. We strive to produce, support, and sustain arts and cultural initiatives that uphold all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically marginalized based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodiversity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion. We affirm the need to redress historical inequities in the arts and cultural sector and commit to supporting equitable and inclusive practices through all aspects of our work.
Contact
Brian Foote, Executive Director
arts@northamptonma.gov
413-587-1069
http://www.northamptonartscouncil.org/
Address
240 Main Street #1
Northampton, MA 01060-3113
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Application Information
FY23 Allocation
$22,700
FY23 Local Priorities
Who can apply? What are the criteria?
Arts projects that include a public component, such as exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies, performances, workshops, readings, virtual presentations, and lectures held in Northampton, Florence, or Leeds; this includes programming held in schools.
Artists who reside in Massachusetts but whose project will be held in Northampton, Florence, or Leeds. For individuals, “reside” does not mean they have to be a “legal resident” of Massachusetts as defined by the State for tax purposes. They simply need to reside in Massachusetts.
Non-profit cultural and educational institutions that offer programs and events that bring arts and culture to a Northampton area audience.
Work demonstrating the highest artistic merit.
Projects that are financially feasible and have multiple sources of funding.
If you are live streaming a public event, captions should be provided. In lieu of captions, you might consider having a message that says, “This event will be recorded and then embedded on our Youtube channel where captions and a transcript will be available.” Before putting on a virtual program, you could ask people to register, and in the registration submission, ask people to communicate any accessibility needs with a deadline by which they need to let you know. It is easier to book a captioner and cancel (with at least 48 h notice) than to get one in 48 hours.
Also note: Schools, not artists, should apply for projects that take place in schools.
The Council does NOT fund:
Projects or events completed prior to applying.
Fundraising or profit-making events that do not benefit the arts.
Continuation funding for projects already awarded a grant from the Northampton Arts Council.
More than one application by the same artist or cultural group.
General operating support.
Refreshments or food.
Money to replace municipal funding for the arts.
Humanities and Science Applications.
Applicants who have not submitted their final report for FY22 or FY21 or FY20 LCC Grants they received.
“We’re especially looking forward to supporting programs that promote access, equity, and inclusion in the arts,” says Danielle Amodeo, Chair of the Northampton Arts Council. The Northampton Arts Council strongly encourages BIPOC artists and cultural producers, as well as others who hold historically excluded identities to apply. “We’re eager to support projects that redress historical inequities in our city and are excited to work with first-time applicants of all ages and backgrounds,” says Amodeo.
FY23 Local Guidelines
LCC FY23 Grant Timeline:
Completed online applications must be received by October 17, 2022, at 11:59 PM.
Projects may start no earlier than January 1, 2023, and must be completed by December 31, 2023.
Applicants will be officially notified by email of the Council’s decision no later than December 31, 2022.
Who can apply? What are the criteria?
Arts projects that include a public component, such as exhibits, festivals, short-term artist residencies, performances, workshops, readings, virtual presentations, and lectures held in Northampton, Florence, or Leeds; this includes programming held in schools.
Artists who reside in Massachusetts but whose project will be held in Northampton, Florence, or Leeds. For individuals, “reside” does not mean they have to be a “legal resident” of Massachusetts as defined by the State for tax purposes. They simply need to reside in Massachusetts.
Non-profit cultural and educational institutions that offer programs and events that bring arts and culture to a Northampton area audience.
Work demonstrating the highest artistic merit.
Projects that are financially feasible and have multiple sources of funding.
If you are live streaming a public event, captions should be provided. In lieu of captions, you might consider having a message that says, “This event will be recorded and then embedded on our Youtube channel where captions and a transcript will be available.” Before putting on a virtual program, you could ask people to register, and in the registration submission, ask people to communicate any accessibility needs with a deadline by which they need to let you know. It is easier to book a captioner and cancel (with at least 48 h notice) than to get one in 48 hours.
Also note: Schools, not artists, should apply for projects that take place in schools.
The Council does NOT fund:
Projects or events completed prior to applying.
Fundraising or profit-making events that do not benefit the arts.
Continuation funding for projects already awarded a grant from the Northampton Arts Council.
More than one application by the same artist or cultural group.
General operating support.
Refreshments or food.
Money to replace municipal funding for the arts.
Humanities and Science Applications.
Applicants who have not submitted their final report for FY22 or FY21 or FY20 LCC Grants they received.
How to Apply – Application Opens September 1st
The application process is entirely online with a page to upload your supplemental materials. Please note that the strongest applications provide clear, concise project descriptions and accurate budgets that demonstrate multiple funding sources.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THE APPLICATION MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED THROUGH THE LCC ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS ONLY*
Supplemental materials are required, even if you or your group has had a presence in Northampton for some time. Assume that the Arts Council does not know your work.
What are Supplemental Materials?
The Council relies heavily on each applicant’s supplemental materials to assess the artistic merit of the application. Applications submitted without supplemental materials will not be considered. Supplemental materials may include the resume of the artist completing the project, photo/video/audio of past projects by that artist, sketches/diagrams/visual aids for proposed projects, a letter of commitment from the venue of the proposed public performance, and letters of support from community members. Choose materials that will help the board to envision your proposed project.
All supporting materials should be of the highest professional quality. If submitting a video, please specify the section of a video or audio track of the performance for the panel to review. The grant review committee will view each proposal for a maximum of five minutes. Failure to follow these guidelines will jeopardize your application. While we do not accept an artist’s website URL as supporting materials we do accept links to specific documentation of past projects (Youtube, Flickr, Vimeo, google photos, or any other publicly accessible link to view documentation of specific projects.)
Grant Award Amounts
Grant awards are determined by the merit of the proposal and the funds available. This year the Arts Council will be awarding grants in the following categories: Dance, Literature, Media Arts, Multidisciplinary, Music, Theater, and Visual Arts. In past grant rounds the amount of each grant awarded has ranged from $250-$1,800. The Arts Council rarely awards a grant for the full cost of a project. Organizations and individuals are strongly encouraged to support some expenses with applicant cash, to approach other sources for funding, and seek in-kind donations of materials and labor. Financial support from multiple sources helps demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed project.
Need Help?
If you have another question that isn’t answered here or if you have a technical issue or a question about the online application, please contact the MCC help desk at Grants.Team@mass.gov.
For questions specifically about how the Northampton Arts Council reviews applications, our council’s priorities, or executing a project in Northampton, email admin@northamptonartscouncil.org.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY23 Funding List
A grant list will be published here after January 17, 2023 and once the Local Cultural Council has finalized their decisions.
