Community-Engaged Art Workshop, Northampton, MA. Credit: Erin Long Photography
This spring and summer, Assets for Artists is collaborating with the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and its ValleyCreates Initiative, as well as Greenfield Community College and its Ideation Center, on several major initiatives that support artists in Massachusetts’ Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties as we navigate the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to give a special shout out to Berkshire Bank and the Barr Foundation for their additional support of our Valley programming.
Free Business & Financial
Webinars for Artists
With the COVID-19 pandemic’s devastating effect on practicing artists, Assets for Artists has redesigned its business and financial education programming to provide artists with new, crisis-focused, distance-learning opportunities that largely retain the intimate cohort-focused style of our in-person workshops. All workshops are FREE and held via Zoom, with pre-registration required to keep the webinar cohorts at a size that maximizes participation and peer support.
Space in these webinars may be limited, so registration is required. Priority for these webinars will be first given to ValleyCreates grantees, followed by any artists in the Valley. After you submit your information through the Zoom registration, our staff will contact those who make the enrollment cut-off with additional details on participating. Contact us at assetsforartists@massmoca.org with any questions.
Learn about Assets for Artists’ accessibility resources
for artists with impairments and disabilities.
JULY 2020 WORKSHOPS
“Making a Plan in a Time of Uncertainty” w/ Laura Baring-Gould
2 PM - 4 PM | July 9 & 16 2020
(Note: this is a two part workshop!)
Over two webinar sessions, artists will develop the building blocks for a strategic plan for their creative career. This highly interactive course will help artists examine their goals and values, inventory their skills, and practice budgeting with an eye to maximizing opportunity and stability in the midst of crisis. Laura Baring-Gould's practice includes award-winning installations, public artworks and small bronzes sold in galleries, juried shows and through private commissions. Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
First preference goes to ValleyCreates grantees, followed by any artist in Franklin, Hampshire & Hampden Counties.
WORKSHOP IS FULL! We hope to offer more sessions of this webinar soon.
“Proposal Writing for Artists”
w/ Frances Cathryn
2 PM - 4 PM | Fridays, July 17 & 24, 2020
(Note: this is a two part workshop!)
With financial needs stronger than ever, many artists must seek grants, residencies, and other opportunities to make their work financially viable. This 2-part digital writing workshop will offer artists the nuts-and-bolts skills to tackle their next application, including how to refresh their artist statement, dos and don’ts when putting together a project proposal, and best practices for applying for funding or other opportunities. In Part II, artists and creatives will even have the opportunity to get direct peer feedback on their artist statement. Also participating will be Assets for Artists’ grant writer and former director of the Grin City Collective Artist Residency Molly Rideout. Frances Cathryn is an editor, arts educator, and community organizer who collaborates with others to shift how we define what it means to create valuable work in the world. Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
First preference goes to ValleyCreates grantees, followed by any artist in Franklin, Hampshire & Hampden Counties.
WORKSHOP IS FULL! We hope to offer more sessions of this webinar soon.
“Art in the Age of Coronavirus” w/ Kim Faler
2 PM - 4 PM | Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Sometimes the hardest part of a crisis is letting go of the former plan. In this interactive workshop, Kim Faler discusses the art of pivoting. Participants will explore new opportunities that the current reality might afford their creative practice, from the expansion of digital marketing, the strengthening of an online community, to pushing oneself outside of one’s comfort zone. Participants will leave with actionable steps for their own situation and a collaboratively developed list of resources. Kim Faler is a sculptor and installation artist who has shown at major museums throughout the US, including multiple times at MASS MoCA. Best suited for visual artists.
First preference goes to ValleyCreates grantees, followed by any artist in Franklin, Hampshire & Hampden Counties.
“Tax and Legal Q & A for Artists, Freelancers & Small Businesses” w/ Hannah Cole & Dr. Katherine de Vos Devine
3 PM - 5 PM | Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Join tax expert and artist Hannah Cole and Dr. Katherine de Vos Devine, a legal expert and art historian dedicated to empowering artists, for a discussion of what you need to know about legal and tax issues facing creatives as the country braces for the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They’ll discuss legal options with loans payments: loan forbearance vs. forgiveness, negotiating with creditors, payment plan options with the IRS, intellectual property rights in online course content, employment law for small nonprofits, and much more. Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
First preference goes to ValleyCreates grantees, followed by any artist in Franklin, Hampshire & Hampden Counties.
PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS
Photo by Cat Laine, Painted Foot Studio
“Creative Practice Within Virtual Communities” w/ Shey Rivera Rios
Wednesday, May 27 | 2:00 - 3:30 PM
Participants will renew the tools and knowledge to which they already have access in order to answer the question, how can community-engaged artists extend their work into virtual spaces? Drawing inspiration from the successes of artists already using digital tools, this workshop will create space for participants to push their creative power, expand the horizon of their creative practice, embrace fear, and see the opportunities at their disposal. Shey Rivera Rios is an interdisciplinary artist, cultural strategist, and arts administrator whose artistic creations span a myriad of topics, from home to capitalism to queerness and magic. Best suited for community-engaged artists.
Greenfield Community College students especially welcome!
This webinar has passed. We hope to offer more sessions of this webinar soon.
“Creative Resiliency in a Time of Crisis” w/ Ngoc-Tran Vu
Wednesday, June 17 | 2-4pm
This interactive workshop geared toward artists in crisis creates a shared space for collaboration and support while providing concrete resources for turning one’s creative practice toward management, adaptation, business resiliency, and self-advocacy. Ngoc-Tran Vu is a 1.5-generation Vietnamese American interdisciplinary and transnational artist whose socially engaged work draws from her experience as a community organizer, educator, and healer. Suitable for artists in all disciplines.
Greenfield Community College students especially welcome!
This webinar has passed. We hope to offer more sessions of this webinar soon.
Credit: Erin Long Photography
¡Grant Writing para artistas EN ESPAÑOL! con Yara Liceaga-Rojas
Viernes, 5 de junio | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Para artistas, ¡la temporada de escritura de propuestas para financiación de proyectos de arte nunca termina! En este taller virtual de apróximadamente 2 horas exploramos los elementos básicos de una propuesta, desde investigar cómo conseguir becas que se ajusten a tu práctica o proyecto, ha lograr esa oración cautivadora que recoge la magnitud del proyecto, hasta desarrollar un presupuesto sencillo. En este taller recibirás retroalimentación sobre el borrador de tu próximo proyecto y saldrás con las herramientas necesarias para encontrar las oportunidades de financiación que necesitas.
This webinar has passed. We hope to offer more sessions of this webinar soon.
$1,000 WORKING CAPITAL GRANTS
FOR ARTISTS IN FRANKLIN, HAMPSHIRE & HAMPDEN COUNTIES
The ValleyCreates Rapid Response Artist Working Capital Grant Program is a fast-tracked financial wellness and sustainability initiative for artists who currently live or have studio space in Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampton Counties, Massachusetts. This program pairs a $1,000 artist mini-grant with one-on-one coaching and online financial and business resiliency webinars specifically focused on navigating a post-COVID cultural sector.
This amazing opportunity from the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts is being administered by MASS MoCA's Assets for Artists.
The application deadline has past and the grantees have been selected. Thank you to all who submitted!
In order to receive the $1,000 mini-grant, selected artists will be expected to:
Participate in a 1-on-1 business and financial coaching session on a topic of their choice with a team member of the Assets for Artists (A4A) program.
Participate in at least one ValleyCreates peer event in 2020 (most likely online meet-ups, with possible in-person cohorts activities later)
Complete a basic strategic plan that outlines the artist's business/career goals and action steps (don't worry, we'll guide you in getting that done easily).
In addition, selected artists will receive:
Priority sign-up for A4A's new, free online webinar workshops (which have limited enrollment in order to maximize peer networking and interaction with the trainer). Workshop participation is strongly encouraged, as it will help maximize your ability to enact your strategic plan. See application for a full list of ValleyCreates webinars.
Social media promotional support for 1-2 projects per artist with CFWM's and A4A's social accounts.
Access to a strong ValleyCreates network of fellow artists.
Funds will be dispersed upon the completion of the above requirements. If a selected artist completes these requirements quickly, they can expect to receive their mini-grant funds in as little as a month from being selected into the program. (Please note that for most recipients, the artist working capital grant will not be regarded as income for tax purposes, and will not result in a 1099 being issued, which is one reason we are prioritizing a working capital grant opportunity over an emergency grant opportunity, which would typically be considered taxable income.)
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible applicants are artists aged 18+ of any discipline (painters, sculptors, installation artists, new media artists, craft artisans, designers, film-makers, photographers, performers, writers, musicians, thespians, dancers, etc.) who live OR have a studio address in Franklin, Hampshire, or Hampden Counties. A studio address can include access to shared studio space, such as at an artist collective. Artists who have previously participated in Assets for Artists programs, including the Studios at MASS MoCA, A4A Matched Savings, or Capacity-Building programs, are eligible to apply. Artists who recently received a ValleyCreates mini-grant are not eligible to apply.
SELECTION CRITERIA
After meeting the above eligibility, applications will be assessed based on the following criteria
Applicant's stated financial need
Applicant's history of creative work (whether emerging or seasoned)
A commitment to working with the applicant's community
This program promotes equal opportunity and seeks diversity in its applicants and participants.
REPORTING
We will not be seeking follow-up reports or proof of exactly how the funds were utilized. Before the artist receives their funds, however, they will be expected to submit a basic "strategic plan" to identify their major goals and action steps for the year ahead, and they must meet (electronically) with staff at MASS MoCA's Assets for Artists program for possible feedback. See above for other program requirements.
OUR FUNDERS
The ValleyCreates Rapid Response Artist Working Capital Grant is a program of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts administered by MASS MoCA's Assets for Artists. This Rapid Response Artist Working Capital Grant and the support services that go along with it, are supported by Berkshire Bank, the Barr Foundation, the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, the US Department of Agriculture, and many individual donors through CFWM's Valley Gives Initiative.