grants

American Composers Forum Accepting Applications for First Nations Composer Initiative Funding
Program Deadline: January 31, 2008

The First Nations Composer Initiative, a program of the American Composers Forum ( http://www.composersforum.org/ ), is dedicated to serving the needs of American Indian/Alaska Native/First Na- tions/Indigenous makers of new music throughout Indian Country. The initiative's new granting program, Common Ground, will sup- port activities that boost Indigenous creative musicians, such as commissions, residencies, performance and production, travel/ study, and outreach. Common Ground is funded by the Ford Foundation's IllumiNation program.

Common Ground is open to Indigenous makers of new music: compos- ers, performers, groups, sound artists, songwriters, etc. Native Artists must be a documented affiliate of a United States and/or Canadian Tribe/Indigenous Community and committed to building the strength of Native communities by sharing their skills and talents with others. Full-time students may not apply unless coursework is completed (ABD/thesis status).

The program seeks to award grants to varied artists from the many genres of music represent- ed in Indian Country, and from diverse Indigenous cultures. Individual awards will range from $500 to $7,500. Grants are designed to give an immediate financial boost to composers, performers, and other makers of new music at a time when this help would have a significant career-enhancing effect.

Visit the Composers Forum Web site for program information. RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10008851/composersforum

For additional RFPs in Arts and Culture, visit: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_arts.jhtml

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MetLife Foundation Announces Art Museum and Community Connections
Program Deadline: October 19, 2007

The MetLife Foundation ( http://www.metlife.org/ ) has created a new initiative entitled Museum and Community Connections with the objective of strengthening communities, broadening programming, and promoting museums as centers of education without boundaries. In 2007, the foundation expects to award grants totaling $1 million through the program.

The purpose of the program is to encourage art museums to reach out to large numbers of people of all ages and backgrounds through imaginative programs and/or exhibits that help us understand and appreciate each other and our world. Individual grants will not exceed $100,000 and will vary in amount depending on the nature and scope of proposed project. Museums may request funding for one or a combination of the following categories, but the requested project does not have to be limited to these categories:

Collaborations: Partnerships between 1) mainstream museums and culturally specific museums; 2) museums and nonprofit organizations serving diverse populations, such as new immigrants, whose primary mission does not focus on the arts (e.g., community centers, social service organizations, immigrant and refugee organ- izations, and others); and 3) museums and arts organizations of all types.

Artist Residencies: Bringing artists with diverse perspectives to conduct programs for a museum and/or community. Exhibits: Displays of works by artists that engage audiences and promote understanding of our world and different cultures.

Offsite Programming: Programs that extend the reach of the museum into diverse and underserved communities, including new immigrant communities, such as off-site lectures, exhibits and programs, mobile museums, and other projects.

Art museums in the United States that meet the following requirements are eligible to apply: have been in existence for at least five years; have 501(c)(3) status; and are located in either Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or the District of Columbia. For this program, science and technology museums, museums of natural history, botanical gardens, zoos, and children's museums are not eligible.

Visit the MetLife Foundation Web site for complete program information. RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10008852/metlife

For additional RFPs in Arts and Culture, visit: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_arts.jhtml