MIRA’S LIST

UPDATE ON MIRA'S LIST AND UPCOMING EVENTS

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 15:51:00 +0000

Greetings long lost friends,

I am still alive and kicking but not doing this blog anymore. I do, however, go around the country and speak about the things that are on this blog: grants, fellowhips, residencies, how to get published, what opportunities are out there for all the arts, how to write a successful grant application, etc. And, as I state in the post below, Mira's List is still a great resource to peruse. I have many useful links, articles, interviews, etc. And I will continue to share arts opportunities information on my Mira's List facebook page as well as twitter, so feel free to follow me there.

I am currently speaking at various events, universities and other venues about how to find time, money and a place to create. The next one coming up is at the TransCultural Exchange Conference in Boston next week, Oct. 9-13. I will be moderating a panel on how to fund your creative projects on Friday, October 11th, 2013. Go here for more information: http://www.transculturalexchange.org

I will also be in Kansas City next month, speaking at two venues, one on opportunities in the arts on Sunday, Nov. 3rd: http://www.artistinckc.com/events/re-fresh-series/mira-bartok-finding-money-time-space
and on how to get published on November 4th: http://www.artistinckc.com/events/re-fresh-series/mira-bartok-i-wrote-a-book-now-what-
http://www.artistinckc.com/events/re-fresh-series/mira-bartok-i-wrote-a-book-now-what-

If you are interested in bringing me to your institution, please write me at mira@mirabartok.com for fee information and availability.

I also skype with different institutions, in case your organization or school doesn't have enough to bring me there. Just email me and ask about my skyping fees.

So make great art and pay it forward....share information about opportunities to those you know and to those who need it most.

Cheers,
Mirabee

Till We Meet Again...

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:33:00 +0000

Greetings my long lost readers and friends....

I know you haven't heard from me much the past few months. Unfortunately, not only has it been a rough fall and winter for a variety of reasons, it has become too difficult to keep up with this blog and also try to generate new writing and art projects. Not to mention doing events, etc. I have been running this website since the economic crash of 2008 and doing a fairly good job of it for free but the time it takes to keep up with so many emails and posting requests and research, etc. has taken a toll. I just can't continue doing it, at least for now. What I am hoping is that if I get an advance for a new book this coming year (cross your fingers!) I can afford a part time assistant who could help keep Mira's List going. So I haven't completely thrown in the towel. Not yet. I am going to suspend it for now until further notice.

That said, Mira's List is still a great resource to peruse. I have many useful links, articles, interviews, etc. I will continue to share information on my Mira's List facebook page as well as twitter, so feel free to follow me there. I am also still available to speak at events, universities and other venues about how to find time, money and a place to create. I did several speaking gigs this year across the country and they were well received! So if you are interested in bringing me to your institution, please write me at mira@mirabartok.com for fee information and availability.

I also have started skyping with different institutions, in case your organization or school doesn't have enough to bring me there. Just email me and ask about my skyping fees.

So until next time, take care, make great art, and stay subscribed to my blog in case I jumpstart it again later this year!

Love,
Mirabee

Holiday Greetings

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 19:49:00 +0000

Dear Readers,

Just a note to say Happy Holidays to all of you and to apologize for not being in touch. I was pretty devastated by the Sandy Hook tragedy in Connecticut, as many of us in the US were, and I just couldn't bring myself to post anything about residencies, etc. I do have some things coming up but in the meantime, be well, hold your loved ones close, and be grateful for all you have.

Much love to you all....and may you create beautiful new things in the New Year!

Mirabee

Back from Down Under

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Greetings everyone! I just got back from two weeks in Australia where I attended the NonfictioNOW Conference at RMIT (the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology). I was on two panels, one about memoir and one on graphic narratives and comics. Now I am just catching up on tons of emails, etc.

Coming soon....finally, an interview with our 2012 art contest winner, Karol Slowik, a special post about Australian artist residencies, and a post about Australian graphic novelists and comic book artists....so yes, Mirabee is still alive, just not posting as much these days.

More soon....need to finish unpacking!
Mira

p.s. I saw an wombat in the wild in Australia. He said he was a fan of Mira's List. I guess in Australia, even marsupials need residencies to do their work. :-)

Still Alive and Kicking But Taking a Break: Mira's List Update

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 21:49:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

No, I'm not dead. Still alive and kicking. It is just hard to keep doing this blog sometimes, especially these days after over a year and a half of being on a book tour. And I am still doing a lot of traveling for the book and for conferences, and meanwhile, trying to do some new work. I have been doing this blog for over four years now (for no pay) and while it has been fun and worthwhile, it has also been tiring and very hard. I now receive over 500 emails a week from people asking me to post something or people asking me to help them with their grants or their book proposals or something else. Frankly, I'm quite overwhelmed, and am dying to work on my new book. I also need to make a living. But I still love you all!

So for now, my friends, I will only post here and there when the mood strikes me and will continue to let people announce opportunities on my Mira's List Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/miraslist

Please, if you announce an opportunity, make sure it is helpful to all international artists and is not just self-serving. You can do a shout out about grants, residencies, exhibition opportunities, writing contests, etc. If I don't think your post is appropriate, I will take it down.

You can also find me on twitter (https://twitter.com/miraslist), tweeting about all kinds of things, but mostly about how to fund your creative dreams and where to realize them.

To all you institutions, organizations and universities: I speak about funding and residencies all over the country. I'd love for you to hire me. If you are interested in contacting me about speaking at your college or arts organization, please write me here: mira@mirabartok.com and I will give you my fee scale.

You can watch me in action in this video taken this summer at Ashland University: http://mediasite.ashland.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=50697fe9cf79492fb595a6de2f509e5e1d

And to all of you who have lots of questions about grant applications, opportunities, etc., you should take an hour and a half and watch the video too. Your questions might be answered.

So for now, sorry to all you wonderful people who sent me things to post this past month. I just have been way too busy or out of town. Please keep using my blog for all its resources and stay subscribed for now because I will still post when I can. I will be leaving for Australia (for the NonfictioNOW Conference in Melbourne) in a couple days and back in early December. So until then, have a great rest of the month and keep making art!

Thanks for sticking around this long, oh loyal readers....

Mirabee at the Walls and Bridges Festival, NYC, October 20th

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 18:50:00 +0000

Hey New Yorkers!

I'll be participating in a panel discussion & book signing with French Authors Claude Arnaud, Gwenaëlle Aubry, and American authors Mira Bartók, Marco Roth. Hosted by Amanda Angel, Editor “This Week in New York” for Time Out New York, Co-presented with McNally Jackson Bookstore, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, New York, Time Out New York and Tin House.

WHEN: THIS Saturday, October 20 from 4 to 5:30 pm.
WHERE: McNally Jackson Bookstore 52 Prince Street (Between Lafayette & Mulberry Streets) NY 10012

This event is presented as part of “Walls and Bridges,” an arts and ideas series curated by the Villa Gillet, a French cultural institute interested in thought in all its

expressions, bringing together thinkers and artists from all over the world; and is co-presented with Les Subsistances, an international laboratory for live arts based in Lyon, France. Curated by Villa gillet (Director: Guy Walter), and supported by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, Walls and Bridges is a 10-day series of performances and critical explorations uniting French and American thinkers and artists from social sciences, philosophy, literature and live arts.

Villa Gillet's site:
http://www.villagillet.net/en/portal/walls-and-bridges/detail/article/loin-de-larbre-quand-les-familles-sont-dysfonctionnelles/?tx_ttnews%5Bpointer%5D=1&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=318&cHash=b32390e7bf8433a69b9089a8e33ea362

McNally Jackson Bookstore: http://mcnallyjackson.com/event/walls-and-bridges-far-tree

Artist Residency in Italy at the Bellagio Center, Deadline November 30th, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 15:07:00 +0000

Call for Applications: The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Resident Fellows Program

Deadline: November 30, 2012

The Residency Program (in Northern Italy) allows for focused work, uninterrupted by the professional and personal demands of daily life. In addition to time for dedicated work on individual projects and for reflection during the day, building new connections and collegial interaction with other residents is a defining characteristic of the Bellagio experience. During a residency, people of diverse expertise and backgrounds come together in a thought-provoking, creative, collegial environment that helps create change and have impact on a wide range of world issues. Residents include an international group of academics, writers, artists, scientists, journalists, non-governmental organization practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. Meals and informal presentations of residents' work afford an opportunity for dynamic discussion and engagement with each other. The combination of quiet time for individual, focused work and connections with such a diverse community is unparalleled.

Academic Writing as well as Arts & Literary Arts residencies typically last four weeks, and spouses/life partners may accompany residents. Practitioner residencies can last between two to four weeks. Joint applications from co-authors are also welcome.

Applications for Academic Writing as well as Arts & Literary Arts residencies are due by November 30, 2012 for a residency period beginning August 19, 2013 through November 29, 2013. Applications from practitioners and for conferences are accepted on a rolling basis.

To learn more please visit http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/bellagio-center.

Calling All Poets, Photographers, Sculptors, Book Artists and Everyone Else! New Fall and Winter Deadlines

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 17:55:00 +0000

Hi Everyone....I know I don't post as much as I used to. It's been a hard year and I'm tired. Doing my best....But here are a few things that came down the pike this past month. I apologize to those of you who sent me notices about grants and residencies to post. I just can't do it every single week now. Before I forget—please check out this link to Ashland University if you have an hour or so to watch me talk about opportunities, grants, residencies, grant writing tips, fellowships etc.: http://mediasite.ashland.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=50697fe9cf79492fb595a6de2f509e5e1d

Below are a few odds and ends...

Cheers,

Mirabee

(POETS) AMY LOWELL POETRY TRAVELING SCHOLARSHIP
http://www.amylowell.org/instructions.htm

The award for the 2013-2014 Scholarship year will be approximately $52,000. The recipient must agree to spend the year abroad, as the will requires. The poetry sample must not exceed either
one printed volume plus no more than 20 typed pages of your most recent work, or 40 typed pages. Deadline October 15, 2012. For more info, please go to: http://www.amylowell.org/instructions.htm

(SCULPTORS) SCULPTURE SPACE, located in Utica, New York invites artists whose focus is sculpture to apply for a two-month residency between September 2012 and August 2013. Eighteen to twenty residents are selectively chosen each year; a stipend of $2000 is awarded to offset costs (dependent on funding).

Offered: 5500 square foot shared studio with specialized equipment in addition to two private studios. The Studio Manager provides ongoing assistance and technical expertise, the Office Manager and Executive Director are available to assist with any other special requirements. Three to four artists are in residence each month; artists are expected to stay for a full two months. Housing is provided a block away in a newly-renovated residence with private bedrooms. Artists are responsible for materials, specialized tools and food. Bicycles are provided; transport for materials purchase and other needs is also available.

Artists are notified in March. Primary criteria for selection are simple: artists are chosen based on the quality, originality and potential of their work.

Applications accepted from OCTOBER 1 - DECEMBER 1, 2012 at: http://www.slideroom/sculpturespace.com

(PHOTOGRAPHERS) International Photographer in Residence Programme 2013—Archisle: The Jersey Contemporary Photography Programme, hosted by the Société Jersiaise (Jersey Society) in the British Channel Island of Jersey promotes contemporary photography through an ongoing programme of exhibitions, education and commissions. The Archisle project connects photographic archives, contemporary practice and experiences of island cultures and geographies through the development of a space for creative discourse between Jersey and international practitioners.

Archisle is currently inviting applications for the position of Photographer in Residence launching in 2013. This is an exciting new post commencing in April/May running for six months through to September/October 2013. The residency provides the following key benefits and opportunities:

- £10,000 bursary for the commission/production of a body of work and solo exhibition

- Studio space with access to inkjet printing and office/internet resources

- Living accommodation and (limited) expenses

- Travel costs

For more information, please Email: mailto:archisle@societe-jersiaise.orgarchisle@societe-jersiaise.org DEADLINE: 15th October 2012.

(WOMEN ARTISTS/WRITERS, etc.) Turkeyland Cove Foundation RETREAT Grants (TLCF) offers personal retreats for motivated women (artists, poets, writers, composers, and others in the arts) to pursue their professional, educational, and artistic goals away from the distraction of daily life. Grantees are given personal space in a house nestled on four waterfront acres and surrounded by lush gardens and tree-covered walking trails away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Edgartown, Massachusetts–– one week minimum, one month maximum. Grants cover room and board (personal chef services) plus reasonable transportation expenses. The foundation will review the financial circumstances of applicants and will make grants to women who could not otherwise afford the period of retreat. Based on individual need, the foundation will also consider helping to fund increased home expenses necessitated by a care-giver's absence, as well as goal related expenses or materials relevant to the purpose of the grant.
Grants are currently limited to the New England area and New York State. Deadline: We are now accepting applications for our spring session. The deadline for submission of our online application is December 15, 2012. Website: For more information about Turkeyland Cove Foundation and our application process, please visit us online at: www.turkeylandcovefoundation.org

(NEW ENGLAND ARTISTS) Assets for Artists Grant Program—Applications are now available for the Assets For Artists grant program, which caters to low-to-moderate income artists across all disciplines who are interested in accumulating working capital to invest in their creative businesses (we've had artists invest in painting supplies, expand their kiln size, redesign their websites, record a studio album, and make other major improvements.) In addition to grants, we offer arts-specific business and financial training so that they can grow their businesses more effectively. Artists can receive up to $2,000 dollars in matching grants. Apply by October 12th for Massachusetts artists and by October 19 for Portland, Maine artists. The application, along with an artist resume or bio, should be sent to assetsforartists@gmail.com.

(ARTISTS) 2013 Artist-inResidence Workspace Grant, The Center for Book Arts, NYC—FOR NEW YORK EMERGING ARTISTS —Deadline: 15 October, 2012—

The Center for Book Arts is pleased to continue the Artist-in-Residence Workspace Grant for New York Emerging Artists program in 2013. Up to five New York-based emerging artists will be offered space, time and support to explore the production of artist’s books and related work for a full year. The purpose of this program is to promote experimentation in book arts, thus artists from all disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The Center especially encourages applications from artists of culturally diverse backgrounds.

The award includes a $750-$1,500 cash stipend (depending on funding) plus a materials budget between $500 to $1,000 (depending on funding), 24 hour access to the Center’s printing and binding facilities for a full year, plus an individual studio space for 3 months.
Artists also receive approximately $3,000-$5,000 tuition waiver for courses throughout the year, planned in conjunction with the staff.
Further information and application: http://www.centerforbookarts.org/opportunities/2013workspaceapp.pdf

The Center for Book Arts
28 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10001
(212) 481-0295
http://www.centerforbookarts.org/

(ALL) Marsh-Billings-RockefellerNational Historic Park AIR (MBR) and the K2 Family Foundation (K2FF) invite applications for the 2013 artist-in-residence at MBR as part of the Art And Conservation Stewardship Program. Located at the park in Woodstock, Vermont, the program offers one artist each year the opportunity to work on a site-specific or site-inspired project consistent with both MBR’s and K2FF’s concerns with sustainability and creative attention to the natural world. Artists are in residence for two months, and are encouraged to develop outreach opportunities to engage parkvisitors. Stipends and funds for materials are available. Applications must be received between 1 October 2012 and 31 December 2012. Application guidelines and forms are available at http://www.k2ff.org.

This opportunity includes an artist's studio, a stipend ($15,000 for two months) and additional money is available to defray production costs (up to $5,000 most years). It does NOT include housing, although plenty is available in the area for sublet and rental. No constraints as to media/discipline and no restrictions as to citizenship, etc.

Watch and Listen to Mirabee Talk About How to Find Money for Your Dreams!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Greetings all!

I am off to the SPXO convention in Bethesda, MD tomorrow (that is the Small Press Expo, for those of you who don't know, and it is chock full of comic book artists and graphic novelists from all over the world). Anyway, I just got this link from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio, where they have a wonderful low-residency MFA program for writers. I read there this summer, did a writing craft seminar AND...most importantly, a talk on grants, residencies and opportunities for writers and others in the arts. And guess what? It's online now and you can watch Mirabee make a fool of herself publicly, while answering all your burning questions about writing grants, applications to residencies, where to find funding, etc.

GO HERE TO SEE AND HEAR MIRABEE TALK ABOUT GRANTS, RESIDENCIES ETC: http://mediasite.ashland.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=50697fe9cf79492fb595a6de2f509e5e1d

It's an hour an a half video so make yourself a bucket of popcorn and take notes too!

See you later...
xoxo
m

Millay Colony Call for Applications: Deadline October 1st

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:39:00 +0000

MILLAY COLONY CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: DEADLINE OCTOBER 1
(August 17, 2012) Austerlitz, NY…The Millay Colony for the Arts
application system is now open through October 1, 2012 for the 2013
residency season. The Colony offers one-month residencies to visual
artists, composers and writers between the months of April and
November. Nurturing the work of artists of all ages, from a range of
cultures and communities, and in all stages of their artistic career,
the Colony offers comfortable private rooms, private studio spaces,
all meals, and ample time to work in a quiet, pastoral atmosphere.

In addition to offering month-long residencies to visual artists,
writers and composers, the Millay Colony also offers three new ways to
spend time as a resident. "In our continuing efforts to meet the
ever-evolving needs of the artistic community,” says Executive
Director Caroline Crumpacker, “we are now able to support artists who
can’t manage a full month away, but for whom a shorter residency could
provide a tremendous boost. We also want to recognize the importance
of collaborations and collectives to and within contemporary
art-making."

The Two-Week Residency
In order to accommodate artists who cannot partake of a month-long
residency, we are now offering two two-week sessions in the month of
September only, for up to seven artists per session. These sessions
function exactly as our popular longer sessions do, highlighted by
private bedrooms, private studios, and all meals.

The “Virtual” Residency
This new residency is specifically for working artists and/or artists
with children who cannot spend prolonged time away from home but could
benefit from the support of a residency in modified form. The 'Virtual
Resident' can participate in one of The Millay Colony's month-long
residency on weekends only and will receive a stipend of $1,000 to
assist in securing time off/childcare/art supplies or other resources
necessary to the making of new work.

The application process for these residencies is the same as that for
the month-long residencies. Applicants will note on their application
form that they are looking for the two-week residency or the virtual
residency.

The Group Residency
The Millay Colony awards one five-day Group Residency each year to a
group of between three and seven collaborating artists. This is
available to any artists groups, including but not only musicians and
bands, publishing collectives, theater and dance troupes, galleries,
etc. -- or simply individuals collaborating on a project.

The basis for the application as a group is work samples, a statement
detailing the history of the collaboration or organization, and a
project description describing proposed activities for the residency.
The residency may be used only to support the creation and
dissemination of new or revived art works. It is not available for
institutional support or organizational retreats. The residency is
awarded through a separate application process and includes private
bedrooms, studios, public meeting spaces, and all meals.

The Millay Colony for the Arts is an artists' residency program and
artists' center located on the extraordinary property of poet Edna St.
Vincent Millay in Austerlitz, NY. Our mission is to nurture and
promote the vitality of the arts by providing artists with a rural
home that encourages intensity and exploration in the context of
nurturing artistic community.

Each year Millay Colony invites 52 visual artists, writers and
composers for a colony residency. Residents are chosen anonymously by
a panel of jurors in each discipline. The application process is
competitive and based solely on on the merit of the artist statement
and work sample.

Deadline for 2013 residencies is October 1, 2012.
To apply for any of these residencies visit
http://www.millaycolony.org/apply. Or for more information call
Residency Director Calliope Nicholas at 518-392-3103.

Fall Deadlines for Fellowships, Residencies and Grants

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 19:42:00 +0000

(ARTISTS & WRITERS) Sustainable Arts Foundation Awards—The Sustainable Arts Foundation offers financial awards to artists and writers with families. We are currently accepting applications for our 2012 awards. There will be five awards of $6,000 as well as five smaller Promise Awards ($1,000 each). Special consideration will be given to residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. Deadline for our Fallawards is September 1st, 2012.To learn more and apply, please visit us at http://www.sustainableartsfoundation.org/

Deadline is September 1, 2012!

(ALL) Massachusetts Artist Fellowship Program—MCC's Artist Fellowships are competitive, anonymously-judged grants for individual artists, with awards based solely on the artistic excellence of the original work submitted. For more info, go here:

http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/applications/fellowsapp.asp

The 2013 Artist Fellowships Program accepts applications in the following categories:

Crafts, Dramatic Writing, and Sculpture/Installation
Online applications available now
Application deadline: October 1, 2012

Film & Video, Music Composition, and Photography
Online applications available: December 15, 2012
Application deadline: January 28, 2013

(ALL) The Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University—will be given to writers and other artists of exceptional promise to pursue independent projects at Princeton University during the 2013-2014 academic year. Hodder Fellows may be writers, composers, choreographers, visual artists, performance artists, or other kinds of artists or humanists who have "much more than ordinary intellectual and literary gifts;" they are selected more "for promise than for performance." Given the strength of the applicant pool, most successful Fellows have published a first book or have similar achievements in their own fields; the Hodder is designed to provide Fellows with the "studious leisure" to undertake significant new work.

Hodder Fellows spend an academic year at Princeton, but no formal teaching is involved. A $68,000 stipend is provided. Fellowships cannot fund work leading to the Ph.D. One need not be a U.S. citizen to apply.

Apply by November 1, 2012 through the Princeton Human Resources website - www.princeton.edu/jobs; search Open Positions and enter key word “Hodder Fellows.”

(ALL) Residency at Chateau de La Napoule, Mandelieu-La Napoule, France—LNAF’s General Residency offers up to ten artists a four week period to live and work at the Château de La Napoule. At its core is a belief in the value of the shared experience of personal, professional and artistic discovery that takes place within a supportive environment of peers. This program promotes opportunities for cross-cultural dialogue, artistic exchange and exploration of a shared interest in the greater good. This residency is open to all artistic genres and artists from across the globe. Selected artists receive housing and most meals. website: www.LNAF.org For more information, contact lnaf@clews.org Deadline: September 30, 2012

2012 NonfictioNOW Conference in Melbourne, Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:25:00 +0000

I forgot to tell you! I will be in Melbourne, Australia for the NonfictioNOW Conference at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), November 21-24, 2012. I'll be on a panel of graphic novelists, comic book artists and scholars, talking about nonfiction visual narratives. If you are interested in attending this conference, here's a little bit of info from the website. And if you are an artist or writer who lives in Melbourne and are NOT going to the conference but would like to meet up for a beer or a fine cup of espresso, well, hell, drop me a line: mirabartok@yahoo.com

And here's the link to the conference: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse/RMIT%20Events/Major%20events/NonfictioNow%20%20Conference%202012/

I can't believe I am going. I sure hope I get to see a wombat!

xoxo Mirabee

NonfictionNOW Conference in Melbourne, Australia 2012

For the first time in Australia, this internationally renowned event will gather leading artists, journalists, readers, writers and publishers of nonfiction from around the world in Melbourne, in collaboration with the UNESCO Cities of Literature. Participants will have the opportunity to experience more than 40 panel sessions, keynote addresses, readings, screenings and events that explore creative practices, contemporary debates and new directions in nonfiction. Keynote speakers include Helen Garner, David Shields, Margo Jefferson and Jose Dalisay.

Join the conversation with Robyn Archer, Mira Bartok, Tony Birch, Peter Bishop, Mary Clearman Blew, David Carlin, Alison Croggan, Sophie Cunningham, Paul Daley, Jose Dalisay, Adrian Danks, Sherre DeLys, Peter Doyle, Patricia Foster, Andrew Fowler, Helen Garner, Ross Gibson, Marion Halligan, Chris Hammer, Robin Hemley, Pam Houston, Margo Jefferson, Evelyn Juers, Benjamin Law, James Ley, Paul Lisicky, Bret Lott, Kim Mahood, Shane Maloney, Adrian Miles, Kathryn Millard, Meg Mundell, Gina Perry, Leila Philip, Sian Prior, Alice Pung, Francesca Rendle-Short, Matthew Ricketson, Julianne Schultz, David Shields, Jeff Sparrow, Cheryl Strayed, Maria Tumarkin, Jen Webb, Geordie Williamson, Tony Wright, Xu Xi, Arnold Zable.

Truly a conversation amongst peers, NonfictioNow is expected to attract more than 400 participants, including panellists and keynotes, drawn from a range of disciplines. Audiences and panellists alike will mingle over three days beginning on the evening of Wednesday 21 November until Saturday 24 November. Registration for the three day conference (plus the Wednesday night welcome events) includes refreshments throughout and access to more than 50 events and functions. A limited number of single-day conference tickets are also available.
Register for three-day and single day tickets
Listen to and take part in conversations on the beauty and politics of contemporary essay writing; on ethics in memoir and the lines between fiction and nonfiction; on graphic narratives, radio, film, visual art, online works and nonfiction poetry. The role of the media in democracy; crime, food and travel writing; and stories bound to landscapes and places near and far: from Alaska to the Philippines, to our own city of literature, Melbourne... and much more besides.

Fellowships and Residencies for Artists, Filmmakers, Writers & Everyone Else!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:13:00 +0000

I hope you are all having a great summer. Here are a few opportunities for your viewing pleasure.

Cheers, Mirabee

Urgent Deadline: (FILMMAKERS) The Building Imagination Center in Modesto, California is seeking 10 resident filmmakers fortheir Resident Filmmaker Challenge.

The Resident Filmmaker Challenge is a collaborative effort between the region’s best filmmakers and Modesto‘s non-profit organizations in developing short documentary videos that present unique perspectives into the community’s most pressing concerns.

The two and a half week challenge is an intense filmmaking experience. The Building Imagination Center acts as a facilitator, bringing together project teams (filmmaker, film crew, and a community group) and mentoring a process that helps filmmakers and partner organizations to advance social issues through documentary stories.

The residency includes a series of workshops — presentations, examples, demonstrations, and focused production and post-production sessions where project teams realize their video project. The team develops a video that is screened at the Modesto Third Thursday Art Walk. Additionally, filmmakers will receive $1,250 for expenses for their proposed project , services of a four - six person film crew from CSU Stanislaus’s Video & Time Based Media program, use of two Sony FS100 camcorders, and unlimited access to a state-of-the-art post-production editing suite.

The Challenge is specifically seeking CSU alumni and regional filmmakers from Sacramento to Fresno, and all of California in-between.

Read more about the Challenge, and how to apply at www.BuildingImagination.com. Deadline for applications is August 24th, 2012.

(ARTISTS) The Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed FoundationGrant

2013 Application now available online at www.paam.org

Provincetown, MA.: Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) announces the fourth annual Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Foundation Grant, which provides financial backing for mature American painters. PAAM is proud to help support under-recognized artist funding.

American painters aged 45 or older who demonstrate financial need are encouraged to apply for a grant. The primary emphasis is to promote public awareness and a commitment to American art, as well as encouraging interest in artists who lack adequate recognition. Grants range from $5,000 to $30,000.

In the past, applicants have hailed from nearly all 50 states and multiple foreign countries. Applicants ranged in age from 45 to 84. The application for the 2012 grant cycle has been updated and is now available online at www.paam.org. PAAM encourages any prospective applicants to look at the application guidelines and apply. Completed applications must be postmarked Monday, April 1, 2013.

(CA ARTISTS) Southern Exposure's 2012 Grant Program

Deadline to Apply: Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Southern Exposure is now accepting applications for Round 6 of the Alternative Exposure Grant Program. Alternative Exposure grants provide direct support to visual arts projects in San Francisco and Alameda Counties that in turn provide frameworks of support for artists to create and continue their work. We give grants of up to $5,000 to help fund the work of unincorporated groups, burgeoning art venues and gathering spaces, publications, collectives, events and more.

Southern Exposure strives to fuel the energy of the Bay Area visual arts community and encourage the vibrant artistic activity that occurs on the ground level – artists or groups of artists making and presenting work in a committed but informal way. Now entering its sixth year, SoEx has awarded $286,000 in direct funds to 88 Bay Area projects through the first four rounds of Alternative Exposure. To learn more about the history of this program and the many projects funded by Alternative Exposure visit: www.soex.org/alternativeexposure

How to Apply for Round 6:

The Alternative Exposure guidelines and application materials are available to download at www.soex.org/alternativeexposure

3030 20th Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

t: 415.863.2141

f: 415.863.1841

e: soex@soex.org

w: www.soex.org

(ARTISTS) ARTADIA AWARDS 2012 | HOUSTON

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE ARTADIA AWARDS 2012 HOUSTON WITH SPECIAL PROGRAMS AT TEXAS CONTEMPORARY!

Artadia is currently accepting applications for the Artadia Awards 2012 Houston from all visual artists living and working in Harris County, TX. Individual artists and collaboratives working in all media and at any point in their career are strongly encouraged to apply. Awardees will be selected in the fall of 2012 through Artadia's two-tiered jury process.

Application deadline: September 24, 2012 at 11:59 pm (CST).

Artadia is pleased to partner with Texas Contemporary for this awards cycle.

For eligibility requirements and to access the Web-based application, please visit www.artadia.org

Visionary support for Artadia in Houston is provided by Houston Endowment, Inc., The Brown Foundation, Inc., and many generous individuals in Houston who share a deep commitment to supporting the arts.

(ARTISTS & SCHOLARS) The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is currently offering grants for the visual arts and art history. The deadline for applications is Friday, November 9, 2012.

Professional artists must be current, legal residents of Virginia and must not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the time of the application deadline or during the grant period of Aug 2013-May 2014. Undergraduate students in the visual arts must be current, legal residents of Virginia who will be enrolled full-time in a degree program at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts for the academic year/grant period of Aug 2013-May 2014. Graduate students in the visual arts or art history must be current, legal residents of Virginia who will be enrolled full-time in a degree program at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts for the academic year/grant period of Aug 2013-May 2014.More information including detailed eligibility criteria, an application, and a printable PDF flyer can be found at: http://www.vmfa.museum/Fellowship

Award amounts and categories:

$8,000 Professional Artists

$6,000 Graduate students (visual arts and art history)

$4,000 Undergraduate students (visual arts, includes college-bound high school seniors)

(WRITERS) The Helen McCloy/MWA Scholarship for Mystery Writing seeks to nurture talent in mystery writing—in fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. The scholarship ($500) shall be used to offset tuition and fees for writing workshops, writing seminars, or university/college-level writing programs taking place in the U.S. in summer, fall or winter of 2013 or early spring 2014. Applicants must select a specific writing class/workshop/seminar to which scholarship funds would be applied. Deadline is February 28, 2013. Find submission details and requirements at: http://www.mysterywriters.org/?q=AwardsPrograms-McCloy

(WRITERS) FOURTH GENRE FOUNDING EDITOR MIKE STEINBERG UNDERWRITES FELLOWSHIP FOR PROMISING NONFICTION WRITER

The Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College is pleased to offer the 2013 Michael Steinberg Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction. This $1000 fellowship is given once annually to a writer of creative nonfiction who has applied and been accepted to the MFA Program, and is based solely on the quality of the writing sample included with the student’s application materials. The deadline for fellowship applications is October 15, 2012 (postmark date.) Note: Awards must be applied toward the winter residency/spring semester directly following acceptance; fellowships cannot be deferred or applied toward a summer residence/fall semester start. For an application form and further details, go to: http://www.pmc.edu/mfa-apply.

(WRITERS) BESTSELLING AUTHOR DENNIS LEHANEUNDERWRITES FELLOWSHIP FOR PROMISING FICTION WRITER

The Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College is pleased to offer the 2013 Dennis Lehane Fellowship for Fiction. This $1000 fellowship is given once annually to a writer of fiction who has applied and been accepted to the MFA Program, and is based solely on the quality of the writing sample included with the student’s application materials. The deadline for fellowship applications is October 15, 2012 (postmark date.) Note: Awards must be applied toward the winter residency/spring semester directly following acceptance; fellowships cannot be deferred or applied toward a summer residence/fall semester start. For an application form and further details, go to: http://www.pmc.edu/mfa-apply.

(ALL) Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts in Wyoming, US offers competitive residencies for 2, 4 or 6 weeks (with preferences going to 4 week requests). Visual artists, writers, musicians and composers of all backgrounds, genres and experience are welcome to apply. Must be 18 or older. English language skills are a must. We have 4 visual art studios, 2 writing studios and 2 music/composition studios.

Selected recipients are given housing (with private bath), most meals and exclusive access to studio. Residents are responsible for all necessary supplies and transportation to either Laramie Regional Airport or Brush Creek Ranch. For more information about our program please visit www.brushcreekarts.org. We are only taking online applications. Please read guidelines prior to completing the online application. DEADLINE is SEPTEMBER 15, 2012 for our Winter/Spring residency session running January - May 2013.

66 Brush Creek Ranch Rd

Saratoga, WY 82331

www.brushcreekarts.org

Mobile: 307-710-7312

Fax: 307-327-5970

(ART HISTORY SCHOLARS/GRAD. STUDENTS) Fellowships & AcademicOpportunities 2013 - The Terra Foundation for American Art
International Essay Prize + Doctoral & Postdoctoral Research Travel Grants to the United States + Terra Foundation Fellowships in American Art.
Deadline: January 15, 2013
Application fee: none
The Terra Foundation for American Art is committed to supporting projects designed to engage audiences around the globe in an enriched dialogue on American art. The fellowships and academic opportunities listed below seek to enliven and expand the study of the history of American art by encouraging the participation of scholars worldwide.
http://www.terraamericanart.org/scholarship/fellowships/

Doctoral & Postdoctoral Research Travel Grants to the United States
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FROM CANDIDATES WORLDWIDE
Deadline: January 15, 2013
These grants provide funding for doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars outside the United States to travel to the United States for research on topics concerning American art and visual culture prior to 1980. For more information, go to: http://www.terraamericanart.org/grants/academic-program/doctoral-postdoctoral-research-travel-grants-to-the-united-states/

http://www.terraamericanart.org/grants/academic-program/doctoral-postdoctoral-research-travel-grants-to-the-united-states/

(ARTISTS) Residence fellowships - AkademieSchloss Solitude, Stuttgart: The Akademie Schloss Solitude fellowship Deadline: October 31, 2012
The Akademie Schloss Solitude fellowship is a residence fellowship. It is expected that the fellows spend at least two-thirds of their residency at Akademie Schloss Solitude.
http://www.akademie-solitude.de/enhttp://www.akademie-solitude.de/en
The fellowship includes the following:
A combined apartment / studio, furnished with electricity, water and heat free of charge.
A stipend amounting to Euro 1,100 monthly (plus one-time expenses incurred by the fellowship holder travelling to and from Stuttgart from his or her primary place of residence).The Akademie may also offer additional financial supplements, depending on its respective budget situation.
A supplement for so-called double housekeeping (subsidy for apartment or studio costs); freight cost subsidy for the transport of materials, tools and instruments to and from Stuttgart; a project promotion subsidy and a one-time materials subsidy; in the case of non-German guests (from non EU-countries), assumption of part of their health insurance expenses.
The use of the workshops owned by Akademie Schloss Solitude under the supervision of the technical director, are free of charge for fellowship holders.
In light of the historical character and architectural substance of the building, the combined apartment/studios are generally only suitable for one person. In special cases the Akademie will consider allocating two studios for families.
All artists invited to stay at Akademie Schloss Solitude are obliged to establish residence in Stuttgart for the duration of the grant (compulsory registration).

APPLICATION
http://application.akademie-solitude.de/
Application requirements for a residency fellowship:
You are aged up to 35 years, or you have completed a university or college degree within the last five years.
You have completed your academic studies.
Please note that applications from those still enrolled in degree programs during the application round will not be considered. PhD students may submit applications.
A limited number of fellowships are awarded regardless of the applicants' age.
(ALL) The George Washington UniversityResident Artist/Scholar Program: January 14 - June 30, 2013, Washington, DC Deadline: September 14, 2012
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at The George Washington University (GW) offers an Arts Fellowship available to support a mid-career artist and/or scholar. Fields may include, but are not limited to the following: visual arts, performance art, musical composition or performance, filmmaking, creative writing, theatre, dance, and scholars in the arts.

This new fellowship has been established to provide a platform for a resident artist/scholar to work together with a small group of GW faculty (Incubator Studio Fellows) and students, as well as other members of the Washington, DC arts community. The Fellow will not be assigned to teach any courses; instead, he/she will be expected to produce new work and/or scholarship, present at least one public lecture, regularly interact with graduate and undergraduate students, and fully participate in activities with GW faculty in the Incubator Studio Fellowship Program.

The concept for the inaugural Resident Artist/Scholar Program and Incubator Studio Fellowship Program (2013 Spring/Summer) will be determined through the submission process, which will consist of proposals from individual artists and/or scholars and GW faculty. A primary goal is to foster an interdisciplinary approach to creative research and scholarship over an intensive six-month period, a physical and intellectual space for the development of meaningful artistic and scholarly linkages across the arts and other disciplines, both on and off campus. The final result of the collaboration between the Resident Artist/Scholar Fellow and the Incubator Studio Fellows may result in a single project in which all fellows contribute equally or independent projects that have been developed through an ongoing intellectual exchange.

The Resident Artist/Scholar Fellow will be provided with a stipend ($30,000.00), a modest studio/office on the Foggy Bottom Campus, as well as a creative project/research fund (up to $5,000.00) to cover expenses directly related to the realization of the work done while in residence. The Fellow is expected to be in residence in Washington, DC, at GW during the term of the fellowship (January 14 – June 30, 2013).
http://art.gwu.edu/resources/opportunities/opportunities.php

Deadline for receipt of application for the Resident Artist/Scholar Fellowship is September 14, 2012.

The Secrets of Grantwriting Revealed! Guest Post by Gigi Rosenberg, Grant Guru

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Hi everyone. Sorry about the problems I've had lately with blogger turning my text into tiny indecipherable sentences. I'm not sure what is going on but hopefully I'll fix it. In the meantime, I'm about to run off to Ohio to give a couple lectures and do a reading at Ashland University's low-residency MFA Program for Writers. But before I do, as promised....here is the guest blog post by Gigi Rosenberg, wonderful grant guru. She wrote a terrific book called The Artist's Guide to Grant Writing last year and it is helpful for everyone in the arts. AND, if you are lucky, you can win a copy of her book! GO TO GIGI'S WEBSITE after reading her post and sign up on her mailing list if you want to try to win a copy of her book: http://gigirosenberg.com/

Have a great August and enjoy Gigi's pearls of wisdom.
Mirabee

Gigi Rosenberg travels the country teaching artists how to ace their grant proposals. She told me recently that she keeps hearing the same questions from artists over and over so I asked her to write down some of the questions and her answers so we could all benefit.

She will raffle off one copy of her book The Artist’sGuide to Grant Writing for anyone who signs up for her mailing list by midnight tonight. When you sign up, you’ll also receive two free tip sheets – one on grant writing and one on how to make a great presentation.

Gigi Rosenberg won her first unofficial grant as a 14-year old when she convinced her parents to fork over the cash to buy 5 rolls of Super 8 Kodachrome to shoot her first film. Today, she works as a writer, speaker, and artist coach for visual, literary and performing artists. She wrote The Artist’s Guide to Grant Writing (Watson-Guptill, 2010) to teach artists and writers how to win grants, fundraise creatively, and ensure that every second they spend writing a proposal pushes their art further into the world. For the latest, visit gigirosenberg.com.

How do I know when I’m ready to apply for a grant?

To apply for a grant you need a body of work. To create a body of work usually takes a few years working steadily in your medium. In general, most artists wait too long before applying for a grant. Who among us ever feels fully “cooked”? I don’t think that feeling goes with being an artist.

It’s certainly never too early to learn about grants, attend workshops about grants for artists or study applications. The questions you need to answer on those applications will help you define who you are as an artist and what you are creating.

You’ll also know if you’re ready if you have some accolades on your resume that show the support you’ve received from others – this could include shows you’ve been in, publications, other grants you’ve won, awards or any other recognition for your work.

If you really are a newbie then make sure the granting organization is interested in funding “young” or “emerging” artists.

Where do I research?

The first place to start your research is in your own studio or at your writer’s desk. Review the work you’ve done. Ask: Where have I been? What am I doing now? Where am I heading with my work? What’s my vision for 1 year, 5 year and 20 years from now? What kind of support would take me there?

Your own work is the best place to start. Then, have conversations with colleagues. Meet with an artist or career coach. When you know where you’re going you’ll be clear on what you need to grow and develop your work and you’ll know what you’re looking for.

It might be a residency, a project grant or a professional development grant.

Once you’ve decided what opportunity you’re looking for then turn to “The Source” on the NYFA website, your state arts commission, Mira’s list or the list of resources on my website can be your next stop. www.gigirosenberg.com/resources

How do I keep going in the face of all that rejection?

It helps to remember that famous artists get rejected all the time too. It’s part of the process of putting your work out there. It’s aggravating and can be demoralizing which is why it’s important to have close friends and colleagues who support you and your work no matter what. Also, as important as it is to be submitting to competitive venues, it’s also vital to put your work in the world in ways that you control. This might mean reading at an Open Mic night at the local coffee house, showing your latest work to a few friends, participating in a writers group or critique group. If you’re relying on funding organizations and people whose only job it is to judge you – that can drive you crazy. Build your own support team.

As an artist, a good attitude is essential – but even a good attitude takes work! When I’ve been grumpy, dejected for too long, showing up at my writing desk is even harder. Do the work so you can work unhampered by the wet blanket of rejection.

When an artist tells me how few rejections they’ve received, I don’t think “oh, they must be good,” I know this means they are not sending out enough applications. Be proud of that rejection pile. It’s shows your grit and tenacity!

I applied for one grant and didn’t get it. It was a ton of work. How do I know if it’s worth applying again?

If you can, ask the funder for feedback as to why you were rejected. You might find out that you were the next in line. Or you might find out that this grant was not a good match for you.

Some funders won’t give feedback. If that’s the case, then you can turn to your colleagues – especially if you know others who’ve won the grant. Ask them for feedback.

Also, read the guidelines and the criteria for applying, once again. Were you the perfect match? If you think you really were then you should apply again. Some funders like to see their applicants apply a couple of times before winning. This shows tenacity.

Use the application process to do all the homework and marketing preparation that you need to be doing anyway. That way, if you don’t win, you have some very valuable work completed like a revised artist statement, updated resume, succinct project description, and so on. Make the grant writing process work for you!

I want to end with a quote from Theater Director Anne Bogart about fundraising. It’s from her book And Then, You Act: Making Art in an Unpredictable World (Routledge, 2007). I couldn’t agree more!

Consider the pursuit of support and raising money as part of your artistic process… It is a way of meeting people, building community and articulating ideas, concepts, and intentions… If you have an idea for a project by the time you’ve described it to forty people it will be a better idea.

Download a FREE excerpt of my book at (www.gigirosenberg.com/book), check out the funding resources list (www.gigirosenberg.com/resources), sign up for my mailing list and receive two tip sheets – one on grant writing and one on how to make a great presentation. Join the conversation on Facebook at The Artist’s Guide To Grant Writing Facebook page.

Calling All Artists, Writers, Scholars, etc. Who Want to Go to Berlin, India and Elsewhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:23:00 +0000

Hi everyone. Well, you probably have noticed that I have barely posted this summer! I started a new project and am also preparing for some workshops/master classes/lectures, etc. so I have had to neglect Mira's List a little. Anyway...a couple things coming up this summer: FINALLY! An interview and display of our 2012 Mira's List Art Contest winner Karol Slowik and a guest blog post by grant writing guru Gigi Rosenberg.

Below are a few things for you to look at....in the meantime, stay cool and stay tuned!

xox Mirabee

(ARTISTS/SOUND ARTISTS/MEDIA ARTISTS/ILLUSTRATORS) 2-MONTH RESIDENCY in INDIA—October 1 to December 15 2012

OPEN CALL FOR ONE INTERNATIONAL ARTIST

Deadline for applications: 31 July 2012

Last Ship offers artists’ residencies in two living studios. One studio is dedicated to international residencies, and the other welcomes artists from all over India. We are looking for artists with new energy and excitement! The residency is open to artists working in all fields of art, including photography, video, new media, sound art, illustration and others.

The residency includes:

- Accommodation and food.

- A live-in studio for two months

- An exhibition of works of projects realized in the residency

The artists will have to bear the expenses of transports, material and production of work themselves. At the end of the residency the work will be exhibited at Last Ship.

Interested artists need to email the following to jmilastship@gmail.com

1) An up to date C.V.

2) A recent photograph of the artist

3) A selection of not more than 10 images/files of work

4) A brief written description of the artist’s philosophy

5) A brief written proposal of the project that the artist would like to create at Last Ship

Last ship is an independent, one-of-a-kind international art space in Bandra, Mumbai. Right in the middle of the bustling Chuim Village, Last Ship encourages projects that engage artists, local communities, and the public. The space offers international art residencies, art education, production solutions for artists, exhibition & project support, events (& pirate parties).

For More information on Last Ship Programs & Residencies in India please contact

Eve Lemesle- What About Art?

projects@whataboutart.net

https://www.facebook.com/WAAmumbai

(CHICAGO ARTISTS) ARTADIA AWARDS 2012 | CHICAGO

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE ARTADIA AWARDS 2012 CHICAGO WITH SPECIAL PROGRAMS AT EXPO CHICAGO!

Artadia is currently accepting applications for the Artadia Awards 2012 Chicago from all visual artists living and working in Cook County, IL. Individual artists and collaboratives working in all media and at any point in their career are strongly encouraged to apply.Awardees will be selected in the fall of 2012 through Artadia's two-tiered jury process.

For eligibility requirements and to access the Web-based application, please visit www.artadia.org

Application deadline: August 20, 2012 at 11:59pm (CST).

(BOSTON ARTISTS) CALL FOR ART

Curatorial Proposal Series. Gallery 263 is accepting applications for its Fall 2012 Curatorial Proposal Series. The series provides opportunities for artists of all media and career levels to experiment with the organization and presentation of contemporary art. At least 50% of CPS exhibitions include local artists (from within the metro Boston area). Two or three exhibitions will be selected for Fall 2012. Group proposals are strongly encouraged. Gallery 263 is a nonprofit art gallery in Cambridge, MA. Visit us at www.gallery263.com. For full details please see the prospectus. Deadline August 12, 2012.

(BOOK ARTISTS) Expanded Artists’ Books: Envisioning the Future of the Book —CALL FOR COMMISSION PROPOSALS – Two $10,000 commissions will be awarded

The Center for Book and Paper Arts, a program of the Interdisciplinary Arts Department at Columbia College Chicago, recently received a $50,000 Arts in Media grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of a new electronic publishing initiative, Expanded Artists’ Books. This grant will support an award of two $10,000 commissions for new artworks for the iPad. These will have physical counterparts that intersect, modulate, or inform the digital components of the artwork.
ABOUT
Artists’ books claim all aspects of the book (format, typography, structure, etc.) as potentially expressive. As immersive hybrid experiences for the reader/viewer, these works expand the limits of what we traditionally think of as a book. Simultaneously, we consider that tablet-based mobile platforms are emerging as a dynamic arena for investigation of the notion of the book. Expanded Artists’ Books utilize the rich capabilities of the tablet platform to imagine new forms that a book might take, such as exploring how interactivity challenges the traditional closure of text or the performance of time. We are currently focused specifically on Apple’s iPad as a site for exploration of this conceptually rich territory.

Under terms of NEA support, artist must be a U.S. Citizen.
TO VIEW THE CALL FOR COMMISSION PROPOSALS, ADDITIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS, AND TO APPLY VISIT: http://www.colum.edu/Academics/Interarts/research/expanded-artists-books/call-for-proposals.php
Please email CBPA-APPLICATIONS@colum.edu with any questions. You may also refer to our FAQs [http://www.colum.edu/Academics/Interarts/research/expanded-artists-books/faq.php]

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: The received-by deadline for applications is midnight, September 15, 2012. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

(ALL) The American Academy in Berlin - The 2013-2014 Berlin Prize Competition

Applications for 2013 - 2014 Berlin Prize
Deadline: 28 September, 2012
Application fee: none

The American Academy in Berlin is a private, non-profit center for German-American cultural exchange. Its fellowship program promotes advanced research in a variety of academic, cultural, and political affairs.
The Academy welcomes emerging as well as established scholars, writers, and professionals who wish to engage in independent study in Berlin. Around two dozen Berlin Prizes are conferred annually.
Academy fellows are comprised of established and emerging scholars, writers, and professionals who wish to engage in independent study. Berlin Prizes have been awarded to historians, economists, filmmakers, art historians, journalists, legal scholars, linguists, musicologists, public policy experts, and writers, among others. They are appointed by an independent Selection Committee.
Fellowships are typically awarded for an academic semester or, in some cases, for an entire academic year. Only the Bosch Fellowships in Public Policy may be for shorter stays of six to eight weeks. Fellowship benefits include round-trip airfare, housing at the Academy, partial board, and a stipend of $5,000 per month. The Academy’s furnished apartments at the Hans Arnhold Center are suitable for individuals and couples; accommodations are available for families with children at the Hans Arnhold Center or at nearby apartments. All fellows are expected to reside at the Hans Arnhold Center during the entire term of the award.
Fellowships are restricted to candidates based permanently in the US.
How to apply: http://www.americanacademy.de/home/fellows/applications

The American Academy in Berlin
Attn: Fellows Selection
Am Sandwerder 17-19
14109 Berlin
Germany
cs[@]americanacademy.de

Artist Fellowships, New Residencies and Funding for Jewish and Gender Studies

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 17:33:00 +0000

As promised....some new things to check out....oh, and by the way...I normally don't post about exhibition opportunities but the one listed below is special...xoxo Mirabee

(ALL) International Artist Residencies 2012 AIR/HMC in Budapest

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS for December 2012-January 2013

http://www.hungarian-multicultural-center.com/id69.html

for more info, write: bszechy@yahoo.com

Discipline: visual artists, writers, performers

Offered program: residency, seminar, artist talk, exhibition.

Eligibility: International emerging artists

(ARTISTS/PRINTMAKERS) 2013 Artist in Residence Program—

The Serie Project in Austin, Texas

Deadline: July 15, 2012

Artistic Discipline: Serigraphy

Contact: Kelly Grajeda, administrative@serieproject.org

Open to artists all over the world

Restrictions: 18 and up, not currently enrolled in educational institution

The Serie Project hosts emerging and established professional artists who produce original work using any medium. The organization strives for diversity; although it focuses on supporting Latino artists, a third of selected artists are of other ethnic backgrounds. Each artist will be given one to two weeks to produce one design and create up to 50 serigraphs plus additional proofs, half of which the artist will keep. The Serie Project provides accommodations for resident artists, but cannot pay for travel expenses. Printing will take place at Coronado Studio in Austin, Texas. The Airtist in Residence (AIR) program will begin in January, and all prints must be completed by July.

Information about The Serie Project: www.serieproject.org

Information about the application process: http://serieproject.org/AIR%20Application.html

www.serieproject.org

512.385.3591

(SCHOLARS/ARTISTS) HBI Research Awards: The HBI (Hadassah-Brandeis Institute) awards grants to support interdisciplinary research or artistic projects on Jewish women and gender issues.
Scholars, activists, writers and artists who are pursuing research on questions of significance to the field of Jewish women's studies may apply. Applications from outside the United States (in English) are welcome. There is no residency requirement.

Application deadline: September 13, 2012

Application guidelines: http://www.brandeis.edu/hbi/
Contact: Debby Olins at dolins@brandeis.edu
Applicants chosen to receive funding will be notified in December, 2012

(ARTISTS) HBI Artist-In-Residency Program - Spring 2013—The HBI (Hadassah-Brandeis Institute) is now accepting applications for our 2013 Artist-in-Residence Program. This residency provides artists the opportunity to be in residence at Brandeis University while working on a significant artistic project in the field of Jewish women's and gender studies, and to produce an exhibit for the Kniznick Gallery at the Women's Studies Research Center (WSRC) at Brandeis University. The residency will be 3 - 4 weeks in length, and will take place in March. The exhibit will immediately follow and be on view for a minimum of 8 weeks.

Application deadline: October 15, 2012

Application guidelines: http://www.brandeis.edu/hbi/
Contact: Debby Olins at dolins@brandeis.edu
A decision will be announced by November 8, 2013

(DISABLED ARTISTS) Sustaining / Creating—A national juried exhibition of emerging artists, ages 16-25, with disabilities. Deadline: July 8, 2012. Sustaining / Creating asks emerging artists to showcase work that illuminates innovative viewpoints on sustainability and contemporary creativity. Beyond its scientific definition, sustainability references notions of responsibility and stewardship of our natural world in all facets of human interaction–from the environmental to the cultural. Sustainability indicates the capacity to endure.

All media accepted. 15 artists will be selected and their artwork featured in a Smithsonian exhibition this fall. $60,000 in cash awards. To apply and more info: http://tinyurl.com/2012-Sustaining-Creating This exhibition is presented by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ VSA & Accessibility Office and Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.

(WRITERS) The Eat-Write! Culinary Fellowship will be awarded to an author writing a cookbook or work of fiction or nonfiction that involves a love of food or healthful eating. This Fellowship provides a residency in the Writers’ Colony Culinary Suite, equipped with full test kitchen.

The Eat-Write! Culinary Fellowship is a two-week fellowship entitling the recipient to free residency at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow in the historic arts village of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Each resident has a private suite with writing space, private bath, wireless and/or cable hook-up, uninterrupted writing time, dinner prepared five nights a week and served in our community dining room, the camaraderie of other professional writers when you want it, and a fully stocked community kitchen for breakfast and lunch.

Final application date for entry to be postmarked is July 1, 2012. Fellowship applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $35 application fee.

The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow
515 Spring Street
Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Ph: 479-253-7444
Fax: 479-253:9859
director@writerscolony.org

THE WRITERS COLONY at DAIRY HOLLOW is also offering a Fab Fiber Fellowship for writing with an emphasis on the fiber arts and another fellowship called Composing Your Life, with an emphasis on music, composition and lyrics. Please write them for more details: director@writerscolony.org There will be a postmark deadline of August 1, 2012, with a $35 nonrefundable application fee. Applications are available on our website at www.writerscolony.org. All application materials must be submitted. Send applications to: The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow, 515 Spring Street, Eureka Springs, AR 72632. Phone: 479-253-7444.

(ALL & WRITERS) The Center for Jewish History—The Prins Fellowship for Emigrating Artists and Writers- in-Residence. The Center for Jewish History announces a new fellowship to be awarded to Emigrating Artists and Writers through a grant from the Vivian G. Prins foundation. The award supports original research for early stage projects by foreign artists and writers from a variety of disciplines that may include: journalists, novelists, poets, travel writers, biographers, photographers, visual artists, and others outside of academia.

Applicants must demonstrate significant need for sustained access to the collections at the Center, commit to regular attendance in the research facilities during the ten month fellowship period, and articulate their intent to pursue their work in the United States or Canada beyond the fellowship. The ten month fellowship, beginning in January 2013, carries a stipend of up to $3,250.00 per month. The Prins Artist-in residence is expected to conduct original research at the Center, deliver one public presentation based on the work conducted, actively participate in the scholarly community at the Center, acknowledge the Center and Prins Foundation in all publications resulting from research completed during the fellowship, and submit a final report upon completion of the fellowship. For more info, please write:
Judith C. Siegel
Director of Academic and Public Programs
Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
United States of America
Email: fellowships@cjh.org

Come See Mira Introduce Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast in NYC on June 29th

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 16:20:00 +0000

I hope you are all having a great summer. I have some new opportunities to post but first, I wanted to tell all you NEW YORKERS out there that I will be in town at the end of this month, introducing Cocteau's beautiful classic, La Belle et la Bête at the Rubin Museum's Cinema Cabaret on Friday night, June 29th. The film starts at 9:30 pm but you can get there early, get something to drink and come say hello to me before I make a fool of myself in front of Cocteau's ghost! Go here for more info on the event: http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1731

Cheers,
Mirabee

Calling All Writers, Artists and Poets!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:34:00 +0000

The following two announcements are here, courtesy of Funds for Writers, AKA Hope Clark, who is a great champion of all you writerly peeps. She has a site for writers and posts about grants, contests, residencies, etc: http://www.fundsforwriters.com

I should also tell you that while the first one below has a deadline listed for June 15th (I know. It's Friday. Duh), they have other deadlines throughout the year so check their website for dates.

(ALL) VERMONT STUDIO CENTER
http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/fellowships/
http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/apply/

Fellowship Deadline: June 15, 2012. The Vermont Studio Center
holds three annual fellowship deadlines, with new juries and
different awards each time. All of the fellowships listed
below are for 4-week residencies at VSC.

VSC Fellowships Open to All
Sixteen awards open to all artists and writers, based entirely
on merit.

VSC Diversity Initiative Fellowships
At this deadline, three awards are available to talented
minority artists and writers from the United States. These
awards include a travel stipend.

James Merrill Fellowships
Two awards for outstanding poets with demonstrable financial
need.

NEA Creative Access Fellowships
Two awards for artists and writers who are blind or have low
vision. These fellowships include a $500 travel stipend.

Displaced Artists Fellowships
Two fellowships are available through VSC's Fund for Displaced
Artists. One award is for a displaced visual artist from Japan
who was affected by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and
one award is offered to a Vermont visual artist or writer
displaced by Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. Awards include a
travel and materials stipend.

Cave Canem Foundation Fellowship
One award for a poet who is a current or former Cave Canem fellow.

Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Fellowship
One fellowship for an artist or writer with a spinal cord
injury (SCI). This award includes a $500 stipend for travel
and expenses during the residency and, if necessary, a stipend
for room, board, and travel for a personal care assistant.

John Fitzpatrick Henry David Thoreau Fellowship
One fellowship for a poet whose work engages the environment
and embodies the life, work, and spirit of Henry David Thoreau.

Zoland Poetry Translation Fellowship:
One award for an outstanding translator of contemporary
international poetry, fiction, or non-fiction.

(POETS) AMY CLAMPITT FUND
http://www.berkshiretaconic.org/Grantseekers/guidelines_clampitt.shtml
---
Applications are invited from poets or literary scholars of
poetry with professional standing in their fields as well as
emerging poets/scholars are eligible for residencies. The
level of accomplishment of the work submitted will be considered
as it is commensurate with the applicant’s age and/or experience.
The Amy Clampitt Fund Residency Program encourages individuals
from all backgrounds to apply.

The Residency award consists of the use of the Amy Clampitt House
free and clear for a six-month or twelve-month period beginning
on February 1, 2013 and ending on January 19, 2014. Grants for
travel to and from the Clampitt House are available in exceptional
circumstances. A monthly stipend of $2,500 is paid to the resident
fellow. It is expected that the resident fellow reside in the
house full-time and focusing exclusively on his/her creative work.
This is an opportunity for a person who can take full advantage of
unencumbered time with few distractions to bolster his/her writing.

p.s.

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:57:00 +0000

p.s. I meant to say: do not contact me via my CONTACT ME page on this site because I will not post your comments there. A couple of you recently wrote me via that page so if you would like a response, please resend your questions, comments to: mirabartok@yahoo.com

Thanks,
M

Summer Note to Y'All

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 20:50:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

Hope your summer is going well. I know I haven't posted much. It has become quite clear that it is getting too hard to keep doing this blog for free while I am trying to also write and make a living, given my brain injury. So I will not be posting as much as I used to but I am also in the process of talking to people in the grant foundation world about finding some way to finance Mira's List so it can keep going on. OR, find a way to hire an assistant who can help me with it. Anyway, just so you know, I send out announcements a lot more on Facebook and Twitter, if you are on those sites at all: http://www.facebook.com/miraslist and http://www.twitter.com/miraslist

The facebook community page is also a good place to ask questions and get fairly immediate answers from me or from other FB members.

The other thing I want to tell you is this: PLEASE do not post a message to me via the 'CONTACT ME' link on the right hand side bar. If you really need to write me, contact me here: mirabartok@yahoo.com. I get about 50 message a day and they pile up so please know that it will take a while to get back to you. Also make sure you check my FAQs first. Thanks!

Mirabee

Mirabee is on NPR Today: Interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 18:02:00 +0000

Hi Everyone---just in case you listen to National Public Radio over here in the states, you might want to tune into Fresh Air with Terry Gross today or this evening because Mirabee from Mira's List will be on the air! It will be a rebroadcast of the interview I did with Terry last January when my book, The Memory Palace, came out. For more information, go here: http://www.npr.org/2012/06/01/149477103/a-memoir-about-mothers-memory-and-loss

Fellowships and Residencies in Brazil, Paris and More!

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Tue, 29 May 2012 17:15:00 +0000

Greetings....hope you are all having a great spring. Here are a handful of new opportunities coming up....

Cheers,

Mirabee

(ARTISTS) Open call: Videobrasil em Contexto Prize—Residency for visual artists with a research-based practice. Application deadline: June 4, 2012
www.delfinafoundation.com
www.casatomada.com.br
www.videobrasil.org.br

The Associação Cultural Videobrasil in partnership with Casa Tomada (São Paulo, Brazil) and Delfina Foundation (London, UK) are pleased to invite applicants from Brazil and the Middle East, North Africa & South Asia (MENASA) for a three-month artistic residency split between São Paulo and London. The aim of the residency is to produce a new work in response to Videobrasil's Collection.

The Videobrasil em Contexto Prize (Videobrasil in Context) is focused on artists, under the age of 35, whose practice involves a strong element of research. Artists must be interested in the archive and collection as a point of departure for their work. Two artists (one from Brazil and another from MENASA) will be selected based upon their proposed projects to participate in a three-month residency split between São Paulo and London from mid-September 2012. The works developed during the residency will become part of the Videobrasil Collection.
For more information, please go to: www.videobrasil.org.br/vboline.

(ALL) The Vermont Studio Center is excited to announce over 30 fellowships available at our upcoming deadline. All are welcome to apply. Applications must be received by June 15, 2012. Visit http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/fellowships for more information; apply online at http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org/apply.

(NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS)—$20,000 Native Arts and Cultures Fellowship—The Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated exclusively to the revitalization, appreciation, and perpetuation of indigenous arts and cultures in the United States, is accepting applications for its 2013 Artist Fellowships. Through the fellowship program, the foundation seeks to foster the creativity of Indigenous artists, allowing the opportunity for study, reflection, experimentation, and discovery. Awards will be made in six disciplines — visual arts, filmmaking, music, dance, literature, and traditional arts. Fellowships provide $20,000 in support. Deadline June 21, 2012. For more info, go to: http://www.nacf.us/2013_Grants

(ARTISTS/ RESEARCHERS) Nida Art Colony in Lithuania: Call for Winter-Spring Residency Applications and Trainee as well as Symposium on Remoteness. Nida Art Colony invites artists, designers, architects, curators, and art researchers to experience the Winter and Spring on the Baltic Sea coast in the Curonian Spit National Park (Lithuania).

Nida Art Colony or NAC welcomes proposals for its upcoming winter residencies. Two types of residencies are available. Residencies with grants will be offered to Baltic and Nordic artists for the term of October to December, 2012. The January to May, 2013, term is open to all applicants.

The NAC is located in a remote and beautiful landscape. The residency is appropriate for those artists seeking time, solitude and big studio or open-air space as well as for those who love coincidences and want to meet artists from all over the world in order to collaborate with them now or in the future. The Colony building also hosts student workshops and international artistic projects for shorter periods of time. The NAC is located in the small resort town of Nida.

The Colony provides the necessary living and social conditions to ensure a comfortable environment for the five artists-in-residence. Each of the five residencies is set out on two floors with 65 sq. m of floor space and features all the necessary facilities. The colony is situated about 600 meters away from the sand dunes, and a short walk from the beach. For a list of available equipment, see www.nidacolony.lt To get a sense of Colony life and to see A.I.R. portfolios from 2011 please check the Nida Art Colony Log at www.nidacolony.lt/images/ log01.pdf and www.nidacolony.lt/images/ log02.pdf More information on facilities, activities and services at www.nidacolony.lt and on Facebook. Deadline for all applications: June 15, 2012

(ARTISTS/ART HISTORIANS/STUDENTS) The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is currently offering grants for the visual arts and art history. The deadline for applications is Friday, November 9, 2012.

Award amounts and categories:

$8,000 Professional Artists

$6,000 Graduate students (visual arts and art history)

$4,000 Undergraduate students (visual arts, includes college-bound high school seniors)

Professional artists must be current, legal residents of Virginia and must not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program at the time of the application deadline or during the grant period of Aug 2013-May 2014. Undergraduate students in the visual arts must be current, legal residents of Virginia who will be enrolled full-time in a degree program at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts for the academic year/grant period of Aug 2013-May 2014. Graduate students in the visual arts or art history must be current, legal residents of Virginia who will be enrolled full-time in a degree program at an accredited college, university, or school of the arts for the academic year/grant period of Aug 2013-May 2014. More information including detailed eligibility criteria, an application, and a printable PDF flyer can be found at: http://www.vmfa.museum/Fellowships

(ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS) International Grant Programme: Lipsien Art Foundation—Call for painting, sculpture and photography artists. Deadline: 1st July, 2012

The Lepsien Art Foundation is a non-profit organization (NPO) which originated in a private initiative, and devotes itself completely to art and culture and their patronage.
Every year, exceptionally qualified and gifted artists, primarily of the younger generation, working in the disciplines of painting, sculpture and photography can apply for participation in the Lepsien Art Foundation’s international grant programme.

The grant programme is intended as a means of giving artists the opportunity for an intensive encounter with art, active exchange and further artistic development within a community of selected artists. http://www.lepsien-art-foundation.com/cms/front_content.php?idart=29

The grant runs for a duration of twelve months (two semesters) from 1 September to 31 August of the following year. Apart from a funded studio in Düsseldorf, the grant encompasses the publication of a limited artist’s edition as well as an extensive four-colour annual catalogue appearing in conjunction with an exhibition of the grant recipients’ work at the end of the grant year.

The grant recipients become active participants in the Lepsien Art Foundation’s international network and can thus establish contact with other artists, collectors, galleries, etc. The Lepsien Art Foundation committee moreover selects works by every participant for inclusion in the collection. http://www.lepsien-art-foundation.com/cms/front_content.php?idart=12

For more information, visit: http://www.lepsien-art-foundation.com/cms/front_content.php?idart=29 or write to:info(@)lepsienartfoundation.com.

(ARTISTS, PERFORMING ARTISTS & WRITERS) 2013 International residences at Couvent des Récollets, Paris—The purpose of the residence programme is to host artists and writers who have a specific project to develop in Paris. This project should preferably be carried out in partnership with a previously specified local institution or another structure, company, or artist, in Paris or the surrounding area for artists in the fields of visual or performing arts, and for writers as part of a research project. The project should be developed in Paris, in harmony with the host town and its cultural environment. This residence, which is a privileged period of reflection and creativity for the artist, will contribute to the presence and visibility of international artists in Paris

http://www.international-recollets-paris.org/inscription/accueil.php?lng=en
This programme is intended for individual established writers and artists. The candidates must :
- have a minimum of 5 years of professional experience,
- show evidence of previous work and of an artistic career that is already significantly developed,
- speak French or English,
- be able to free themselves from other professional activities during the period of the residency

3 consecutive months without interruption and limited travels abroad. The residences will take place from January to December 2013.
The Institut français will allocate a 1500 € fixed monthly allowance. This is intended to cover living expenses such as food, local transport, etc. The City of Paris will cover the rent of the accommodation at the Couvent des Récollets for the duration of the residency.
The residences are not suitable for families and pets are forbidden. The applications should be completed online at the website "international residences at Récollets": http://www.international-recollets-paris.org
Deadline: June 17, 2012

Guest Blogger, Frances Greenslade, Author of SHELTER

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Dear Readers,

I am delighted to introduce author Frances Greenslade, whose novel SHELTER (published by Free Press) comes out today in the U.S. Frances is the author of two memoirs and is the winner of the Saskatchewan Book Award for Non-Fiction. Aside from her busy writing life, she also teaches English in Penticton, BC. I invited Frances to write a little something about her creative process while writing her novel. I was lucky enough to get an advance review copy of her book and I simply loved it. This is what I said in the blurb I wrote for Shelter: Shelter is: “one of those take-your-breath-away kind of tales that someone tells you in childhood and years later, still haunts you. It is an unforgettable novel about love, loss, family and what it means to go home.”

First, before Frances, a little snippet about the book from her publisher:

The novel opens with a pre-teen Maggie Dillon describing the idyllic marriage between her parents, Irene and Patrick, which she and her sister grew up sheltered in during the first decade of their lives. Set in the 1960s Chilcotin region of British Columbia, Greenslade deftly portrays the dual nature of the Canadian frontier: a simple, serene place to live, yet also a vast and dangerous wilderness. Maggie, a worrywart to the core, narrates how although her parents seemed happy, her childhood was tinged with a constant uneasiness that something would go wrong. She says: “I worried about leaving Mom at home alone, about the wild way she swung the ax when she was splitting kindling and the way Dad nagged her to be careful […] you think a thing, you open a door. You invite tragedy in. That’s what my worry taught me.”

Below is Frances’ post about her writing process. Enjoy!

At a recent reading, I met a group of writers who got together this past fall to participate in National Novel Writing Month. It’s a way to force yourself to quit dithering and finish the novel that’s been languishing in the back of your mind for years. The idea is to write 50,000 words, a complete novel, in a month. I like the concept because it reminds me of the way I wrote as a kid, when I made myself a desk from some boards in the attic and, every day, wrote pages and pages of longhand in a sky-blue notebook. But the writers said it was harder than they expected. So they asked me where I begin and what works to keep me going.

With Shelter, I began with two things: a setting and a character. Maggie, the narrator, “visited” me on a road trip I took with my husband-to-be, north to the Chilcotin region of British Columbia. We traveled in his old hatchback Volkswagen Scirocco, which some nights, when his fear of bears overwhelmed him, became our tent. The region cast a spell on me. It felt haunted by stories of people who were looking for a place to escape to, people for whom there was no turning back. Maggie struck me as a girl who valued independence above almost anything else. She listened carefully to her father’s lessons about how to survive in the bush. Because I had lost my own mother, I identified with her need to feel capable. Her voice quickly came to dominate my imagination. I listened to her, and her story began to take shape.

Putting my faith in characters means I’m often surprised by the direction that a novel takes. It’s the greatest pleasure of my writing life, the moment when the characters pull me into their stories, insisting on taking a path that I didn’t plan. In the novel I’m currently writing, a character named Gord, meant to play a minor role as a neighbor that the protagonist doesn’t know whether to trust or not, has elbowed his way into the novel and become much more central to the story. Mornings, I’d sit down to write, full of plans to move along to a different scene, and there was Gord again in his flannel shirt, his boots the size of small boats, and his confession that when he hunts, he sometimes just sits at the edge of the woods and watches birds for hours.

What keeps me going is the tug of the story. I think of it like fishing. I cast, let the line sink deeper, daydream, stare into the water, then reel in and cast again. I don’t wait around for inspiration, though. The physical act of writing inspires me. I write, pay attention to the tug, and follow it. Someone once gave me the useful advice to just start writing wherever you’re interested. That’s the tug. You feel something stir. You want to explore it.

I admit there are times when I’ve followed something that I’ve then had to toss out: eighty pages from the middle of Shelter that meant I then had to re-write the ending as well. But re-writing is easier when I know my characters. I try to understand their most powerful desires. Those desires guide the direction of the plot.

I don’t mean to sound glib about how to lay down the pages. In a month, I’m lucky to get a chapter written. But I often think about that little girl in the attic and how much joy she felt as she was writing in the sky-blue notebook. It’s the joy I’m going for.

Thank you Frances and thank you readers for taking a moment to learn a little about this amazing writer. If you'd like to learn more about Frances Greenslade, her new novel Shelter and her other books, go to: www.francesgreenslade.com

Fellowships for Emerging Writers, Scholars, Art History Students and More

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven't been posting much. I am trying to finish a big project proposal so I can get some income back into this household! Anyway, coming in a couple days, we will have a guest blogger, Frances Greenslade, whose novel SHELTER is coming out this week on May 15th. I loved her book and I asked her to write a little something about her writing process. So stay tuned!

A couple things for you below....the last two are thanks to re-title.com, a great resource for international arts opportunities.

Cheers,

Mirabee

(WRITERS) The PEN Center USA Emerging Voices Fellowship—is an eight-month fellowship for emerging writers, who lack access, to provide them with the tools they will need to launch a successful writing career. The Fellowship includes a $1000 stipend; a one-on-one professional mentorship; UCLA Extension Writers' Program classes; a Master class focused on genre; a public speaking class; and several public readings.

Deadline: August 15, 2012
Open to writers over the age of 18
US Citizens or permanent citizens
Poetry, Fiction, and Creative NonFiction
Applicants may apply from anywhere in the country, but all programming, events, and classes take place in Los Angeles, CA from January 2013 - August 2013. No relocation funds are available.

This Fellowship is for writers that lack access to traditional writing education and literary community. Writers with an undergraduate, graduate, or doctorate degree in creative writing or related fields are ineligible. Writers with an agent or book deal are ineligible, as are writers with extensive publishing credits and/or former and current newspaper/magazine staff writers.

Further information and FAQ's can be found on the PEN Center USA website: http://penusa.org/programs/emerging-voices and the Frequently Asked Questions: http://penusa.org/programs/emerging-voices#FAQ

For more info, please contact ev@penusa.org

(ART HISTORY SCHOLARS) Henry Moore Foundation Post-doctoral research fellowship—Grant of up to £21,000 per annum towards the fellowship. Deadline: 11 June, 2012

The Henry Moore Foundation will support a small number of two-year post-doctoral research fellowships in the field of sculpture studies at a British university from the autumn of 2012. Managed by the Henry Moore Institute, these Fellowships assist scholars who have recently completed doctoral studies to prepare a substantial publication or similar research output. The Foundation will award a grant of up to £21,000 per annum towards the fellowship.
Applicants must have an affiliation with a university department who will act as the host to the Fellow. Fellows will be expected to present the development of their work every six months to the Henry Moore Institute, a centre for the study of sculpture based in Leeds.
The Fellowships run for two years, however if the Fellow does not fulfill his/her obligations to the University in the first year, the second year's funding could at the Foundation's discretion be revoked.
Applications marked 'Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Grants' should be sent by 11 June 2012 to:
Kirstie Gregory (Research Programme Assistant)
Henry Moore Institute, 74 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 3AH
kirstie(@)henry-moore.org
Information for applicants:Download (.pdf)
http://www.henry-moore.org/docs/file_1334674218386.pdf

The Henry Moore Institute is a world-recognised centre for the study of sculpture in the heart of Leeds. It is a part of The Henry Moore Foundation, which was set up by Moore in 1977 to encourage appreciation of the visual arts, especially sculpture.
http://www.henry-moore.org/hmi/research/hmf-post-doctoral-research-fellowships1

(ARTISTS / GRADUATE STUDENTS) Balmoral scholarships 2013, Germany—Künstlerhaus Schloß Balmoralscholarships and foreign and exchange scholarships for 2013

Deadline: 13 July 2012
Preconditions
The conditions for all scholarships with the exception of the curator scholarship are a completed course of study in art (M.F.A. or comparable degree) and two or three years (depending on the respective scholarship) of continuous artistic work after the conclusion of the studies. Applications are also possible for autodidacts distinguished by special artistic achievements, as documented by exhibitions and prizes.
To foster artistic dialog and interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge of German, English or French is expected.
The curator scholarship is awarded to persons who are not older than 35 years or whose university degree (at least M.A., preferably Ph.D.) was completed not more than 5 years ago.
For the curator scholarship, mastery of the German language spoken and in writing as well as good knowledge of English or French is essential.
I. International residence scholarships
Six residence scholarships will be awarded to international visual artists.
Each scholarship lasts six months. They ordinarily begin in April 2013 and are endowed with 1,200 EUR per month. They include free accommodation at the Kuenstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral.
II. Project scholarship
The project scholarship, which is not tied to any site, will be awarded to an international visual artist. The project scholarship lasts for 6 months and begins in April 2013. It is endowed with 1,200 EUR per month.
Eligible are international applicants with permanent residence in the Federal Republic of Germany. The artistic project should be realized within the scholarship period of 6 months so that it can possibly be integrated in the annual exhibition of the scholarship holders.
III. International curator scholarship
To foster dialog between research and art, Balmoral awards a residence scholarship to a young scholar in the humanities (preferably art history) for a curatorial project to be developed by the scholarship holder and the Kuenstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral.
The scholarship lasts 6 months and begins in April 2013. It is endowed with 1,200 EUR per month and includes free accommodation at the Kuenstlerhaus Schloss Balmoral.
IV. Foreign and exchange scholarships exclusively for artists with relation to Rhineland-Palatinate
Relation to Rhineland-Palatinate means is born in, has studied in, has lived or lives in Rhineland-Palatinate.
• One six-month scholarship for New York (Flux Factory)
• One three-month scholarship for South Korea
• One six-month scholarship for the Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (July to December)
• One five-month scholarship for Künstlerhaus Schloss Wiepersdorf, Brandenburg/Germany
The foreign and exchange scholarships are endowed with 1,200 EUR per month.
Awarding of scholarships
A jury of specialists will award all scholarships, taking into consideration the developmental potential of the applicant's artistic or theoretical work. The names of the jurors will be published after the selection.
Additional information and PDF application forms are available on our homepage
http://www.balmoral.de
Applications must be made with these application forms. Other applications will not be taken into consideration.

Künstlerhaus Schloß Balmoral
Villenpromenade 11
56130 Bad Ems
Germany
http://www.balmoral.de

New Residencies in Social Media, Documentary Film, Video and All Other Arts

noreply@blogger.com (Mirabee (Mira Bartok)) — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:48:00 +0000

Greetings All...Just a couple things below for you to start off your weekend. Soon, in the next couple or few days, I will also be posting a guest blog post by wonderful Canadian author Frances Greenslade whose new novel Shelter I recently read and loved. It comes out on May 15th, so keep your eyes peeled! And if you haven't checked out the winners from the 2012 Art Contest, please do. They are fantastic. Go here: http://www.miraslist.com/p/contests.html

Coming sometime in the near future, you will be able to see more of the grand prize winner's art. Until then, have a great weekend and don't forget that despite this bad economy, there are still amazing opportunities out there for us all.

Cheers,

Mirabee

p.s. The deadline is past for this residency in Oregon, but please check it out for the future. It's relatively new and it looks amazing: http://www.playasummerlake.org/residents-2012/

(FILMMAKERS/VIDEO ARTISTS) LEF New England's upcoming Moving Image Fund—The LEF Moving Image Fund funds the work of independent New England documentary filmmakers.

Restrictions: LEF New England funds non-fiction independent feature films (a final running time 40 minutes or more). Only New England filmmakers may apply (members of the project's primary creative team must be MA, CT, ME, NH or VT residents). Up to 7 grants of $5,000 each will be awarded to projects in the pre-production phase at this deadline.
For more info, go to:
http://lef-foundation.org/NewEngland/MovingImageFundGrants/HowtoApply/tabid/163/Default.aspx

Deadline: June 8, 2012 at 5:00pm

(ALL) Headlands Center for the Arts Artist in Residence Program—June 1, 2012 deadline for artist residencies in 2013 at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin, CA.

The Artist in Residence (AIR) program awards fully sponsored residencies to approximately 45 local, national, and international artists each year. Residencies of four to ten weeks include flexible studio space, chef-prepared meals, comfortable housing, and travel and living stipends when available. AIRs become part of a dynamic community of artists participating in Headlands’ other programs, allowing for exchange and collaborative relationships to develop within the artist community on campus. Artists selected for this program are at all stages in their careers and work in all media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, film, video, new media, installation, fiction and nonfiction writing, poetry, dance, music, interdisciplinary, social practice, and architecture.

The residency application can be
found online at: http://www.headlands.org/program/artist-in-residence/

(MEDIA ARTISTS) Residency Unlimited's first S&M (Social & Media) Artist in Residence— RU is launching the S&M (Social & Media) residency program with artists who are active propagators and navigators of the social media environment. Artists actively engaged with the use of social media in their practice are invited by RU to explore the notion of residency within the virtual context of social media platforms (e.g.Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr). Within this"virtual studio", experiences and activities may address notions of time/non-time, community, reality/virtuality, access or selective choice... to name but a few. Click HERE to learn more about this residency program.

MIRA’S LIST

UPDATE ON MIRA'S LIST AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Till We Meet Again...

Holiday Greetings

Back from Down Under

Still Alive and Kicking But Taking a Break: Mira's List Update

Mirabee at the Walls and Bridges Festival, NYC, October 20th

Artist Residency in Italy at the Bellagio Center, Deadline November 30th, 2012

Call for Applications: The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center Resident Fellows Program

Deadline: November 30, 2012

Calling All Poets, Photographers, Sculptors, Book Artists and Everyone Else! New Fall and Winter Deadlines

Below are a few odds and ends...

Cheers,

Mirabee

(ARTISTS) 2013 Artist-inResidence Workspace Grant, The Center for Book Arts, NYC—FOR NEW YORK EMERGING ARTISTS —Deadline: 15 October, 2012—

Watch and Listen to Mirabee Talk About How to Find Money for Your Dreams!

Millay Colony Call for Applications: Deadline October 1st

Fall Deadlines for Fellowships, Residencies and Grants

Deadline is September 1, 2012!

http://www.massculturalcouncil.org/applications/fellowsapp.asp

Crafts, Dramatic Writing, and Sculpture/Installation Online applications available now Application deadline: October 1, 2012 Film & Video, Music Composition, and Photography Online applications available: December 15, 2012 Application deadline: January 28, 2013

Hodder Fellows spend an academic year at Princeton, but no formal teaching is involved. A $68,000 stipend is provided. Fellowships cannot fund work leading to the Ph.D. One need not be a U.S. citizen to apply.

Apply by November 1, 2012 through the Princeton Human Resources website - www.princeton.edu/jobs; search Open Positions and enter key word “Hodder Fellows.”

2012 NonfictioNOW Conference in Melbourne, Australia

NonfictionNOW Conference in Melbourne, Australia 2012

Fellowships and Residencies for Artists, Filmmakers, Writers & Everyone Else!

The Secrets of Grantwriting Revealed! Guest Post by Gigi Rosenberg, Grant Guru

Calling All Artists, Writers, Scholars, etc. Who Want to Go to Berlin, India and Elsewhere!

(BOOK ARTISTS) Expanded Artists’ Books: Envisioning the Future of the Book —CALL FOR COMMISSION PROPOSALS – Two $10,000 commissions will be awarded

PROPOSAL DEADLINE: The received-by deadline for applications is midnight, September 15, 2012. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

(ALL) The American Academy in Berlin - The 2013-2014 Berlin Prize Competition

Artist Fellowships, New Residencies and Funding for Jewish and Gender Studies

Come See Mira Introduce Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast in NYC on June 29th

Calling All Writers, Artists and Poets!

p.s.

Summer Note to Y'All

Mirabee is on NPR Today: Interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air

Fellowships and Residencies in Brazil, Paris and More!

(ARTISTS/PHOTOGRAPHERS) International Grant Programme: Lipsien Art Foundation—Call for painting, sculpture and photography artists. Deadline: 1st July, 2012

Guest Blogger, Frances Greenslade, Author of SHELTER

Fellowships for Emerging Writers, Scholars, Art History Students and More

(ART HISTORY SCHOLARS) Henry Moore Foundation Post-doctoral research fellowship—Grant of up to £21,000 per annum towards the fellowship. Deadline: 11 June, 2012

(ARTISTS / GRADUATE STUDENTS) Balmoral scholarships 2013, Germany—Künstlerhaus Schloß Balmoralscholarships and foreign and exchange scholarships for 2013

New Residencies in Social Media, Documentary Film, Video and All Other Arts

Crafts, Dramatic Writing, and Sculpture/Installation
Online applications available now
Application deadline: October 1, 2012

Film & Video, Music Composition, and Photography
Online applications available: December 15, 2012
Application deadline: January 28, 2013