ELIGIBILITY 

Proposals are welcome from mid-career craft artists who teach. For the purpose of this grant, the Center defines a teaching artist as a practicing craft artist and/or maker who utilizes their skillsets and sensibilities to integrate their work and perspectives into a wide range of settings. Teaching artists effectively guide, educate, and engage varying audiences to foster an enriching experience with the handmade and make connections to materials, form, functionality, and processes. This definition was informed by the essay What is a Teaching Artist? by Eric Booth and the Wikipedia article Teaching Artist.

Proposals must be timely, meaning applicants are in a prime position to benefit from this opportunity. Applicants should demonstrate evidence of a continued practice within the craft field, including a practice as a craft artist and educator. Artists working in tenured or tenure-track positions may not apply. Funding for the Teaching Artist Cohort is geared toward artists and/ or makers whose practice includes community engagement, experience as adjunct faculty, workshop facilitator/instructors, visiting artists, museum education, instructors, and/ or lecturers. 

Applicants must be: 

• 21 years of age or older 
• Eligible to receive taxable income in the U.S. 
• Residing and working in the U.S. for the last two years and the duration of the Fellowship period
• Have a continued full time studio practice for a minimum of five years and work as a teaching artist for a minimum of three years

 Applicants cannot be: 

• Tenured faculty at a college or university
• Tenure-track position at a college or university 
• Collectives, groups, partnerships 
• 2022 Career Advancement Grant recipients 
• 2023 Teaching Artist Cohort recipients
• Disqualified persons, such as substantial contributors to the Center for Craft as well as current employees, consultants, or board members of the Center for Craft, or immediate family members of such a person 
  

Priority will be given to applicants who have not been previously awarded a Center for Craft grant or fellowship. 

The Center for Craft prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation based on sex, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or perceived disability, age, marital status, gender identity, veteran status, or any other protected category. The Center encourages applications from historically underrepresented populations. Applying does not constitute a promise or guarantee of being awarded a grant.

TEACHING ARTIST COHORT 

A leading component of the Teaching Artist Cohort is to support a diverse cohort of mid-career artists with varying practices and career aspirations. Ideally, awards will be given to a dynamic group of craft artists whose practice includes working as teaching artists in the schools or community, non-tenured or non-academic educators, adjunct instructors, visiting artists, museum educators, and community and workshop instructors.

REQUIREMENTS OF TEACHING ARTIST COHORT

• The initial 70% of funds will be awarded upon completion of the grant agreement and receipt of the awardee’s W9.
• The final 30% of the grant will be awarded upon completion of the grant cycle and an evaluation interview.
• Recipients will participate in creating a Teaching Artist Resource Kit to be completed by the culmination of the grant period’s end. More information about the Teaching Artist Resource Kit will be provided upon receipt of the Teaching Artist Cohort award. 
• Grant permission for the Center for Craft to use the language and images from the recipient's application, including high-resolution images that the recipient may want to provide in press releases, social media, and/or reports of work by recipients of the Teaching Artist Cohort. 
• Recipients will be required to participate in the 6-month cohort experience by attending 80% of the virtual workshops and cohort convenings. Workshops and cohort convenings will take place from June 2024 to October 2024, and evaluation and exit interviews taking place in November 2024. Each workshop and convening will last between 60 - 120 minutes. More information about the workshops and convenings will be provided upon receipt of the Teaching Artist Cohort award.  
• Recipients agree to conduct a follow-up interview and survey about their experience as a Teaching Artist Cohort recipient within two-three months of the grant period's end.

Recipients must acknowledge support from the Center for Craft by:

• including the tag: “Center for Craft Teaching Artist Cohort” in their email signature, website, and/or social media page for the duration of the Fellowship Period
• any creation of work resulting from the grant carries the Center for Craft’s logo or credit line: “This was supported by a Center for Craft Teaching Artist Cohort Award"

CRITERIA/REVIEW PROCESS

The adjudication process will take place virtually. Applications will be reviewed by staff of the Center for Craft for completeness and then evaluated by a selection panel through the SlideRoom online application review portal. The panel will consist of 3-4 people recognized as craft-informed experts working across sectors, such as writers, educators, artists, curators, and creative catalysts, in order to provide great insight into the grant-making process. Panelists free of any conflict of interest will evaluate the applications based on the following criteria:

• Evidence of a continued practice within the craft field that includes a practice as an artist and educator
• Timeliness within the artist’s career trajectory and demonstrated financial need or other not specified 
• Artistic merit and/or quality of work samples
  

Considerations in final selection:

The Center for Craft respects, values, and celebrates the unique attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make each person who they are. We foster open communication of diverse perspectives and bring a broad range of individuals together to enrich and support programming. Ultimately we will ask the Selection Panel to compose a set of recipients prioritizing diversity, representing a range of geographies, materials, practices, and types of artist-educators. Priority will be given to applicants who have not received a Center for Craft grant.

FAQs 

If I receive a grant will I need to pay taxes on my award?

‍Yes, all cash funding is taxable income.

May I mail a hard copy of my application materials to the Center for Craft’s office?

No, hard copy submissions will not be accepted. The application must be completed and submitted through SlideRoom.  

Can I work on my application and return to complete it at a later date?  

Yes, creating a login account will enable you to complete the form in several online sessions.  

I just submitted my application, but I want to return to it and make an edit. Is this possible?  

No, once your application is submitted, you will not be able to return to the form or change any submitted information. The application fee must also be paid when submitting your application, as you will not be able to log in again to access the payment page again. 

I have previously received a Center for Craft grant but did not complete the project or am still in the progress of completing the project I was funded for. Am I eligible to apply? 

No 

I received a 2022 Career Advancement Grant am I eligible to apply? 

No

I am a student. Am I eligible to apply? 

Yes 

Are collaboratives eligible to apply?

No

Who can I contact with questions? 

For any question please contact Anna Helgeson, Grant Program Manager-Community Vitality at ahelgeson@centerforcraft.org or call 828.785.1357 ext. 105