Art organizations apply for funding

Artists in need of resources need to look no further than the Bloomington Area Arts Council. This week the BAAC will hold a workshop focused on applying for Indiana Arts Commission grants. The meeting, which will occur at 5:30 p.m. today at the John Waldron Arts Center, will assist people and groups interested in applying for Indiana Arts Commission Regional Arts Grants. The grants cover arts projects and operating support funds for nonprofit organizations and public agencies for the 2006 fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30, 2006, in Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Owen and Monroe counties. \nAccording to the Bloomington Area Arts Council Web site, these grants are designed "to provide general public access to quality arts and cultural activities, with special attention to underserved communities." \nOrganizations must be able to provide matching funds to qualify for the grants.\nThe Bloomington Area Arts Council decided to hold this workshop, as well as workshops in Greene, Brown and Owen counties, because of the complexity of the application process.\n"We ask the people interested to come to the session," said Nancy Krueger, assistant director of the Bloomington Area Arts Council. "It's complicated, and you have to follow the instructions exactly. We've found that many people don't follow the instructions."\nKrueger reports that because of state budget cuts and other factors, there is about $60,000 to re-grant this year. Most grants run from about $3,000 to $5,000. There are four grant categories, which cover specific areas for art resources and specific types of programs that are eligible for funding. The Level 1 Arts Organization Grant underwrites general operating expenses for small- to mid-sized organizations. The Level 2 Arts Organization Grant provides operating expenses for mid-sized to large art organizations, the Arts Project Support Grant provides funds for one-time only events, and the Mini-Grant Program offers support for new and existing arts projects produced or presented by nonprofit organizations or public agencies.\nMany Bloomington-area fine arts groups have received these grants in past years. One such group is the Bloomington Playwrights Project, which has received a Regional Arts Grant for many years. For the past few years, the BPP has received between $4,800 and $6,000 to help cover operating costs. Because the money is not designated for specific projects, it is generally used to cover items like rent, utilities and staff salaries.\n"Arts money is so scarce," said Sonja Johnson, volunteer director of the Bloomington Playwrights Project. "We're very grateful for any grant we can get. We love it."\nJohnson said individual artists at the BPP also have been receiving grants from the Indiana Arts Commission since the BPP opened 25 years ago.\n"We have been fortunate enough to receive money from Indiana Arts Commission for our 25 years," Johnson said.\nThe deadline for submitting a notice of intent for the grants is Feb. 28, and the deadline for submitting an application is March 31.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Jenny \nKobiela at jkobiela@indiana.edu.