An investment in artists living in central Arkansas

The Catalyze program is designed to ignite the careers of individual artists through money, strategic management, and mentoring.

• Money: Artists receive $10,000 awards to advance their artistic career. These practice-based grants allow the individual artists to select how best to use the funding in support of their self-determined goals for success. Funds may be used for any purpose that supports the continued development of their creative practice, including but not limited to equipment, travel, studio space, child care, professional services, research, supplies, and contingency savings.
• Strategic Management: Artists participate in professional development programming to develop, refine, and implement strategic plans for their practices. Artists are asked to independently complete approximately two hours of strategic planning exercises prior to the Catalyze Retreat. Utilizing a dynamic small peer group process, artists will engage in learning, application, and receive peer-based support in small groups of five Catalyze Fellows led by an experienced Artist Peer Facilitator. Small group peer support will continue post-retreat with two 90-minute virtual small group sessions held in the following year.
• Mentoring: Artists will select from more than fifty experienced M-AAA Peer Artist Facilitators for one-on-one mentoring sessions where they can explore specific practice-related questions and receive support.  Artists will have two 50-minute one-on-one sessions in the year following the Catalyze retreat.

To be eligible to apply for an Catalyze grant, an artist must:

• Be at least 21 years of age by the application due date.
• Be a full-time resident of the State of Arkansas and have established a minimum of one-year residency by the application due date in one of the following central Arkansas counties: Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Jefferson, Lonoke, Perry, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, Van Buren, White, and Yell.
• Create work in any artistic discipline, including but not limited to dance, film, literary, music, theatre, and visual art.
• Have a resume that demonstrates at least three years of engagement in a creative practice prior to the application due date. The creative practice is not required to have taken place during consecutive years. If the applicant’s creative practice was affected or suspended due to COVID-19, the application may reference 2020 or 2021 activities that were canceled or reimagined due to the pandemic. Virtual activities are considered creative practice. The applicant may also choose to list creative practice from a year other than 2020 or 2021. For the purposes of defining eligibility, “three years of engagement” refers to when the applicant began their creative practice independent of activities required in pursuit of an academic degree or other certification.
• Commit to participating in peer-to-peer strategic planning activities during the grant year, including the Catalyze Retreat at the Capital Hotel in Little Rock, AR, from 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 22, 2024 through 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, 2024 (meals and private lodging provided).
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have non-resident status and provide a valid Social Security Number if selected for funding.
• Be in good standing with Mid-America Arts Alliance, with no delinquent reports and/or grant documents.
• Not have received a grant of $1,000 or more through any other M-AAA granting program during its 2024 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024).
• Not have previously received a Catalyze grant.
• Not be a currently enrolled student in an undergraduate or graduate program.

• Completed online application form
• Artist Biography (100 words max)
• Artist Statement (250 words max)
• Artist Resume/CV (maximum 3 pages)
• Narrative responses to the following questions:
  • Creative Practice Evolution: In your own words, explain the evolution of your creative practice over the previous few years. What work have you been pursuing? How has the work evolved? Why has it evolved in that way? Have you faced challenges or constraints in making work? (250-word maximum)
  • Future of Your Creative Practice: Where do you want your creative practice to be in five years? How do you determine and measure success within your practice? (250-word maximum)
  • Fund Use: If awarded a Catalyze Artist Grant, how do you intend to use the funds to further your artistic practice? (250-word maximum)
  • Professional Development: Considering the criteria for this grant, explain how participating in the Catalyze Retreat, learning alongside a dedicated, small group of your peers, accessing one-on-one mentoring sessions with Artist Peer Facilitators, and building a network of regional artists, will be beneficial to the development of your creative practice. What strengths will you bring to share with your peers? (250-word maximum)
  • *Optional: What identities do you hold that you believe are relevant to share? Including but not limited to race, ethnicity, disability, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, caregiver, military, rural resident, of immigrant experience, English as a second language. This section will be visible to the panel reviewers. For example, “I am a Taiwanese American cis-gender female, first-generation immigrant living in rural Arkansas.” (100-word maximum)
• Up to five artwork samples (images, audio files, video files, literary files, or URLs to audio, video, and/or literary files) (1MB maximum per file)
• Work Sample Summary (maximum 1000 words)
• Proof of residence: Arkansas driver’s license, bill from a bank, mortgage company, utility company, credit card company, doctor or hospital, bank statement, property tax bill, current valid homeowner’s or renter’s policy, or motor vehicle insurance card or policy, current valid Arkansas motor vehicle registration, 2022 tax filing (IRS or State of Arkansas) with sensitive information redacted.

Review of application materials will focus on:

Artistry
Successful applicants will demonstrate artistic excellence, broadly defined by the practitioners and norms in their discipline, and show a deep commitment to their work. Selected artists will have an active creative practice for a minimum of three years and show motivation to continue and further evolve.

Program Readiness
Selected artists will have the desire to advance their career and deepen their practice, engage in an active strategic management process surrounding their practice, as well as an interest in sharing their work and process as part of a network of artists in a peer learning environment.

Impact of Funding on Practice
Successful applicants will clearly identify the ways in which Catalyze funds will impact their careers and creative practices. These identified impacts should relate to previous challenges and/or desired futures.

Step 1

M-AAA will hire artists and arts professionals to serve as panelists. Working independently, panelists will evaluate each application using the review criteria. Great care is taken to minimize bias. We pay panelists to review implicit bias documents and video, read about our Equity and Diversity work and M-AAA’s Strategic Plan and Values, and affirm this review prior to beginning the panel process.

Panelists are required to comment on each application relative to the review criteria. All applicants will have the opportunity to request the panelists’ feedback upon their receipt of acceptance or rejection.

During the review process, the panelists will carefully consider the review criteria and select a statement for each application:

• I recommend that this application advances in the selection process.
• I am unsure, but am inclined to recommend that this application advances in the selection process.
• I am unsure, but am inclined to recommend that this application does not advance in the selection process.
• I do not recommend that this application advances in the selection process.

Step 2

Applications with the highest degree of consensus will move onto Step 2. All recommended applications will enter into a lottery process, from which twenty-five grantees will be drawn. These grantees will represent a balanced cohort, including diversity of gender, age, ethnicity, geography, and artistic discipline. There is data that suggests that typical grant review processes tend to favor artists with more resources. The use of the lottery process is a step to address a panel’s subjectivity, risk aversion, and uncritical “hive mind” thinking.

Applications:

November 1, 2023, 9:00 a.m. (CST): Online Applications open

January 22, 2024, 5:00 pm. (CST): Online Applications close

November 1-December 22, 2023 and January 2-22, 2024: Application Support from M-AAA staff

Application Reviews:

January 22-January 26, 2024: M-AAA staff reviews applications for eligibility

February-March 2024: Discipline-Specific Advisory Panel Reviews

Notifications:

April 15, 2024: Applicant notification

May 2024: Applicant feedback provided, available upon request

Grantee Important Dates:

April 2024: Grant agreements and financial forms completed

June 22, 2024: Funding distributed, in one payment

June 22-23, 2024: Catalyze Retreat

September–November 2024: Small Group Session #1 & One-On-One Session #1

January–March 2025: Small Group Session #2 & One-On-One Session #2

May 1, 2025: Final Reports due

Grant recipients must comply with the Federal policies and legal requirements, statutes, and regulations as stated in M-AAA’s Assurance of Compliance.

Grant awards are considered income. Grant recipients are responsible for all tax obligations under federal, state, and local laws. M-AAA recommends that all recipients consult a tax accountant or local Internal Revenue Service office with questions or concerns regarding deductions and reporting.

Upon the completion of the grant cycle, all grantees will be asked to submit a final report. This report will include the following:

• How did you use your grant funds? What impact did this funding have on your creative practice and career trajectory?
• What impact did the professional development experiences you participated in as a Catalyze Fellow have on your overall creative practices and career trajectory?
• Optional: documentation to demonstrate creative practice and career progress

Mid-America Arts Alliance has announced the first central Arkansas artist Catalyze cohort to receive grants of $10,000 each as well as professional development training to support their needs as working artists. Read the full biographies of the artists here.

2023 Selected artists include a wide range of disciplines and perspectives: 

M Shelly Conner (Writer / Filmmaker)

Antonio (Bruce) Carpenter (Painter / Craftsman)

Kai Coggin (Poet / Author / Space Holder)

Mitchell Crisp (Interdisciplinary Artist)

Princeton Coleman (Yuni Wa) (Music Producer & DJ)

Virmarie DePoyster (Multidisciplinary Artist)

Aaron Farris (Bluegrass Musician)

Jennifer Gerber (Filmmaker)

Ben Grimes (Theatre Artist)

Ryan Howard (Filmmaker / Photographer / Musician)

Cheryl Humphrey (Singer / Songwriter / Performing Arts Coach)

Chris Long (Music Producer)

Dazzmin Murry (Multi-Hyphenate Artist / Performing Artist / Composer / Multimedia Artist)

Denise Parkinson (Author & Filmmaker)

Yelena Petroukhina (Visual Artist)

Tiffany Pettus (Multimedia Specialist)

Jennifer Perren (Ceramic Artist)

Andy Sarjahani (Documentary Filmmaker)

Derek Slagle (Photographer)

Katherine Strause (Painter)

Jonathan Wright (Printmaker)

Anna Wagner (Ceramic Artist)

Mark Wittig (Photographer)

Veronica Wirges (Music Artist)

Katie Wilson (Visual & Performing Artist)

Kyle Mullins (he/him): Kyle Mullins is an arts administrator, performance producer, and dance artist living and creating in Kansas City, MO. Kyle is an Artist Services Program Officer at Mid-America Arts Alliance, Director of the monthly dance series Making Moves, and Art Director for the public art exhibition Art in the Loop. As a dance artist he performs his own dance works as a soloist, creates works of dance-theater with his company Cerca Trova, and makes dance films. His work has been commissioned by dance companies, galleries, botanical gardens, University programs, professional theater stages in both New York City and Kansas City, and more. Kyle holds a MFA in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Jade Osborne (she/her/we): Jade Osborne is an arts administrator and an innovative creative person who is passionate about the arts and community. Jade is an multidisciplinary artist and experiential curator. She explores the space in between the self, the other, and the living art that is created when we are together. Jade has performed and presented on stages in fourteen countries interlacing social practice/community outreach with each of her appearances. She is an award winner and grantee of ArtsKC, KC & Chicago Fringe Festivals, Afest, Missouri Arts Council, COMBAT among others. She served as Artist Advisor for the New Airport in Kansas City and is currently serving as Performing Arts Director for Art in the Loop Public Arts Project.

David Wayne Reed (he/him): David Wayne Reed is a writer, director, and producer whosw work can be found on page, on stage, and on screen.  Works include:  Shelf Life, land and flower, Eternal Harvest, Goliath, Help Yourself, and Jolly Rancher. He has been awarded grants from Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Charlotte Street Foundation, Spencer Museum of Art, Puffin Foundation, Arts KC, and was named one of ’25 Reasons Why We Love KC Now’ by Pitch.  Reed serves as Chair of the Municipal Art Commission of Kansas City, Missouri.

Diane Scott (she/her): Diane Scott is an arts administrator, educator, and writer specializing in the development of resources and programming to support artists in the management of enduring artistic practices. Diane was the founding director and principal designer for the Artist INC professional development program offered in seven states and completed by more than 1,500 artists. Diane has an active arts consulting practice providing program assessment, artist professional development program design, and strategic planning support for organizations across the country. She recently completed work on her artist entrepreneurship textbook, Making Art Work for You: Arts Management for the Individual Artist.

M-AAA Artist Services views the application process as a professional development learning experience. For this reason, the Artist Services team at M-AAA provides extensive application support through instructional “How to” documents, one-on-one meetings, email, and grant-writing workshops.

Have questions? We’re here to help! Schedule an application support meeting with us.

https://calendly.com/m-aaa-artist-services/catalyze-application-support

Office Hours: November 1, 2023 – January 22, 2024

(Offices Closed Monday, December 25, 2023 – Monday, January 1, 2024)

Mondays: noon – 1:00 p.m. CST and 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. CST

Tuesdays: noon – 1:00 p.m. CST and 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. CST

Wednesdays: noon – 1:00 p.m. CST and 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. CST

Thursdays: noon – 1:00 p.m. CST and 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. CST

*We will have Open Office Hours Zoom on January 22nd, 9:00 a.m.-5 p.m. Check back for the zoom link!

Applicants also have the option to complete their applications verbally with M-AAA staff, although work samples must be submitted as digital files or as links to website addresses. Requests for assistance must be received by Friday, January 5, 2024. You may download and utilize any or all of these instructional documents below. Have more questions or need assistance? Email us: artistservices@maaa.org.

• How to Write an Artist Bio
• How to Write an Artist’s Statement
• How to Write an Artist Résumé/CV
• Work Sample Summary Examples
• How to Prepare for the Catalyze Grant Application FY24

Learn more about the Catalyze grant and the application process by attending one of the following free “How to Apply Yourself” grant application workshops by David Wayne Reed, Constituent Engagement Specialist at Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Free Information Sessions have passed. Watch a recording below on YouTube.

For questions, contact David Wayne Reed at david@maaa.org.

We strongly encourage applicants to access the online application through the Google Chrome browser.

Make sure cookies are enabled

• On your computer, open Chrome.
• At the top right, click More. Settings.
• Under “Privacy and Security,” click Site settings.
• Click Third Party Cookies.
• From here, you can: Turn on cookies: Next to “Blocked,” turn on the switch.

Compose the answers to your narrative questions in a word processing document (i.e.,Microsoft word or Google Docs) and then copy and paste answers into the online application form when you are fully satisfied with your responses.

Verify that all files you will be uploading to the online application form (proof of residency, resume/CV, images, literary samples) are less than 1MB in size.

Carefully verify that you have typed your email address into the online application form correctly. Your email address is how you access your saved application.

As you are working in the online application, save frequently.

Work well in advance of the Monday, January 22, 2024 5:00 pm CST deadline. If you’re going to have a technical problem, it always happens when the clock is ticking.

If you have questions about the application or need help applying, please contact: artistservices@maaa.org, or schedule a virtual meeting with a member of the Artist Services team. Our team is available, Monday – Thursday, between 9 am – 7pm CST. 

To schedule a virtual meeting, visit: https://calendly.com/m-aaa-artist-services/catalyze-application-support.

Note that our offices are closed Monday, December 25, 2023 – Monday, January 1, 2024.

WHEN ARE NEW APPLICATIONS ANNOUNCED?

• Catalyze is a year-long program beginning in June 2024, with grant applications opening in November 2023.

WHAT DOES THE GRANT PROGRAM INCLUDE?

• $10,000 Practice-based grant, professional development retreat in Little Rock, AR, One-on-One Mentoring sessions with Artist Peer Facilitators, and Small Group meetings during the granting period.

WHO CAN APPLY?

• Full time residents (minimum one year) of Arkansas counties: Cleburne, Conway, Faulkner, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Jefferson, Lonoke, Perry, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, Van Buren, White, and Yell. 
• Artists that are 21 years or older and have a valid social security number. 
• Artists who create work in any artistic discipline with at least a three year art practice outside of university. 
• Artists who can commit to attending the Catalyze Retreat in Little Rock, AR from June 22-23, 2024.
• Artists that are in good standing with Mid-America Arts Alliance and have not received another grant from M-AAA for more than $1000 in the same grant year.
• Artists that have not previously received a Catalyze grant.

HOW MANY GRANTS WILL BE AWARDED?

• Each Catalyze cohort will consist of 25 artists per grant cycle. 

WHY ARE COHORTS GEOGRAPHICALLY SPECIFIC? 

• Catalyze is made possible through the support of the Windgate Foundation, a private, family foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Windgate’s goal is to advance contemporary craft and strengthen visual arts education in the United States. More information can be found at: https://www.windgatefoundation.org/. 

HOW COMPETITIVE IS THE PROGRAM? 

• This program is highly competitive as we only have 25 grants available for all artist applicants within 16 counties of Arkansas. 

WHAT ARE YOUR SELECTION CRITERIA?

• Artistry

Successful applicants will demonstrate artistic excellence, broadly defined by the practitioners and norms in their discipline, and show a deep commitment to their work. Selected artists will have an active creative practice for a minimum of three years and show motivation to continue and further evolve.  

• Program Readiness

Selected artists will have the desire to advance their career and deepen their practice, engage in an active strategic management process surrounding their practice, as well as an interest in sharing their work and process as part of a network of artists in a peer learning environment.

• Impact of Funding on Practice

Successful applicants will clearly identify the ways in which Catalyze funds will impact their careers and creative practices. These identified impacts should relate to previous challenges and/or desired futures.

HOW ARE THE GRANTEES SELECTED? 

Catalzye grantees will be selected through a two-step process. First, applications are reviewed by a panel of artists and arts professionals who will recommend which applications move on to step two. Next, recommended applications are placed into a blind lottery from which a balanced cohort of artists is selected.

HOW ARE PANELISTS SELECTED?

A typical review panel is made up of four people:

• A minimum of two panelist members will be BIPOC individuals.
• A minimum of two panelist members will be practicing artists.

M-AAA is committed to a peer review process that provides fresh and diverse input from an ever-changing field. In addition, M-AAA will consider age, gender, disability, sexual orientation, geography, discipline of arts experience, relationship to arts and culture (e.g. being an artist, arts administrator, or arts enthusiast), and other factors when selecting its application review panels. 

Panelists are paid for their time and typically spend approximately five hours reviewing 25 applications.  Applications are distributed to panels based on artistic discipline.  Review panels for the Catalyze grant will include:

• Visual 
• Literary
• Film
• Music
• Performing Arts (Theatre and Dance)
• Interdisciplinary

I’VE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO A COHORT. NOW WHAT?

• Congratulations! Make sure you mark your calendar for the Catalyze Retreat in Little Rock, AR, June 22-23, 2024. The Artist Services team at M-AAA will be in touch to guide grantees through all steps of the Catalyze Grant program. 

HOW CAN I USE THE GRANT FUNDS?

• Artists may use the grant support for any purpose which supports the continued development of their creative practice. This includes, but is not limited to equipment; travel for research, development, and performance; residencies; child care; studio space; creative projects; training; professional services; and living expenses to allow for creative work time.

WHO WILL I BE WORKING WITH?

• Artist Peer Facilitators, your fellow grantees, and the M-AAA Artist Services staff.

WHO ARE ARTIST PEER FACILITATORS?

• Artist Peer Facilitators are artists from across the M-AAA region (Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas) who have been trained as facilitators in one of our professional artist programs, which include: Artist INC, Artist INC Express, Interchange, Artists 360, and Catalyze.

DO I HAVE TO ATTEND THE CATALYZE RETREAT?

• Yes, all selected grantees must attend the Catalyze Retreat in Little Rock, AR from June 22-23, 2024.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE CATALYZE RETREAT?

The retreat weekend allows time for all current grantees to gather as a cohort to share working and community space centered around developing practices and creative careers. Throughout the weekend, artists will work in both large and small groups, share meals, learn alongside Artist Peer Facilitators, while building networks and community. Private lodging and meals for each grantee will be provided. The Catalyze Retreat is a two-day professional development workshop that serves four primary purposes:

• To give you dedicated time and the processes to consider and plan for your Catalyze grant funds.
• That you may meet your fellows and develop a community.
• For you to feel validated, well cared for, and that you and your practices are valued.
• That you will gain the understanding of how the Catalyze grant works, the support it provides, and what you are required to do during your grant period.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN A ONE-ON-ONE SESSION?

• One-On-Ones are opportunities to ask questions, set goals, discuss project specifics, and obtain feedback. Grantees will select from a list of Artist Peer Facilitators from across the Mid-America region who facilitate programs across all Artist Services programs. One-On-One sessions are scheduled cooperatively by grantees and Artist Peer Facilitators for meetings outside the retreat weekend. These sessions typically take place virtually or over the phone.