** UPDATE 2/9/18 ** – We are extending the submission period, please see below for new dates.
Sacramento Valley Spark announces its Art Grant program for 2018. There is $5,000 available and we will be awarding grants from any amount from $10 – $1,500.00.
The amount awarded will vary between each project. However, grants normally pay for only a portion of production costs. We pay for material costs, but not for time/labor. Artists should be ready to seek out and show proof of other methods and sources of funding. As a matter of policy, we also prefer that you develop various kinds of nonmonetary resources. We believe that such an effort on your part encourages collaboration and cooperation within our extended community. Additionally, we cannot guarantee that all Art Grant applications submitted will be awarded funds.
If you have any additional questions, please send an email to grantquestions@sacvalleyspark.org.
Important Dates:
- January 27th, 2018 – Begin accepting grant submissions by email or mail
- February 28th, 2018 – Deadline for all grants to be submitted is 11:59PM
- **(Envelope must be postmarked by 2/28/18 or it will not be considered)
Grant Funds are issued in two payment cycles. The first 50% of the art grant check will be issued after being identified as an art grant recipient and the remaining 50% when art project has been completed, produced, After Action report and expense form with receipts have been submitted to Sacramento Valley Spark.
Who is eligible:
Everyone is eligible to receive a Spark grant EXCEPT individuals belonging to these groups within Sacramento Valley Spark membership:
- The Board of Directors of Sacramento Valley Spark
- The Officers of Sacramento Valley Spark
- The current Spark Grant Team
- The grant finance disbursement personnel
What Sacramento Valley Spark Art Grants DO fund:
- Any interactive physical art
- Mutant vehicles
- Mobile art – sculptures that move
- Enhancement to a previous art piece
- Enhancement to a mutant vehicle
What Sacramento Valley Spark Art Grants Do NOT fund:
- Performances, activities or workshops
- Fire Arts/Flow Jams
- DJs and amplified sound
- Photography
- Screenplays
- Films
- Websites
- Publications- poetry books, photo books, fiction etc.
- Musical productions
- Theatre productions
- Written or spoken word
- Dance productions
- Sports/Leisure/Entertainment Activities and Devices
- Domes, tents, teepees, stages or other prefabricated structures
- Any type of aviation – planes, helicopters, balloons, etc.
- All stunting activity (any feat or activity requiring special strength, skill, equipment, device or daring), or any practice, preparation of any such stunt
- Anything that, in the opinion of Spark Grant Team or the Sacramento Valley Spark Board of Directors, presents a safety risk to participants
- Fundraising activities
- Expenses to outside organizations or individuals and/or short-term projects that are not connected to the project for which the funds are being requested
- Anything illegal in the state of California or prohibited by federal law.
What expenses are eligible for funding:
ELIGIBLE:
- Materials and supplies, including tools, consumables, hardware and Leave No Trace Supplies
- Specialty services such as welding, laser cutting and etc.
INELIGIBLE:
- Transportation Fees
- Fuel/Propane
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages
- Warehouse/vehicle/trailer/equipment rental
- Insurance
- Bouncy Castles, Trampolines, Bungee Jumping, Rock Climbing Walls, Animals, Jumpy Pillows, and other types of entertainment, rodeo and carnival type devices and activities
- Explosives, fireworks, or pyrotechnic devices
Application:
Please submit a well-thought-out proposal, that details the artists process and hoped-for results, an itemized budget, safety and LNT plans, drawings and building specs, and a clearly outlined timeline of project completion.
Submission:
- Carefully read all terms and conditions
- Sign and date document
- Fill out all sections of packet
- Ensure all requested information is provided
- Email Submission:Download, Save as PDF, attach to an email, subject state Art Grant 2018 and send to grants@sacvalleyspark.org
- Mail in Submission: Print and Mail to:
Sacramento Valley Spark P.O. Box 161211 Sacramento, CA 95816
Scoring:
The Grants Peer Committee will be reviewing and scoring your proposal using the following overall criteria:
- Is this a new project?
- Is this an existing project looking to be embellished
- The idea is appealing and engaging
- The idea is novel/unique
- The idea is interactive
- The idea creates excitement
- The idea inspires others
- The idea inspires reflection upon self, community, and/or environment
- The idea challenges traditional perspectives, methods, and/or applications
- Is your project applying any or all of the 10 principles?
The Grants Peer Committee will be reviewing and scoring your proposal using the identified specific criteria for each area:
Project’s logistical and placement requirements (When applicable)
- Did you provide your project’s placement needs (length, width, and height).
- Did you provide any special placement requirements needed, if applicable, please describe in detail?
- Did you provide a realistic, detailed project timeline?
- Did you provide a plan for getting project to and from an event?
- Did you provide us if this will be an all-weather or seasonal project?
- Did you provide a detailed Leave No Trace plan?
- Did you provide any safeguards to be put in place to help keep the project from becoming MOOP?
Project safely
- Is it reasonably safe?
- Will it be properly lit at night (i.e. trip hazards, moving parts, pinch points and etc.)
- Are there health hazards or danger to the environment?
- Are they using proper construction methods and are appropriate materials being used?
- Does the project include reasonable structural safeguards to prevent injury?
- Is your project engineered to withstand a population of 200 people over a course of a day?
- If your project includes fire:
- Did you describe how you will store the fuel/flammable materials?
- Did you describe how you will handle an emergency or will there be fire suppression equipment on site?
Who are you? Who is on your team?
- If doing something with fire, does your team have a qualified fire lead?
- Is there a solid team in place that will be able to realize the project?
- Does it seem the team will be able to complete the project and bring it to an event?
- Has the team been successful in the past with other projects (even those outside of Sacramento Valley Spark/Burning Man)
- Has the team had previous works installed and operational by the beginning of past events
- Is there Images, videos, or other examples of their past work are provided
Budget
- The budget is complete and well thought out
- The budget indicates how the project will be funded
- The project uses additional sources of funding such as fundraising, contributions, etc.
- There are multiple funding options for your project. (It can be beneficial to include a base amount as well as a “for $X more we can do this too” option.)
- The project is a responsible use of Sacramento Valley Spark’s money
After Action Reporting:
Each grantee will be required to submit an After-Action report using the format provided by the grants committee. Such reporting should include best outcomes on individual aspects and the whole project. Photographs of the project are a requirement of the After-Action report. Also included are lessons learned from project execution, detailing differences and problems encountered, mitigated, or worked around.