The Artists in Schools & Communities (AISC) program is designed to:
- Provide students and communities an opportunity to work with and learn from a professional artist.
- Assist in the development of a school/community commitment to the arts as basic to education and life-long learning.
- Serve teachers by providing a resource person in a specific arts discipline who can help develop methods of creative teaching and assist schools/teachers in meeting educational content standards.
- Serve communities by providing artists to assist with community betterment, i.e., artistic and environmental design projects, theater residencies, murals, classes and workshops, etc.
- Support individual artists by providing time during the residency to pursue their own artistic development.
AISC grants support schools and non-profit organizations hosting teaching artists from the roster. Artists must apply to join the South Dakota Arts Council’s teaching artist roster.
APPLICATION OPEN: June 22, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. Central.
Read ALL the guidelines prior to applying for ANY SDAC grant. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
DEADLINE: September 4, 2023, at 11:59 pm Central.
Late applications will not be accepted. Apply ONLINE at https://sdac.gosmart.org/.
APPLICANT RESOURCES
GRANT GUIDELINES: Read the guidelines prior to applying for ANY SDAC grant. Applicants that do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be reviewed. Contact SDAC staff with any questions regarding eligibility [PDF linked here].
Sample Applications: This PDF documents provides all of the required fields, so you know what information is needed in order to complete the online application. Please use this template only to organize information before completing and submitting the online application. This document cannot be submitted as an application. [PDF linked here].
Narrative Templates: This Narrative Template WORD documents provide all of the required narrative questions. Artists can build their narrative and upload the document into the application. [Narrative Template WORD]
Webinar: Rebecca Cruse & Sarah Carlson from the South Dakota Arts Council provided an overview of these programs and the artist application process. This webinar and slides are available online [linked here]. Thank you to Arts South Dakota for hosting this webinar.
How to use our online Grant System to apply (video): GoSmart (the SDAC’s online grant system) provides step-by-step instructions through a stable of instructional videos online [linked here].
Understand our priorities, goals, and strategies and craft a better narrative by reviewing the SDAC Strategic Plan online at https://artscouncil.sd.gov/NEAFY18/index.aspx.
STAFF SUPPORT & ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
South Dakota Arts Council staff are available to answer your grant questions by phone or email.
- Rebecca Cruse, Program Coordinator: Email: Rabecca.Cruse@state.sd.us Phone 605-773-5084
- Kate Vandel, Arts Grant Specialist: Email Kathryn.Vandel@state.sd.us Phone 605-773-5925
SDAC Grant Applicant Facebook Group: Join the SDAC Grant Applicant Facebook group to pose questions to staff and other grant applicants – online at https://www.facebook.com/groups/486354835191552/members/
GENERAL RESOURCES
Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists, developed by Springboard for the Arts, is a professional development curriculum designed to teach business skills to artists in all disciplines. The handbook and other valuable resources are available FREE for download from https://springboardforthearts.org/. Springboard for the Arts hosts online walkthroughs of this curriculum and toolkit, for FREE online, a full list of upcoming events is posted online [linked here].
The Handbook for Artists Working in Community, developed by Springboard for the Arts and made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts through the Our Town Knowledge Building grant, supports artists extending their artistic practice into working with their community. The handbook and other valuable resources are available FREE for download from https://springboardforthearts.org/.
Arts South Dakota, a non-partisan and non-profit service organization, advances the arts for South Dakotans and our visitors by connecting, advocating, and educating. For information on arts opportunities and events from around the state, subscribe to Arts South Dakota's newsletter [linked here] online at https://artssouthdakota.org/.