APPLICATION PROCESS

Eligibility

Due to the increase in applications for Artists In Schools & Communities and limited funding, requests for residencies are competitive. Applications from schools and community organizations are reviewed by the Arts Council and the Arts-In-Education Panel, with site selection preference given to:

• long-term residencies of one month or more.
• new sites.
• repeat sites requesting new artists and/or new arts disciplines.
• schools committed to building their arts-in-education program.
• geographic distribution of residencies.

Application form

An AISC Sponsor Application must be completed and submitted to SDAC for each residency request. There is no limit to the number of residencies for which a local sponsor may apply. 

Artist fees

Artists’ fees are supported on a matching funds basis between the sponsoring organization and the SD Arts Council. The cost to a participating school does not necessarily have to come from the existing school budget. A private business or individual may provide matching funds, as well as parent-teacher groups, service clubs, local arts organizations, special fundraising events, or any combination.

Most of the artists listed in the roster are single individuals. In a few cases, residency activities are provided by a team of artists. These teams are clearly identified by the phrase, Dual Artist Residency. When calculating the cost to your organization, be sure to make note of the artist fee difference between single and dual artist residencies.

Single Artist Residency Fees:

Sponsor organizations are also responsible for providing housing accommodations for the artist. Hotel lodging is expected unless alternate accommodations are agreed to by the artist. The South Dakota Arts Council will include a mileage reimbursement in the grant amount, which will be passed along to the artist by the sponsor organization.

Artists in Schools & Communities residency activities must be a minimum of one week in length and include 20 teaching hours. However, we encourage longer residencies. Applicants may apply for as many weeks as they’d like to host an artist. Residency weeks may be held consecutively or spaced out throughout a year. For total artist fee costs, simply multiply the weekly amount by the number of weeks you’d like to host.

While most of the artists on the AISC teaching artist roster are individuals, a handful of teaching artists work in teams or pairs. The weekly rate is higher for these groups. The requirements for travel reimbursements and lodging are the same for individual artists and teams.

Residencies must be a minimum of one week in length. Any number of weeks can be requested. To determine the artist fee, multiply the single week cost by the number of weeks requested. 

Additional sponsor costs and responsibilities

• The sponsor will pay the artist on the last day of the residency, or as negotiated between sponsor and artist prior to the start of the residency.

• The sponsor will provide lodging for the artist during the residency in a motel or similar facility unless such facilities are not available in the local community or unless the artist requests to stay in a private home. Private housing requests should be initiated by the artist, not by the local sponsor. Whether housed in a private home or a motel, there should be no cost to the artist. If the residency is within daily driving distance of the artist’s home, the artist and sponsor may negotiate daily mileage reimbursement (over and above the amount paid by the SD Arts Council) in lieu of the sponsor providing artist lodging. If the residency is in the artist’s home town, the lodging requirement does not apply.

• Sponsors are also responsible for all residency supplies. Types of supplies and their cost should be negotiated with the artist well in advance of the start of the residency.

Application form

An AISC Sponsor Application must be completed and submitted to SDAC for each residency request. There is no limit to the number of residencies for which a local sponsor may apply. 

Application Deadline

March 1 is the standing deadline to submit completed AISC applications for residencies scheduled July 1-June 30 of each year. Grant awards will be announced in May. Applications can only be submitted through the program’s online system. Paper applications will NOT be accepted, nor will applications from sponsors with outstanding evaluations from the previous fiscal year.

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