This application is only for proposals to bring Kansas Touring Roster artists as visiting artists. This is the only funding we have available on a rolling basis but must receive applications a minimum of 60 days in advance of the proposed activity. 

INTENT 

To encourage the integration of visiting artists into a variety of community settings.  

DESCRIPTION 

This program provides funding for eligible organizations to engage and deepen the impact of arts programming on local and underserved audiences through exposure to and interaction with professional visiting arts. Presenters may book artists in any discipline, not just in performing arts. Projects should strive to integrate an arts discipline into non-arts content areas; help interpret an exhibition, performance, or presentation; and support community development goals and objectives.  

APPLICATION PERIOD 

Applications for Kansas Touring Roster Visiting Artists grants are accepted on a rolling basis but must be submitted no fewer than 60 days prior to the planned event. Visiting Artist grants for artists not on the Touring Roster are accepted annually in conjunction with other Kansas Arts Commission (KAC) open grant application periods.

APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY

Eligible Applicants 

• Non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization whose primary purpose is to produce, present, promote, or serve the arts.
• Arts programs of non-profit 501(c)(3) non-arts organizations.
• Units/Divisions of local governments (including, but not limited to, eligible schools, universities and libraries, arts agencies, etc.)
• Federally recognized tribal communities  

In addition to being an eligible type per above, an organization must:

• be incorporated in Kansas and in good standing with the State of Kansas or any department or agency thereof (taxes, etc.).
• have fulfilled all its outstanding contractual obligations to KAC (final reports, etc.)
• have a federal Unique Entity ID (UEI) number
• be providing direct support for and be the primary entity responsible for the approved project, not merely serving as a fiscal agent
• comply with regulations pertaining to federal grant recipients including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988.

Ineligible Applicants

• Individuals
• Entities whose primary place of business is not in Kansas (local chapters of national organizations may be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• Organizations whose programs for which the application is made are sectarian in purpose and focus
• Political organizations
• For-profit entities

PROJECT CRITERIA 

Eligible Projects must:

• feature a visiting artist from the Kansas Touring Roster who is outside of the host community (at least 60 miles) in at least one exhibition or performance that is open to the general public;
• include at least ONE of the following complementary activities that builds greater appreciation for the featured artist or the art form:

                    * An educational activity that features artist interaction with students

                    * A community activity that features artist interaction with members of the community. Complementary activities can include, but are not limited to: lectures/demonstrations, master classes, workshops, and other creative approaches to engage the community in the work of the featured artist or art form. Innovative activities that feature interactions with segments of the community that may not otherwise engage in visiting artists activities are strongly encouraged. 

• involve relevant, strategic partnerships with organizations in the community and/or adjacent communities
• take place in an accessible facility
• engage underserved audiences who lack access to the arts due to geography, economic conditions, ethnic background, disability, or age. 

Eligible projects may NOT include requests to fund:

• an artist from the same community as the applicant (at least 60 miles)
• a project that is not arts focused (e.g., conference keynote speeches, sidewalk sales, food festivals, fireworks displays, etc.)
• an artist appearing in a locally produced presentation, concert, or production
• activities at colleges and universities where students will receive academic credit for participation or attendance
• activities that serve mostly students and faculty with minimal or no general public involvement.

MAXIMUM REQUEST

• $8,500 for roster artists (depending on how the applicant applies the KTR credit)

KANSAS TOURING ROSTER

Projects featuring artists from the Kansas Touring Roster are eligible for a $1,000 credit that can be applied either to the applicants match or to the grant request. Click here to view the roster.

MATCH REQUIREMENT

Dollar for dollar (1:1) The total project cost must be at least twice the amount of the grant request. The match requirement must consist of at least 25% cash expenses provided by the applicant. In-kind non-monetary donations may be counted up to 75% of the required match.

MATCH EXCEPTION

Organizations in communities with populations of 15,000 or fewer: In-kind non-monetary donations may be counted as 100% of the required match

MULTIPLE AWARDS POLICY

Organizations may apply for and receive multiple Visiting Artist Awards. However, within a given fiscal year, as well as any time a grant is active, an organization may not:

• receive multiple awards for the same project
• receive total Visiting Artist awards exceeding $20,000 or receive more than one Visiting Artist and two Kansas Touring Roster Visiting Artist Grants.

EXEMPTION: Large institutions that support several communities and/or organizations including community foundations, universities, etc. may be exempted from the Multiple Awards Policy on a case-by-case basis.

Arts in Medicine, a partnership between the Kansas Arts Commission and Emporia State University, is accepting applications from associations, agencies, and organizations that provide medical services to Kansans. 

Applications received before Monday, September 15th will receive priority. The application form will remain open for submissions until October 1.

If accepted, art therapy faculty and second year graduate art therapy students from Emporia State University will work with the applicant agency to build a program and schedule that addresses the needs of specified populations.
 

Art Therapy is a master’s level human service profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through art making, creative processes, applied psychological theory, and the therapeutic relationship. Art therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.

  Applicants may be interested in offering patients, clients, or staff art therapy services such as:

• Group art therapy programming designed to meet the psycho-social needs of patients, care givers, or medical personnel
• Individual art therapy for patients receiving treatment (i.e. cancer treatments or transfusions)
• Art-based workshops for medical personnel or clinicians in training (stress relief, group bonding, etc.)
• Arts-based programs at special events (grief camps, open houses, etc.)

Applicant must be a Kansas based institution, organization, or association that provides medical services to Kansans. Applications are welcome from agencies that serve all age and developmental levels. Art experience and art skills are not necessary.
 

*Please read the full description of requirements and awards for the residency before continuing to the application.*


Program Description: The Tallgrass Artist Residency is a unique program that offers individual artists/artist teams time and space to retreat and research in a rural, tallgrass prairie setting. Though the experience is rural, it is not meant to be isolating. Artists are provided lodging at Matfield Station in the small community of Matfield Green, Kansas — 20 miles from Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and home to a growing number of artists and community builders. Learn more on our website.

Commitments:
   • Residencies are offered in two-week (10 night) periods between April and September. Residency periods must occur in consecutive ten night blocks.
   • Residents are expected to give a public program during this two-week period, and will be asked to contribute documentation of their experience through daily Instagram posts and a post-residency summary of their experience for the website (read Written Reflections on artists’ pages).
   • Residents are also expected to share post-residency work at a time and venue to be determined in coordination with residency staff.
   • Residents are required to make their own arrangements for transportation to and from the residency. Due to our rural setting, it's essential for visitors to have their own reliable method of transportation.
   • Residents are responsible for their own food, but cooking and eating utensils are available in all rooms.    

• Residents are expected to follow guest guidelines as supplied by Matfield Station and engage respectfully with other residents, guests, and Matfield Green community members throughout their participation in the Tallgrass program.                                     

Awards:
   • Artists will be provided 10 nights of lodging at Matfield Station during residency period.    
   • Artists will be connected with staff at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and may be granted special access, upon request.   
   • Each artist will receive a $650 stipend from KCAIC for travel and material reimbursement to be awarded after residencies are completed.  

• Ecoregion Exchange artists traveling from 700+ miles away receive an extra travel stipend
   • Lodging and reimbursement funding will be available for artists sharing post-residency work, in coordination with residency staff.


Who Can Apply:  This residency seeks to create connection and conversation across the Great Plains by  cultivating opportunities for artists/artist teams who currently live in a place that is ecologically considered prairie (← click the link to see a general map of this area). However, we also have one dedicated residency period for an artist/artist team outside of the prairie ecoregion, treated as an "ecoregion exchange".

   Ideal applicants will have a strong body of work with a unique voice or perspective, a self-driven dedication to learning through place, and an interest in participating in a contemporary dialogue. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and career levels, media and practice. We're not currently accepting applications from previous artists-in-residence in the program or international residents.  **Because of our rural setting, having your own transportation during the residency is essential**

Applications are due by October 31, 2025 at 11:59pmCT with notification by December 30, 2025.
For further questions, you can email the Tallgrass Artist Residency team at: tallgrass.art@gmail.com


    Website: http://tallgrassartistresidency.org

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