Helen Cash Jackson, Senior Program Officer
(212) 741-7014

Composers Commissions

Lisa Johnson, Senior Program Officer (212) 741-7577

Electronic Media & Film Production

Arian Blanco, Program Officer (212) 741-6226

Theatre Commissions

Brenda Brown, Program Officer (212) 741-7977

Individual Artists (IND) offers support for the creation of new work by New York State artists through artist-initiated projects in electronic media (video, sound art, installations, and new technologies) and film production, and the commissioning of new work by composers and theatre artists. Artists at various career stages are welcome to apply.

Because the Council cannot make grants to individuals, each application by an individual artist must be sponsored by an eligible New York State nonprofit organization. First-time applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with IND staff well before the registration deadline to identify the sponsor and briefly describe the project.

Other NYSCA disciplines offering support for the creation of new work include Architecture, Planning and Design (Independent Projects category) and Dance (Commissions category). In addition, NYSCA supports artist fellowships in a variety of arts disciplines through the New York Foundation for the Arts' artist fellowships program.

Requests made in Individual Artists categories are exempt from the Council's three-request limit.

Prerequisites

The applicant artist(s) must be a New York State resident for a minimum of two years prior to an application to NYSCA. Proof of New York State residency is required in the form of two documents from the list below. All documentation must contain your name and address, and must be dated within the previous two years prior to an application.

Acceptable documents include (send copies only and first page only):

Phone Bill

Utility Bill

Credit card statement (white out financial, social security, and account info)

Bank statement (white out financial, social security, and account info)

Tax form (first page only, white out social security and financial info)

Lease agreement (issued in one of the three years) or mortgage agreement (signature page). In addition, all artists must provide a legal form of identification. Please submit a copy of one of the following and, white out the social security information if applicable, on the document you provide.

Driver's license or State ID card

Current U.S. Passport

Voter's Registration Card

Certificate of U.S. Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization

Unexpired foreign Passport

Native American Tribal document

U.S. Military card or draft record

Alien Registration Receipt Card

Unexpired Temporary Resident card, Reentry Permit, Refugee Travel Document or, Employment Authorization Document issued by the INS

All requests must be sponsored and submitted by a New York State nonprofit organization that meets NYSCA's general eligibility requirements.

Student projects are not eligible for support.

Evaluative Criteria

Grant requests are evaluated in accordance with agency-wide criteria.

Nonprofit Sponsorship of Artist Applications

Grants are awarded to the sponsoring organization, which then directs the funds to the individual artist.

Sponsoring organizations may act simply as fiscal conduits for the project and limit their role to receiving, disbursing, and reporting on grants. Others provide additional fiscal and administrative services to the artists they sponsor. When choosing a sponsor, it is in the artist's best interest to understand and establish the role of the sponsor organization. This must be fully described in the NYSCA application. All sponsoring organizations should work with the artist(s) to comply with the Program's requirements and procedures.

Artists seeking sponsorship are advised to confirm that the organization has the proper nonprofit documentation. Artists may consult with NYSCA staff about the viability of any particular sponsor. Artists are encouraged to ask their sponsoring organization when they can expect to receive NYSCA funds should their project be awarded a grant.

Sponsoring organizations are responsible for:

Registering the application by the registration deadline including required organizational information.

Conveying Council communications to the sponsored artist, including deadlines for submissions of completed applications and login/password for access to the web-based application form.

Executing a letter of agreement with the artist that outlines the administration of the grant and defines mutual responsibilities. Sample letters of agreement may be obtained by contacting the IND staff.

Receiving and disbursing granted funds.

Submitting a final report on the expenditure of the grant funds after the end of the contract period.

NOTE: Artistic control of and proprietary rights to the project rest exclusively with the artist. This or any other arrangement should be clearly described in the NYSCA application.