Maine Arts Commission Grants

Dealines for the FY23 grant cycle 

The Maine Arts Commission offers grant funding to Maine organizations, individuals, schools, and municipalities. The grant cycle opens in January each year with the majority of deadlines before the end of April, with some offerings that have additional autumn deadlines. Funding support must be used for projects between July 1 of this year and June 30 of the following year. If a project has components that fall outside of the timeframe, those components cannot be funded, although components within the timeframe are eligible for funding. Applicants are welcome to apply to multiple grants, unless it is otherwise stated in the application. All applications must be submitted through the agency online Application Portal.

If you have questions about how to apply or other aspects of the Agency grants process; please go to the Grants Help page. The Help Page offers a list of documents that address general questions and also provide specific details about certain application processes. If you are unable to find the answers you need please feel free to contact agency staff. Applicants are also encouraged to contact staff if they feel such feedback would strengthen their application.

Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access

A staff committee of The Maine Arts Commission, along with a diverse team of advisors, reviews our current programming and funding practices through a diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) lens.

We are looking at our own record of ways we have, and have not, supported under-resourced Maine communities due to geography, gender, race/ethnicity, disability, or socioeconomic status. We are soliciting feedback from the field and will be embedding equity efforts into our programs and practices.

We invite the Maine arts and culture community to join us in this inquiry, reflection, and transformation. This will help us better understand longstanding and emerging needs, and determine ways we can steer funding, professional development, outreach, and other resources to ensure all Maine people have access to creative expression. We will learn and grow together.

-- Artist Funding --

Grants for individual artists are offered to support Maine artists with their work. Funds assist artists with the creation of new work, the continuation of existing practices, and participation in professional development programs and activities. Applicants do not need to be affiliated with a 501c3 organization in order to be eligible for funding. Artists are also eligible to apply for a Maine Artist Fellowship and to participate in the Apprenticeship Programs. While these offerings are different from grant funding, they support artists in advancing their creative practice.  

Artist Project Grant

Project Grant for Artists funding supports artist projects throughout Maine. Funds assist individual artists with the creation of new work, the continuation of existing practices, and participation in professional development programs and activities. Projects can be in any artistic discipline and on any scale.

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Artist Springboard Grant 

The Springboard grant supports artist projects throughout Maine. Funds assist individual artists who have not been previously funded by the Maine Arts Commission, (with an exception of awardees of the Apprenticeship programs) with the creation of new work, the continuation of existing practices, and participation in professional development programs and activities. 

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Maine Artist Fellowship

Maine Artist Fellowships are awarded annually to recognize artistic excellence and advance the careers of Maine artists. Fellowships are not grants, they are merit-based awards that are informed by an applicant’s work as documented through materials included in the application. Maine Artist Fellowships are available in the categories; Belvedere Handcraft, Craft, Literary Arts, Multimedia/Film, Performing Arts, Traditional Arts, and Visual Arts.

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Maine Craft Apprenticeship

This program supports craft artists in sharing their skills with a qualified apprentice. Apprenticeships help craft artisans in acquiring new skills, tools and management habits that help them adapt to the changing environment of craft consumers. This is a partnership between the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Craft Association. Please visit www.maineCAP.org for more information.

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Traditional Arts Apprenticeship

The Traditional Arts Apprenticeship helps communities sustain their cultural heritage by providing an opportunity for master traditional artists to pass on their skills to a qualified apprentice or apprentices.

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-- Organization Funding --

Organization support from the Maine Arts Commission comes in a variety of forms. The Agency offers project funding to any Maine 501c3 wishing to undertake the production of high-quality creative activities, the creation of new work, and the continuation of existing arts programs. Operational support is available for eligible 501c3 arts organizations and the Ticket to Ride program helps to connect k-12 students to arts events. There are also some specialty projects like the Arts and Humanities Grant and the Creative Aging Grant that focus on specific kinds of programming. 

Arts and Humanities Grant

The Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Humanities Council collaborate to provide Arts & Humanities grants that assist organizations in Maine to investigate and present stories and cultural expressions of the state, its communities and its people. Information can also be found at the Maine Humanities website at https://mainehumanities.org.

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Creative Aging Grant

The Creative Aging grant supports the collaboration between artists and organizations in developing high-quality, participatory, arts programs for older adults. Funds are available to support the hiring of teaching artists from the Maine Arts Commission’s Creative Aging Teaching Artist Roster to work in community settings such as libraries, senior centers, arts organizations, and assisted- and independent-living centers. For this grant the applicant can be from either the organization or the artist(s) providing the programming.

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Organization Operations Grant 

The Organization Operations Grant provides unrestricted operating funds to 501c3 arts organizations. It is not a project based grant, however, applicants are expected to identify how funding will be applied within the operations of their organization. 

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Organization Project Grant

Ticket to Ride Program - Not Currently Available 

Ticket to Ride funding defrays the travel costs of connecting Maine PK-12 schools with Maine arts based venues and events. Any school with a documented free and reduced lunch student population above 30 percent is eligible to apply for support. Organizations partnering with eligible schools are also eligible to apply. 

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Assistance

Agency staff are always here as a resource for you. We recommend contacting the correct staff person a minimum of two-weeks prior to submitting your application.

For general questions about the application or review process please contact Kerstin Gilg, Director of Grants and Accessibility, at kerstin.gilg@maine.gov or 207/ 287-6719

Grant information is available in large print format by request. All Maine Arts Commission programs are accessible to people with disabilities. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.