Art Opportunities
Arts Education Scholarships
Summer 2024 Arts Education Scholarships
Applications due 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Submit Here
The Norman Arts Council Arts Education Scholarships are intended to provide Norman children with the opportunity to attend arts programming that is offered outside of schools.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
SUMMER 2024 Programs – Applications are available on Tuesday, April 2, 2023, and are due by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, May 1, 2023.
Note: Please read the application guidelines thoroughly to ensure timely completion of all requirements!
ELIGIBILITY: The Norman Arts Council invites students in grades K-12 who live or go to school in Norman, Oklahoma to apply for a scholarship to offset the cost of an arts education experience provided by an established arts organization or educator.
APPLICATIONS: NAC guidelines and criteria should be followed carefully. Only Applications submitted through the online process will be considered for funding. Applications must be 100% completed for consideration. "I don't know" or "unsure" answers will be deemed an incomplete application.
SELECTION CRITERIA: The NAC is seeking applications for scholarships from students who:
express a strong desire to enhance their arts education experience beyond what is offered in schools, demonstrate a past commitment to visual or performing arts, or a student that a parent, guardian, or teacher deems the child could benefit from an arts experience
have the ability to commit to the completion of the program
have a financial need that prevents them from funding the tuition themselves
priority will be given to low-income applicants or families facing hardship
$500 is the maximum award a single student will be granted for a single program
Applications must be 100% completed
Applicants will not be turned down for not meeting ALL of the criteria. It is encouraged, however, to try to meet as many as possible and to address the criteria directly in the proposal.
AWARDS: Award notification will be by email. Due to limited funds, applicants may not receive the full funding requested and/or may not receive any funding at this time. Oftentimes, our requests far exceed our budget each semester.
DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS: Upon award notification and receipt of the signed scholarship agreement, the Norman Arts Council will give the awarded funds directly to the organization or individual implementing the program applied for on behalf of the student. Should the program be canceled for any reason by the organization or individual implementing the program, the funds will be returned to the Norman Arts Council’s scholarship program and may be applied for during the next cycle.
COMMITMENT TO PROGRAM: Upon award notification, the student’s parent or legal guardian will receive a scholarship agreement that states they will commit to ensuring the student’s regular attendance at the program. If the student fails to attend at least 75% of the program, the student will be asked to withdraw; any remaining funds will be returned to the Norman Arts Council’s scholarship program; and the student will not be eligible in the future.
AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: The total amount of scholarship funds available may be awarded to one applicant or divided among multiple applicants. The Norman Arts Council reserves the right to not award any scholarships should there be a lack of qualified candidates or a shortage of scholarship funds.
LIABILITY: Award recipients and their guardians agree to indemnify and hold harmless the NAC, its employees, its agents, and its Board of Directors, in connection with any action, claim, lawsuit, charge, or proceeding, including but not limited to any civil action in State or Federal Court, or before any State or Federal agency, which is made or brought against recipients, NAC, and/or any of NAC's employees, agents, or board members, by any person or entity, based upon and/or arising out of a recipient's use of the funds.
APPEALS: Any applicant who is denied a scholarship in whole or in part may only appeal directly to the NAC Education Committee on the following grounds: 1) discrimination against the applicant or its membership based on race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability, which is shown to have materially and adversely affected the outcome of their application; 2) illegal activity on the part of the Education Committee or a member of the Education Committee, which is shown to have materially and adversely affected the outcome of their application.
Summer 2024 applicants will be notified by mid-May.
SUMMER 2024 Arts Education Scholarships
ACCePTING APPLICATIONS: MARCH 27 tHROUGH MAY 1
Award Recipients Notified Mid-May
FALL 2024 Arts Education Scholarships
ACCePTING APPLICATIONS: JULY 3 THROUGH AUGUST 7
Award Recipients Notified LATE AUGUST
Spring 2025 Arts Education Scholarships
ACCePTING APPLICATIONS: OCTOBER 24 THROUGH NOVEMBER 28
Award Recipients Notified MID-DECEMBER
Norman Arts Council Arts Education Scholarships are intended to provide Norman children with the opportunity to attend arts programming that is offered outside of schools.
Applicants may use funding — up to $500 — for any arts education program of their choosing beyond what local schools are able to provide, including but not limited to visual art instruction, music lessons, vocal and theater coaching and more.
Priority is given to low income applicants and families facing a hardship, but any student (grades K-12) who lives or attends school in Norman is eligible to apply.
The NAC is seeking applications for scholarships from students who:
express a strong desire to enhance their arts education experience beyond what is offered in schools, demonstrates a past commitment to visual or performing arts, or a student that a parent, guardian or teacher deems the child could benefit from an arts experience
have the ability to commit to the completion of the program
have a financial need that prevents them from funding the tuition themselves
priority will be given to low income applicants or families facing a hardship
$500 is the maximum award a single student will be granted for a single program
Applications must be 100% completed
Norman Arts Council
Artist Grants
Norman Arts Council Artist Grants
2023/2024 Round Two
Submission Deadline: 11:59 p.m. CST Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Norman Arts Council operates its artist grant program to serve Norman-based artists and further our creative community. While the longstanding Norman Arts Grant Program has benefited local artists through its support of dozens of arts organizations around town, this furthers NAC’s commitment to directly benefit local artists in a variety of ways.
The program offers three grants of $1,000, each in a different category.
The categories include Community Project, Creative Project and Education/Travel.
Community Project grants help artists initiate a community-based project that leads to artistic creation. Evaluation is based on quality, the community impact and overall concept. Apply here!
Creative Project grants support creation of new work or body of work. Evaluation is based on quality of creative opportunity, career building potential, and overall concept. Apply here!
Education/Travel grants support opportunities to participate in conferences, residencies or workshops that provide education and further one’s artistic practice. Evaluation is based on quality of educational opportunity, career building potential, and overall concept. Apply here!
Artists can apply for all three grant opportunities in each cycle, but a maximum of one grant will be awarded to any artist in a given grant cycle.
Only artists who have resided in Norman for the past 12 months are eligible to apply for the Norman Arts Council Artist Grants. Applying artists must be at least 18 years old.
Questions may be directed to Programs & Development Manager Cher Duncan.
Grant Timeline
FY 2023/24 ROUND 2
ACCePTING APPLICATIONS: APRIL 17 THROUGH MAY 29
Award Recipients Notified MID-JUNE
FY 2024/25 ROUND 1
ACCePTING APPLICATIONS: September 18 THROUGH October 30
Award Recipients Notified MID-NOVEMBER
Past Winners
2022/23 Artist Grant Winners: Round 1
Lacy Jo Burgess-Cady, Rai Fordyce and Leticia Galizzi
2022/23 Artist Grant Winners: Round 2
Ander Cardinale, HANNAH HARPER and DENNIS SPIELMAN
2023/24 Artist Grant Winners: Round 2
Reb nofun, Chase spivey and Deanna Wong
MAINSITE
Opportunities
Call for Artists/Curators
The Norman Arts Council is seeking artists and curators to conceive of exhibitions in its home, MAINSITE Contemporary Art in the heart of the Walker Arts District | Downtown Norman. We have four exhibition slots available per year, each running for 6-8 weeks. We are accepting proposals for the entire space or half of the space. MAINSITE's main gallery is booked generally up to two years in advance.
Gallery Highlights:
Beautiful contemporary space in renovated building over 100 years old
4,000 square feet of exhibition space
13.5 foot ceilings
Floor to ceiling glass front onto Main Street
Can be divided into 2-4 distinct exhibition spaces with moveable walls
Full time gallery staff on site Tuesday through Saturday
Projection capabilities
Staff to assist with install
Full use of Norman Arts Council PR and Mailing List for promotion of exhibit
If you are interested in an exhibition in the main gallery of MAINSITE Contemporary Art, please email Erinn Gavaghan at erinn@normanarts.org with a fully written exhibition proposal, including an exhibition narrative, artist statement, CV, examples of previous work and any other relevant information.
*Please note: The exhibition calendar is currently full through June 2025. We will not likely consider future exhibits until sometime in Spring 2024.
The Library Gallery
Our Mission: The Library Gallery is a smaller space within MAINSITE Contemporary Art to exhibit experimental and cutting edge work from emerging artists.
Call for Artists/Curators:
The Library Gallery and Water Closet Gallery is always accepting proposals from emerging artists and curators. We have an active and ongoing process of working with artists to collaborate and create the best fit exhibitions. The Library Gallery includes approximately 50 feet of exhibition space, including the office just off the main gallery. Exhibitions may be expanded out to include one wall of the foyer between the Main Gallery and Library Gallery and/or the gallery’s courtyard, depending on availability.
If you are interested in an exhibition at the Library Gallery of MAINSITE Contemporary Art, please email Joshua Boydston at joshb@normanarts.org with a fully written exhibition proposal, including an exhibition narrative, artist statement, CV, examples of previous work and any other relevant information.
*Please note: The Library Gallery is generally scheduled out a year in advance.
2nd Friday Norman
Art Walk
Call for Artists, Artisans, Makers and Performers
Take part in Norman’s monthly celebration of arts and creativity — 2nd Friday Norman Art Walk — happening in Downtown Norman year-round! Sell and show your work or add to the ambiance with a performance outside! Learn more about how to be an outdoor participant at 2ndFridayNorman.com!