The Kindling Fund supports artist-organized projects across the state of Maine that engage audiences and incorporate the visual arts in inventive and meaningful ways. For 2024, SPACE will distribute $65,000 in artist project grants, with awards ranging from $3,000–$7,000 each. R&D (Research and Development) Grants of smaller amounts will be offered at our jury panel’s advisement.
The application portal is open as of October 1st at 12:00pm on space538.submittable.com
This year’s deadline is Sunday, November 19th at 11:59pm.
More info at the Kindling Fund website here.
***The 2024 Kindling Fund Grantees are available here.
INFORMATION SESSIONS:
- Thursday, November 2nd at 5:30pm – Virtual Information Session and Q&A on Zoom – (Register here)
- Monday, November 6th at 9:30am at Creative Portland – In-person information session following CP’s Monday Morning Drop-By Breakfast open house
(Register here)
- Wednesday, November 8th at 5:30pm at Lights Out Gallery – In-person information session in Norway, Maine following their Wednesday Work Party.
(Register here)
- Friday, November 10th at 5pm at Watts Hall Community Arts – In-person information session in Thomaston, Maine, before the 6 pm reception for E. Saffronia Downing‘s show Mustard Seeds with Interloc Projects.
(Register here) - Sunday, November 12th from 1-3pm at SPACE – Peer Review Session, bring a laptop or print out of your application draft for an informal chat with peers and SPACE staff about your proposal. Free street parking on Sundays.
Questions? Email kindlingfund@space538.org. Please submit any eligibility or specific application questions by Thursday, November 16th at 5pm to allow time for us to reply to all inquiries.
Eligibility Information
The Kindling Fund awards project grants ranging from $3,000 – $7,000 (with smaller Research and Development Grants) to Maine-based artists of all career levels, who organize projects that engage audiences and the visual arts in inventive and meaningful ways. This is the tenth year of grantmaking for the Kindling Fund, and the first year the max award will be expanded to $7,000.
In the context of this grant, the visual arts is defined as broadly as possible and includes: photography, video, non-traditional performance, ceramics, earth works, drawing, bookmaking, weaving, crafts, installations, painting, mail art, printmaking, basketry, sculpture, calligraphy, social-engagement, participatory or community-driven projects, glass, design, and the alternative spaces, artistic collectives, art writing, and artistic platforms that support that work.
If you are interested in proposing a project that is not listed and you think of it as a form of visual art, please email kindlingfund@space538.org. With a focus on risk and experimentation, successful projects value unconventional engagement, critical dialogue, collaboration, and create new models for presenting artists’ work. The Kindling Fund is administered by SPACE Gallery as part of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts’ Regional Regranting Program.
~*APPLICATIONS ARE DUE SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19th, 2023 at 11:59pm*~
NOTIFICATIONS WILL BE MADE IN JANUARY 2024.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
EACH APPLICATION SHOULD INCLUDE:
- Brief project summary (100 words)
- Full narrative description of the project (500 words)
- Project timeline with description of how and where the project will be realized
- Explanation of how the project will be made accessible to the public and outline of engagement strategies
- Explanation of the project’s relationship to applicant’s past work
- Explanation of audience and engagement strategies
- Budget
- Bio and CV (optional) for artist(s) involved
FAQ
Who can apply?
- Artists living in Maine
- Curators living in Maine
- Collectives living in Maine
- Writers writing about the visual arts in Maine
- Collaboratives or partnerships in Maine
- Artist-run spaces located in Maine that are not 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations
Who cannot apply?
- Students who are currently enrolled in an academic program*
- Projects organized by existing incorporated businesses (including LLCs, B Corps, state non-profits, 501(c)(3) organizations, and 501(c)(4) organizations), universities or schools (private, public, charter), religious institutions, or LLCs established for commercial enterprise are not eligible.
- Artists living outside of Maine
- Individuals or projects that have received Kindling Fund of American Rescue Plan funding in the previous year from SPACE.
- Lead artists or projects that have received $15,000 from the Kindling Fund over the course of their lifetime
- Lead artists who have not completed a previous grant or submitted the required reports.
*Full-time enrolled undergraduates and graduate students are not eligible for regranting funds. Artists enrolled in professional certifications or part-time continuing education are eligible. Please email kindlingfund@space538.org with any questions.
What kinds of projects does the Kindling Fund support?
The Kindling Fund supports a wide range of artist-initiated projects that engage the public including but not limited to…
- Group and solo exhibitions that are sited outside of traditional venues, curatorial projects focused on innovative research or exhibition design
- Lecture, workshop, and conversation series
- Micro-cinemas and film screenings
- Public art projects such as murals, outdoor sculpture, temporary art in public places, or pop-ups
- Performance projects that prioritize experimentation, multi-media approaches, duration, or projects with expansive definitions and approaches to performance
- Interventions, site-specific installations, and digital-forward alternative virtual platforms
- Writing about the visual arts, or printed and online publications (zines, local art discourse, curatorial print projects)
- The creation of an alternative artist residency or other artist-centered programs
- The founding or sustaining of a new artist-run arts venue or collective
- Artist-led socially-responsive and social activist projects such as mutual-aid initiatives, artist gardens/farming/food projects, community storytelling and history keeping, and other grassroots initiatives
- Experimental art projects that challenge established notions of artistic roles and forms
- Other art projects that propose new models/forms of practice, presentation and organization
The Kindling Fund will not support:
- Private projects (i.e. commissioning the creation of new artwork) with no public engagement component
- Projects that are part of the primary programming of an established 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization or take place in established institutions**
- Proposals that only request equipment. Including specialized equipment necessary to carry out your project as part of your budget is OK.
- Proposals that request travel funds. Including travel funds for visiting artists as part of your proposal is OK.
**Independent artist-driven projects taking advantage of the public sites of land trusts, “friends of” public park groups, civic spaces, and other “public space” are always encouraged and allowed. Projects that take place as part of an organization’s regular programming should be funded by the 501c3 and are not Kindling Fund eligible. For any questions please email: kindlingfund@space538.org.
What is the time frame for successful projects?
All Kindling Fund projects should be underway by December 31, 2024 so we can complete our own organizational reporting and begin a new cycle of grantees.
How does the jury evaluate proposals?
Proposals are evaluated based on…
- The artistic quality presented in the work samples and how relevant those work samples are to the idea proposed
- The form of the project and how inventive it is
- The project concept and how bold it is
- The degree to which the project involves multiple artists (not required, but collaboration historically makes competitive applications)
- The degree to which the project considers its audience and outlines its engagement strategies
- The timeline and how feasible it appears
- The applicant’s ability to carry out the project based in part by past work
- The clarity and feasibility of the budget
How many grants are available?
For the 2024 grant cycle, there is $65,000 in funds available which is distributed to approximately 8-12 projects with budgets ranging from $3,000 – $7,000. Artists may also receive discretionary research and development grants of less than $3000 by the jury to start their project, depending on how the jurying process takes place. Currently, an individual, ongoing project, collective, or initiative cannot be awarded more than $15,000 by the Kindling Fund over the course of a lifetime.
What happens if I am awarded funding?
Grantees are held legally responsible for all activities, materials, and outcomes associated with their projects.
If awarded funding, artists are expected to:
- Be prompt and professional in their communication with grant staff
- Spend the funds as outlined in project budget
- Submit two written summaries throughout the course of the project at the midpoint and conclusion of the project.
- Submit updates and images for promoting the Kindling Fund which will be used on website, social media, outlets
- Submit in writing to the grant staff any changes to the proposal as the project develops
- Attend an orientation and awards ceremonies in 2024
- Act as a responsible representative of SPACE Gallery and the Kindling Fund when engaged in all project-related activities
