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Caveat emptor: scalpers hurting Columbia arts groups

Secondary ticket sales causing trouble

[caption id="attachment_47097" align="aligncenter" width="899"] Columbia's Koger Center for the Arts at the University of South Carolina.[/caption]

"Buyer beware" is good advice that increasing numbers of Columbia arts patrons wish they'd heeded, according to new reporting from The Post and Courier Columbia.

Beyond the pain of inflated prices felt by some audience members, performing arts groups also suffer from the secondary ticketing market (commonly, and perhaps insensitively, known as scalping). That certainly gets The Hub's interest, so we in turn direct you to Jessica Holdman's reporting for the P&C Columbia here (subscription possibly required). We support local journalism ourselves and don't wish to take away from said work by sharing more than the general scope. We will, however, leave you with these thoughts: The Hub was formerly employed by one of the affected arts groups and was, in fact, in charge of its ticketing operations for 12 years. Always, always, verify the source of any tickets you buy. Problems like these are neither new nor uncommon in large cities, but are new(er) to Columbia (obviously) and other South Carolina markets. If you plan to attend an event, first check with the presenting venue or group for how or where to purchase. Only if an event is sold out should you consider the secondary market. Despite what ticketing policies say, the vast majority of official ticketing operations are willing to work with you on a solution to lost or stolen tickets that are purchased from them, for which they have records. As the story accurately states, they can do no such thing when you buy from (random website). Thanks for coming to our HUB Talk.  

Jason Rapp

Western Arts Alliance calls for performing artists

2021 Performing Arts Discovery Program

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, June 25, 2021

The U.S. Regional Arts Organizations and Western Arts Alliance (WAA) are pleased to announce a virtual international showcase opportunity for performing artists.

This opportunity is part of the National Endowment for the Arts Performing Arts Discovery Program (PAD). The NEA launched the PAD program in 2015 to promote U.S. artists to international programmers, festival directors, and venue managers. In this first round, PAD will select 10 artists to showcase virtually at this year’s Western Arts Alliance and Arts Midwest Conferences. Later this year a second round will seek an additional 20 artists and ensembles for additional showcase opportunities. All 30 groups will also be featured on a dedicated platform and included in selected international online showcases. PAD encourages those who self-identify as BIPOC and LGBTQ+ to apply. Learn more and apply at this link.

Jason Rapp

International touring help for performers

USArtists grants for FY22

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, March 31, 2021

USArtists International (USAI) funds U.S. performing artists, both individuals and ensembles, traveling to or performing virtually at international festivals and arts markets.

If that sounds like you, apply for up to $15,000 to support your engagements between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2021.

A Fuller Picture

WHO...is eligible?
  • Professional performing artists in dance, music, theater, multidisciplinary work, and folk/traditional arts. Ensembles and individual artists are eligible to apply.
  • at least half of the performers must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
  • applicant must have 501(c)(3) status OR work with a fiscal sponsor
  • applicant must have invitation to perform at an international festival or arts market
WHAT...can you actually apply for? Artists can apply for funds to support: performance fees, agents' fees related to participation in the international engagement, registration/application fees up to $250, and fiscal sponsor administration fees. If you're traveling to the performance, you can also apply for flight, housing, per diem, shipping, and visa costs. If you're performing virtually, you can apply for up to $2,500 in technology needs (hardware and software). WHEN...is the project window? Applications due on March 31, 2021 are for projects or engagements that are scheduled to occur in person or virtually between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. WHERE...can you go with grant funds? Anywhere outside the U.S. and its territories! You can apply for up to three eligible international festivals—as long as you don't return to the U.S. between festivals—on a single application. HOW...can I learn more?
  • Read the full guidelines for the program
  • Check out the webinar offerings, listed below
  • If you have questions, reach out to program staff via email: Robyn Busch, Program Officer, International, at Robyn@midatlanticarts.org; Leah Harrison, Program Associate, International, at Leah@midatlanticarts.org.
In addition to artists and engagements that demonstrate excellence and merit, USAI works to promote the range of United States performing arts by supporting America's aesthetic, geographic, gender, and racial diversity.
  • Ready? Start your application.
  • Not quite ready to apply? Future application deadlines in 2021 and 2022 will be announced this summer.

Jason Rapp

South Arts offers professional development + artistic planning grants

Funding up to $1,000 is available

[caption id="attachment_12544" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Hubbard St. Dance Chicago at Spoleto Festival USA[/caption]
As part of its efforts to advance Southern vitality through the arts, South Arts offers a limited number of Professional Development and Artistic Planning grants to nonprofit performing, visual, media/film, multidisciplinary and literary arts presenting organizations in its nine-state region with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. South ArtsFunding up to $1,000 is available to support the professional development needs of Southern presenters/programmers/curators, strengthen program design, and increase organizational capacity. For the purposes of these guidelines, “presenters” are defined as organizations that present or host guest artists for engagements in their communities. These grants are very limited and awarded on a first-come/first-served basis, so early submission is encouraged. A dollar-for-dollar cash match is a requirement. This grant program provides assistance for a wide-range of professional development opportunities supporting resources needed to succeed in the work of presenting. In the past, these grants have been used for:
  • traveling to see the work of artists being considered for future presentations, or to expand the presenters’ knowledge of an artform;
  • participating in a significant professional development opportunity; and
  • hosting an artist planning visit.
All applicants are required to contact Nikki Estes at 404.874.7244 ext. 16 to discuss eligibility prior to submitting an application.

Go here to learn more now!

Tuning Up: Myriad opportunities for artists + grant writing

Good morning!  "Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...

This one's for you, #SCartists...

[caption id="attachment_34666" align="aligncenter" width="563"] The world-famous Hub Calls for Art Megaphone.[/caption] A spate of calls for art and/or fellowship opportunities came through in recent days, so we're letting you know what we've seen (which, dear reader, is not to be assumed is an exhaustive list of opportunities). Please visit links for deadlines and requirements/restrictions/guidelines! And now, here they are:
  • Submissions are being sought for the 701 CCA South Carolina Biennial 2019, the center's fifth survey exhibition of work by contemporary South Carolina artists. The exhibition will be held at 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia. The 701 CCA S.C. Biennial 2019 will be presented in two parts with openings in September and November. Artists working in all media and styles are encouraged to apply. Artists must be a current resident of South Carolina. Please visit the website for specific details regarding the submissions.
  • Greenville Center for Creative Arts announced that 2019/2020 Brandon Fellowship applications will open June 7, 2019. The Brandon Fellowship is a 12-month program that aims to develop three emerging artists between the ages of 21-30. Brandon Fellows receive a university style studio space at GCCA, a $250 stipend for art supplies per six-month period, an artist mentor, access to one 6-week class per session, and participation in group shows & community events. Please visit the GCCA website for Brandon Fellowship information.
  • Spartanburg/Upstate musicians are encouraged to sign up for live street performances in the Spartanburg Downtown Cultural District. Currently, performances are scheduled to be held near four street intersections: Liberty & East Main streets, Church & East Main streets, Magnolia & Dunbar streets, and W. Main St. Pocket Park by The Coffee Bar. The live performances will take place Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, concluding in October. You must be a Chapman Cultural Center registered musician to perform. A link to join the registry and more information is on this page.

Oh, yeah, grant writing

The Central Midlands Council of Governments and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grants workshop in Columbia, June 17-18, 2019.  This training is applicable to grant seekers across all disciplines.  Attend this class and you'll learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals. Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county, and state agencies as well as nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend. Multi-enrollment discounts and discounts for Grant Writing USA returning alumni are available.  Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment. Tuition is $455 and includes everything: two days of terrific instruction, workbook, and access to our Alumni Forum that's packed full of tools, helpful discussions and more than 200 sample grant proposals.  Seating is limited, online reservations are necessary. Click here for full event details.

Tuning Up: Trustus puts grant to use + indigenous performers grant

Good morning!  "Tuning Up" is a morning post series where The Hub delivers curated, quick-hit arts stories of interest to readers. Sometimes there will be one story, sometimes there will be several. Get in tune now, and have a masterpiece of a day. And now, in no particular order...

Collaboration looks to be a main theme of the 34th season of Columbia's Trustus Theatre. Read more in this story from Broadway World. Something else caught The Hub's attention, though: Trustus used a Presenting and Performing Arts (PPA) Initiative grant from the SCAC to allow Scott Pattinson to make his Trustus debut in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. The "play focuses on the story of an autistic teenager, and this production is also a partnership with Autism Speaks and S.C. Autism Academy." South Carolina dance, music, and theatre organizations are encouraged to learn more about, and apply for, PPA grants.
Western Arts Alliance (WAA), the Portland-based performing arts service organization, has announced the launch of a new grant opportunity for Native artists – the Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) Artists Travel Assistance Fund – and is accepting applications beginning Monday, November 18, 2018 through December 7, 2018. Advancing Indigenous Performance (AIP) is a national program to create new touring and presentation opportunities for Indigenous performing artists, made possible by lead funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with additional support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation. AIP invests in building the professional capacities of Indigenous artists as it works to break down barriers in the performing arts.

New NEA report shows increasing arts attendance

The performing arts cultural season is upon us, and a new report from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) might encourage you to head to the box office sooner than later.

Between 2012 and 2017, the share of adults who attended visual or performing arts activities grew by 3.6 percentage points to 132.3 million people, representing nearly 54 percent of the U.S. adult population. Performing arts events range from dance to theater performances while visual arts events include going to art museums, galleries, and craft festivals.

Most of the increase in this survey came from visiting art museums or galleries and the “informal” arts sector that includes outdoor performing arts festivals and touring places for their design or historic value. Also scoring high is attending “other” performing arts events—those not tracked individually in the SPPA—such as rap and hip hop, country music, rock, or folk music events.

Other highlights from the report:
  • Between 2012 and 2017, the rate of poetry-reading among adults grew by 76 percent, to 28 million people in 2017, and the share of 18-24-year-olds who read poetry more than doubled.
  • Greater participation by African Americans, Asian Americans, and 25-54-year-olds helped the performing arts numbers increase.
  • Art museum or gallery visits grew by 13% in the period studied.
Get the full report and read the study announcement on NEA.gov.

Performing artists grant option closing soon

[caption id="attachment_34373" align="alignright" width="800"] The Wooster Group, 2017 USArtists International grantee. Photo by Bruce Jackson.[/caption] USArtists International is a grant program that supports performances by U.S. dance, music, and theater ensembles and solo artists invited to perform at important cultural festivals and performing arts marketplaces anywhere in the world outside the United States and its territories. In 2016-2017, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation supported nearly 1000 individuals through the USArtists International program. Applications for Round 3 are due April 5, 2018 at 11:59 PM ET for engagements between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Additional deadlines will be announced in July.

How to apply for USArtists International Looking to connect with an festival? Try searching our international festival database.
Thinking about applying? There are two webinars coming soon... Two webinars are scheduled to assist potential applicants, and are most helpful when attended in sequence. March 6:  USArtists International: Am I eligible? 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET | Sign me up! USArtists International: Am I eligible? provides program information for solo artists and performing arts ensembles considering an application to the USArtists International grant program. Attendees will leave with a clear idea about who and what type of projects USArtists International funds. New applicants, previous applicants, grantees and others interested in learning more about updates to the USAI program are welcome to join! A recording will be posted to the USAI website following the webinar.   March 20: USArtists International: Tips & Pointers for Applicants  2:00 - 3:15 PM ET | Sign me up! In USArtists International: 2018 Tips and Pointers for Applicants, attendees will review updates to the online application, learn what criteria panelists use to evaluate applications and receive important tips for strengthening applications. This webinar is for new applicants, previous applicants, grantees and others interested in learning more about applying to USAI. All attendees should read USAI program guidelines prior to attending the webinar, as they are updated annually. A recording will be posted to the USAI website following the webinar.

Submitted material

South Arts’ Launchpad offers resources for new presenting professionals

Becoming a presenter for the first time can be daunting. Where can I find the best artists for my community? How do I apply my marketing and management skills to a new position? How do I negotiate contracts to be fair to my organization and the artist? Who can I call for advice? [caption id="attachment_24217" align="alignright" width="225"]PAE-2015-Juried-Showcase-313 Philadanco performing at 2015 PAE Juried Showcases – Photograph by Bruce France[/caption] South Arts' program, Launchpad, is designed to provide a year-long support system to professionals who are new to the performing arts presenting field in South Arts' nine-state region. Launchpad offers professional development, mentorship, and a travel subsidy for participation at the 2017 Performing Arts Exchange in Atlanta, Ga. In addition, there is an opportunity to receive funding to join your statewide presenters’ network and to support artist fees for presenting one of our 2017 juried showcase artists. Up to 10 presenters will be selected in the second cohort. The goals of this pilot:

  • Provide professional development for new presenting professionals
  • Share resources for identifying high-quality artists
  • Support learning through a peer network group and individual mentoring
Selected applicants will receive:
  • Travel subsidy for attending the 2017 Performing Arts Exchange (PAE), September 25-28, 2017 in Atlanta, Ga. (up to $1,000)
  • Presenting grant to book a 2017 PAE juried showcase artist for the 2018-2019 season (up to $2,500)
  • Support for statewide presenters’ network annual dues/fees (up to $200)
  • Connection to a mentor
Only executive directors, associate directors, or programming directors (i.e., individuals responsible for curating/programming season) that have been in their presenting role for less than two years prior to the Performing Arts Exchange start date are eligible to apply. Previous PAE attendees are not eligible. Complete eligibility requirements and guidelines are available online. Applicants are encouraged to contact Nikki Estes, Program Director, at 404-874-7244 ext. 16 to discuss eligibility prior to submitting an application. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. (Eastern Time) June 1, 2017.

Furman Music Professor Mark Kilstofte receives coveted Copland House Award

Note: Mark Kilstofte received South Carolina Arts Commission Music Composition Fellowships in 2001 and 2012. Furman University Music Professor Mark Kilstofte has received a 2016 Copland House Residency Award. The award was granted to nine gifted American composers from nine states, and marks Kilstofte’s fourth time to be honored by Copland House. The Copland House prize consists of an all-expense-paid stay at Aaron Copland's National Historic Landmark home in New York's Lower Hudson Valley. The honor provides composers the opportunity to focus on their creative work in the same inspiring environment enjoyed by Copland himself for the last 30 years of his life. The honorees were selected out of nearly 100 applicants from 25 states by a jury including composers Pierre Jalbert (a two-time Copland House Resident), Carman Moore, and Robert Sirota (Former-President of the Manhattan School of Music). On an individual basis, the Residents will live and work for three to eight weeks in the prairie-style, hilltop house near New York City that Copland called "my hideaway, my solitude," and was his home from 1960 to 1990. In addition to three previous Copland House Residency Awards, Kilstofte's honors include the Rome Prize, Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellowships, ASCAP's Rudolf Nissim Prize, and the Goddard Lieberson Fellowship and Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His music has been featured on NPR's “Performance Today” and “From the Top” and performed by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, New York Virtuoso Singers, New Amsterdam Singers, and Dale Warland Singers. His song cycle, "The White Album" (commissioned by the Fromm Foundation and developed during a previous Copland House Residency), will be premiered by Musiqa (Houston) this January. As a Copland House Resident, Kilstofte will become eligible for post-residency awards, commissions, and various performance and recording opportunities from the Music from Copland House ensemble. Possibilities include the Sylvia Goldstein Award, Borromeo String Quartet Award, Hoff-Barthelson Music School Commission, and others. He is a graduate of St. Olaf College and the University of Michigan where he was a Rackham Predoctoral Fellow. A resident of Greenville, Kilstofte teaches music composition and theory at Furman, and is guest researcher at the University of Oslo's Center for Ibsen Studies, where he is writing an opera based on Ibsen's "Brand." An official project of the federal Save America's Treasures program, Copland House is the only composer's home in the United States devoted to nurturing and renewing America's rich musical heritage through a broad range of public, educational, musical, and electronic-media activities that embrace the entire creative process. Additional information about Copland House can be found at www.coplandhouse.org. For more information, contact the Furman News and Media Relations office at (864) 294-3107.

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