Professional Artists' Fund

History & Administration of the Fund

A group of professional artists and arts supporters in the Saint John region joined forces some years ago to organize a number of highly successful fundraising events: Art in the City Studio Tour (2003) Art and Artifacts (2005) and Whodunit? (2007). The proceeds from these events have gone to establish the Greater Saint John Professional Visual Artists’ Fund which is managed through the Greater Saint John Community Foundation.

Since 2014, the New Brunswick Museum and the Saint John Arts Centre have managed the annual application process and the awarding of the grant.
A three person jury will review all applications.

Purpose of the Fund

The goal was to bring this fund to a point where at least one annual grant of $1000 could be drawn from the interest and awarded to a professional visual artist who needs financial assistance to pursue aspects of their careers (for example: studio rental, exhibit costs, art materials, research travel, etc.)

Unlike other arts grants, there is no final report.

Benefits of the Fund

In addition to a monetary award of $1000, in recognition of their achievement and within 12 months of the award, there may be a small exhibition space made available to the recipient(s), on alternating years between the New Brunswick Museum and the Saint John Arts Centre. (The work exhibited could be from any point in their career and would not need to be created from this grant)

Application Deadlines

• Applications are being accepted as of 10 March 2017
• Deadline for applications by mail or e-mail is: 7 April 2017
• Grant to be awarded: 2 May 2017

Eligibility Criteria

Artists applying for this grant:

• Must meet the criteria of being a professional artist as defined by artsnb. (Please see Appendix 2 for definition.)
• Must reside within the following geographic boundaries: Grand Bay-Westfield, City of Saint John, Rothesay, Quispamsis, Hampton and the Kingston Peninsula
• Or, as a professional artist, have contributed to one of the three fundraising events previously mentioned.

Submission Criteria

All submissions must include:

• A completed application form (please see Appendix 1)
• Description of how the award will be used (250 words or less)
• Artist’s CV

Submit Applications to:

All submissions can be sent by regular mail to:

Greater Saint John Professional Visual Artists Fund
c/o New Brunswick Museum
277 Douglas Avenue
Saint John, NB
E2K 1E5

Or by email to:

NBM-MNB@nbm-mnb.ca with the SUBJECT line:

Greater Saint John Professional Visual Artists Fund Applications

Questions about Applications

If you have any questions please contact:

Peter J. Larocque
Curator of New Brunswick Cultural History and Art
New Brunswick Museum
Peter.Larocque@nbm-mnb.ca or (506) 643-2327

Appendix 1: Application Form

Applicant Contact Information

Artist name:
Address:
Email :
Phone 1: Phone 2:

In 250 words or less, please indicate how you would use the Greater Saint John Professional Visual Artists Fund Award (i.e. studio rental, art supplies, catalogue production, exhibition documentation, framing, travel, research, etc.)

Please include your artist’s CV (digital or hard copy)
Please submit all applications no later than 7 April 2017 to:

Greater Saint John Professional Visual Artists Fund
c/o New Brunswick Museum
277 Douglas Avenue
Saint John, NB
E2K 1E5

Or by email to:

NBM-MNB@nbm-mnb.ca with the SUBJECT line: Professional Visual Artists Fund Applications

A three person jury will review all applications to determine the recipient.

Appendix 2: Professional Visual Artist Criteria

Definition of a Professional Artist

For the purposes of this grant, only those criteria applicable to visual artists are considered.

A Professional Artist:

Is an individual who has specialized training in an artistic discipline (not necessarily in academic institutions), and who is recognized as such by her or his peers (artists working in the same artistic discipline), who is committed to devoting more time to the artistic activity if financially feasible, and who has a history of public presentation in a professional context.
Practices an art and offers services in exchange for remuneration as a creator, as a performer, or as a director in one or more of the following arts disciplines: theatre, dance, music, visual arts, literary arts, craft, or media arts.

To qualify as a Professional Artist, check 3 of the following criteria, including ONE of those set out in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, or 4:

The artist receives or has received remuneration for works, notably in the form of sales, royalties, commissions, fees, residuals, grants, or awards that can reasonably be considered an integral part of the income that the artist earns from his/her professional activity;
The artist has made earnings or suffered losses resulting from the exploitation of his/her works and corresponding to the whole of his/her artistic career;
The artist has received tokens of professional recognition from the public or peers, notably honourable mentions, awards, bursaries, or critical attention in the media for his/her work;
The artist has earned a degree, diploma or certificate in fine arts or creative writing from a recognized institution;
The artist has presented works to the public through exhibitions, performing arts activities, publications in book form or in periodicals, invited readings, production and/or broadcast of creative scripts by theatre, radio, or television, showings, or any other means corresponding to the nature of the works;
The artist is represented by an art dealer, a publisher, an agent, or other similar representative, depending on the nature of his/her activity;
The artist has signed a service contract with a producer;
The artist devotes a reasonable percentage of his/her professional activity to promoting and marketing works, attending auditions, seeking patrons or agents, submitting work to publishers, magazines, theatres, radio, and television, and other similar efforts, depending on the nature of his/her activities.