CATSKILL- CREATE Council On The Arts is pleased to announce the debut of its Creative Catalyst Grant program for emerging artists in Columbia County. The initiative, sponsored by the Columbia County government, will award nine individual artists chosen by lottery the opportunity to receive $1,000 each to create an experience for new work to be shared with the community.
“These grants aim to provide a different, low barrier way to access funding for artists in Columbia County who supplement their creative pursuits with additional employment,” explained Stella Yoon, the Executive Director of CREATE. “Frequently, innovation and new projects are self-financed, and delayed due to the need for fundraising or prioritizing cost of living expenses.”
Lottery-Based Selection: Utilizing a lottery system to choose grant recipients eliminates the need for traditional judging panels and expediting the process to fund artists.
Inclusive Review: Prioritize inclusivity by not dismissing applicants based on writing skills, focusing instead on ensuring all applications meet requirements.
Income Limit: Creating an opportunity open only to applicants within a specific income range to maximize impact of the grants.
Space for Exploration: Allowing artists the autonomy to pursue their chosen projects.
To be eligible to enter the Creative Catalyst Grant lottery, applicants must be a Columbia County resident, provide proof of their artistic activity and personal income (at or below 80 percent of median household income for Columbia County) as well as a letter of reference from an organization active in the local arts community. The grant must also result in the sponsored work being publicly visible in some form. Groups, collectives and students are not eligible for this program.
The window to apply for entry is October 15 to November 15, 2023. The awards will be issued in December and announced on December 1, 2023. A grant ceremony will be held on Wednesday, December 6, 2023. To apply visit: createcouncil.org/columbia-
