Susan Beech Mid-Career Grant 2016

The Susan Beech Mid-Career Artist Grant is open to makers between the ages of 35 and 55 at the time of the proposal deadline. Artists submitting proposals must have an active and ongoing exhibition record and not be enrolled in a professional training program.

The proposed project should be about jewelry, loosely defined. There must be a specific outcome to the project, and it must be completed within a two-year time frame. Examples could include (but are not limited to) creation of a new body of work; a book, catalog, or other publication; research and development (including travel study); or performance art involving jewelry. A proposed budget must be included as part of the proposal.

The grant recipient will receive a cash grant of $20,000, to be paid over the two years in which the project will be implemented.


Jury:
The jury of distinguished professionals for this inaugural grant cycle will be: grant founder and collector Susan Beech (United States); internationally recognized maker and academic Iris Eichenberg (Germany/United States); and the Sara and Bill Morgan Curator of Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Cindi Strauss (United States).

Purpose:
- To recognize a mid-career artist with a substantial practice who has made a significant contribution to the field.
- To provide the resources for the development and implementation of a significant jewelry-related project that the artist would not otherwise have the means to undertake.

Grant:
- A restricted cash grant of $20,000 to be paid over two years ($15,000 at the beginning of the project and $5,000 at the completion of the project).
- All monies must be used for the implementation of the project.
- Artist will be responsible for taxes and payments to sub-contractors.
- Artist must provide documentation showing how grant monies are spent.
- Please note: the funds can not be used to pay for previously incurred expenses.
- 35–55 years of age at time of application.
- Active and ongoing exhibition record.
- Not currently enrolled in a professional training program; furthermore, the work submitted for the grant must have been unsupervised.
- Professional staff and board members of AJF are not eligible to apply.-2016-2016

Conditions

- The proposed project must be about jewelry, loosely defined as: worn on the body or enhances the body in some way, may utilize jewelry forms and/or history, all manner of materials considered.
- There must be a specific and concrete outcome to the project, and the proposed project must be completed within a two-year time frame.
 - Examples of projects could include (but are not limited to): Creation of a new body of work, A book, catalog, or other publication, Research and development, including travel study, Performance art involving jewelry.


Requested documentation for the application:

• Artist bio (One-page artist biography).
• Project proposal (Two-page description outlining the project and how the grant will help support your work and career, and how it would enhance the field).
• Proposal budget (One-page budget detailing how the monies would be used to implement the project, including materials, estimates from outside vendors, travel costs, and other expenses).
• Project proposal portfolio.
• 5 images that support/define/clarify the project proposal.
• Examples of images could be storyboard-style images to clarify the proposal, images that inspired the project, images of past work that support the new project proposal, etc.
• Each image must include a detailed caption that provides information about the image.  Information could include: title of piece, year produced, dimensions, materials, photo credit (if a piece of jewelry); or an explanation of how the image supports or clarifies the proposal, including a photo credit.
• All images submitted should be available in high-resolution (300 dpi or higher TIFF file) and available to AJF for use in print media and/or on its website.
• Applications must be received by 12:00 am MST, Monday, January 16, 2017.
• Incomplete and late entries will not be accepted.
• Incomplete applications, including a file that is not a 9-page .pdf file, will not be accepted.

The following information must be included in the on-line application form:

• Date of birth (applicants less than 35 years or greater than 55 at time of application deadline are not eligible)
• Contact information, including name, email, and phone number, Website (if applicable)
• A single .pdf file should be uploaded that includes the following: one (1) page artist biography, two (2) page project proposal, one (1) page project budget, five (5) images, including detailed captions, that visually represent your project proposal. Each image should be on a single page.
• The total number of pages for your .pdf should be nine (9) pages. 
• Your file should be named lastname_firstname.pdf.