shadow art fair grants

A few months ago, I posted something here about how the Shadow Art Fair had turned down the opportunity to take money from the magazines “Make” and “Craft”. We didn’t think it was necessarily in the best interest of the fair, and we didn’t know how we’d spend their sponsorship money had we gotten it. So, we turned them down. Since then, however, we’ve been thinking about money and what we’d do with it, if we had another opportunity – one which we didn’t think would compromise the spirit of the fair.

We haven’t had an official vote on it yet, but our friend Melissa just suggested a pretty cool idea. She wants for us to take applications through the Shadow Art Fair website for micro-grants that could fund community arts projects. I suppose they could be for almost anything, but our preference, I think, would be for things involving kids in Ypsi. Say, for instance, if a local group like the Dreamland Theater wanted $150 for materials so that they could hold a puppet-making workshop for kids at the downtown library. Or, what if someone in the community just had a great idea, like putting together a lot of holiday art supply boxes and distributing them through local churches, not-for-profits, etc. Grants could be anywhere from $20 to $250. All that we’d ask for is a written report that we could post to the SAF site, showing that something good had come from the funding.

Sounds cool, right?

Well, assuming all the Shadow Art Fair organizers are in agreement, we might be able to get something off the ground as soon as December 1, when the next SAF is held. Assuming everything comes together, we should have money from two sources. First — and I don’t think I ever mentioned it here — there’s going to be an entry free for this year’s fair. We’re asking everyone to pay a nickel. (I love the idea of being able to do anything for $.05. I think paying five cents for something is better than getting to do it for free. I don’t know if others will agree, but we’ve decided to give it a shot this time around.) And, second, a few local brewers have volunteered to make a special beer for the SAF. From what I’m told, it’s going to have chocolate and coffee in it, and it’s going to be as strong as hell. I think they’re calling it Shadow Brew. And, one dollar from every sale will go to the Shadow Art Fair. So, assuming everything comes together, I think we might be able to raise $250 by the end of the night. We can do that if we sell 200 beers and get 1,000 people contributing a nickel each.

Speaking of the Shadow Art Fair, it’s going to be held from noon to midnight on Saturday, December 1, at the Corner Brewery. If you want to help spread the word, there are printable flyers and web banners available online. Please put a link up on your site, take some flyers to work, or do something. We’ve got about 50 great artists this time doing everything from pinhole photography and zines to dolls and indie greeting cards, and they’d love to see lots of people… It’s going to be great.

Oh, and all ages are welcome.

So, start looking for that nickel.

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5 Comments

  1. amused1
    Posted November 11, 2007 at 9:36 pm | Permalink

    Overall I like the idea. I’d love to see the moneies used for afterschool art programs or intergenerational art programs in the community.

    Personally, I’m pretty gun shy when it comes to public art installations. I think about that “flapping book” sculpture near Blimpy Burger in A2, or “the cube” and cringe. Gimme public art that is functional and classic and I’m good to go.

  2. mark
    Posted November 11, 2007 at 10:00 pm | Permalink

    Yeah, we weren’t really thinking about anything permanent. Maybe a fake plaque or two, but not big murals, statues, etc.

    I do, however, hope to one day create a statue of Iggy Pop for Riverside Park.

  3. Ol' E Cross
    Posted November 11, 2007 at 11:52 pm | Permalink

    Okay. I like the idea of distributing art materials to local kids. Art Attack in Ypsi has a decent kids’ art pantry. It’d be doubly sweet if they, or some other local shop, could be called upon to supply kid stuff for the project at a reasonable discount.

  4. mark
    Posted November 12, 2007 at 12:16 pm | Permalink

    Absolutely, OEC.

    If you have any other ideas as to possible projects, leave a comment?

  5. Posted November 13, 2007 at 7:20 pm | Permalink

    Mark, reading your blog is so refreshing. All bloggers in my neighborhood write about is new condo developments and whose has shoddier construction. Oh, and nannies and dog-walkers.

    I miss Michigan… maybe I’ll move to Ypsi if I ever move back (I always said it’d be Detroit)… such good community you guys have going.

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