O. Gail Poole Award
DEADLINE: 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 31, 2021
**DEADLINE EXTENDED**
APPLY HERE
Nicole Poole, in remembrance of her father, Oklahoma artist O. Gail Poole, established the O. Gail Poole Artist Travel fund in 2014. Administered by the Norman Arts Council, this fund was designed to benefit artists of demonstrated merit and ability, providing the opportunity and freedom of travel, which Poole so adored. Since 2014, Oklahoma artists Marwin Begaye, Douglas Shaw Elder, Sarah Engel-Barnett, Skip Hill, Debby Kaspari, Mayumi Kiefer, Solomon Mahlatini, Beatriz Mayorca, Eric Piper, Liz Roth, Craig Swan and Holly Wilson have been able to travel to conferences, retreats and journeys of inspiration across the world because of awards from the fund, spreading Oklahoma’s creativity to others in the process.
COVID Update
This is the final year for awards from this fund and, as the future of travel remains uncertain, the NAC and Nicole Poole have altered the awards for:
· Artists identifying with an ethnic, cultural, sexual, gender, economic, or ability minority
AND TO:
· create projects in any artistic discipline in Oklahoma’s underserved or marginalized communities
AWARDS: Four Projects at $1,000 each
2 Norman Artist Awards - $1,000 each awarded to two artists living in Norman, OK
2 Oklahoma Artist Awards - $1,000 each awarded to two artists living anywhere in Oklahoma
Selected projects will be featured by the Norman Arts Council as part of 2nd Friday programming at a date TBD.
Recipient will be required to sign an agreement that the award will be used strictly for the purposes outlined in the Project Narrative.
Selection Criteria
Applications for the award will be reviewed by a selection committee of the Norman Arts Council according to the policies of the NAC and considering the following criteria:
1. Artistic excellence, originality and ability to produce a project as evidenced by representation of past work in images and other supporting materials.
2. Thoughtful proposed use of funds.
3. Ability to meet deadlines, budgets and other professional expectations to timely deliver a thoughtful project
ELIGIBILITY
All artists must:
1. Have resided in Norman, OK for at least the past 12 months.
OR
2. Have resided in Oklahoma for at least the past 12 months.
3. Identify as an artist of a minority population
4. Submit a completed application by May 31, 2021 via this website
5. Be over the age of 18.
SUBMISSION:
Submissions must be submitted electronically via this form. Paper submissions will not be accepted. Application must include:
1. Electronic Application
2. Artist Bio – This should include a statement of your minority identity/or cultural heritage and how this has influenced your artistic practice
3. CV - Emphasize your past exhibition and project experience
4. Project Narrative– Including:
a. a description of the community the project serves (a community may be a geographic area or demographic of people)
b. why you selected this community
c. how the community will benefit from the project and how you will involve the community in the project’s implementation
5. Project Budget – Please be as detailed as possible noting the use of the Poole Award funds along with any other funds the project will require. The budget must include:
a. Expenses - itemized and with notes if necessary
b. Income – include the Poole award along with details of any other funds and their sources.
c. Matching funds are not required
d. “In kind” donations should also be noted as off-setting income
e. List of materials needed for the project – please indicate if you need assistance in sourcing any materials – we may be able to help!
6. Project rendering – this can take the form of a sketch, rendering, audio or visual clip, or any other support that helps to illustrate the project description
7. Work Samples - Include a minimum of FIVE (5) and a maximum of TEN (10) recent (between 1-5 years) samples of your work, that represent your past work and your ability to be successful in the project you are proposing. Samples maybe be images, audio files, video files, or presentation files
8. Work Sample ID Sheet - Include Title, year, medium, and brief description of the project for each image.
9. Additional Support Materials - You may include additional materials that you feel will help support your application, including letters of recommendation.
For questions, please reach out to the Norman Arts Council at erinn@normanarts.org at least 24 hours prior to the application deadline.
The Norman Arts Council reserves the right to withhold any awards based on the lack of qualified proposals.