The Save Our Stages Act is now called the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program by the Small Business Administration (SBA), who will be administering the program. Please visit the link here for more info.

NIVA (National Independent Venue Association) has assembled the Implementation Task Force for a 50 state outreach and education effort as the Small Business Administration promulgates regulations for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program (SVO, aka Save Our Stages Act) included in the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses. NIVA’s Implementation Task Force’s aim is to help ensure this emergency relief is implemented as Congress intended: accurately, equitably and as expediently as possible to protect the smallest and hardest hit businesses. Questions should be directed to implementation@nivassoc.org.

Share your story with us at info@tallahasseearts.org – thank you!

In December 2020, ArtPlace America partnered with Common Future to release a new report titled “Building Community Wealth: The Role of Arts and Culture in Equitable Economic Development.” The paper serves as a field scan of Creative Placemaking that summarizes key trends in economic development and outlines several key tenets of community wealth building: democratic decision-making, collective ownership, reparations and justice, prioritizing workers’ wellbeing, non-extractive investing and sustaining valuable resources. More info here.

Updated 1/6/21 - Find a list of Venue Re-Opening guides from various organizations, including the Performing Arts Center Consortium, the Event Safety Alliance, The League of American Historic Theatre Venues, The International Association of Venue Managers, and more here.

Randy Brienen shared a photo with us for our social media campaign called "A Shot in the Arm for the Arts!"

Keep up the good work wearing your masks, following social distancing protocols, and help the arts get back in business by getting your shot when you are able to do so. If you have gotten your COVID shot and want to share a photo with COCA, email it to info@tallahasseearts.org and tell us why you are getting your shot.

For more information on getting vaccinated, please contact the Florida Department of Health in Leon County or visit: http://leon.floridahealth.gov/.

The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established by The Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act, signed into law on December 27, 2020. The program includes $15 billion in grants to shuttered venues, to be administered by the Small Business Administration’s Office of Disaster Assistance. Eligible applicants may qualify for SVO Grants equal to 45% of their gross earned revenue, with the maximum amount available for a single grant award of $10 million. $2 billion is reserved for eligible applications with up to 50 full-time employees.

More info here.

Grants for Arts Projects – Deadline: February 11 and July 8, 2021.

Challenge America – Guidelines and dates TBA

Our Town – Guidelines and dates TBA

Creative Writing Fellowships – Deadline: March 10, 2021.

More info here.

General Program Support - Application Available: April 1; Next Deadline: June 1

Specific Cultural Projects - Application Available: April 1; Next Deadline: June 1

Fast Track Project - Next Deadline: March 1

Cultural Facilities - Application Available: April 1; Next Deadline: June 1

More info here.

In collaboration with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Intercultural Leadership Institute partners, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture’s 2021 Actos de Confianza relief effort will expand to support Latinx artists and arts organizations who have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. NALAC will distribute $2,500 grants to Latinx artists and cultural workers and $5,000 grants to Latinx arts organizations facing critical financial emergencies. More info here.

Innovate Grant is now accepting submissions for the Winter 2021 Cycle. Innovate Grant awards (2) $550.00 grants each quarter to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition to receiving a grant award, winners will be featured and recognized on their website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. More info here.

Tallahassee Community College is seeking candidates for the position of Dean of Communication and Humanities. The Dean will report directly to the Vice President of Academic Affairs & Provost. The Dean is housed on main campus and works in collaboration with the Provost, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Associate Dean and Program Chairs to plan, research, build, implement & sustain new and existing programs. More info here.

The Alliance of Artists Communities (AAC) is an international nonprofit association based in Providence, RI, that provides services to more than 400 organizational and individual members working in the field of artist residencies. There are two open admin positions at the Alliance of Artists Communities – Organization Administrator and Assistant to the Executive Director. Both positions are remote and part-time with the opportunity to advance. More info here.

Arts for Life! annually awards $1,000 scholarships to 25 graduating high school seniors in Florida who demonstrate excellence in one of the following art forms: Creative Writing, Dance, Drama, Music, and Visual Art. Students must submit a completed application, a brief essay explaining how the arts have positively influenced their life and a portfolio of work in creative writing, dance, drama, music, or visual art. More info here.

The Arts & Culture in Public Life Symposium is hosted by the Arts & Culture in Public Life Caucus, a student organization of Harvard Kennedy School. The event will bring together high profile art leaders and policy makers to discuss the potential of the arts to create meaningful change in the world. More info here.

MAP is designed for small and mid-sized museums of all types. Now in its fortieth year, the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) has helped nearly one-quarter of US museums create an institutional roadmap and strategic plan, planning that is critical to the recovery and resilience of your museum. More info here.

New to the grant writing process? This 2-day, virtual workshop from TCC Online Training & Professional Development provides an overview of the grant-writing process from start to finish. Learn best practices for researching and responding to grant opportunities. Participants will get hands-on experience developing solid grant proposals and reviewing examples of winning and losing proposals. More info here.

With vaccines now becoming available and an end to pandemic restrictions on the horizon, the Peabody Institute will convene arts industry leaders to explore the path forward for artists and organizations and the long-term, post-COVID landscape for the performing arts. Join them for a free virtual symposium featuring leaders in the performing arts industry discussing the impact of the pandemic and the long-term implications and opportunities for artists and organizations on February 10, 2021. More info here.

Please join the Performing Arts Readiness (PAR) project for the following free emergency preparedness webinars that are tailored to the needs of performing arts organizations. More info here.

Health and Safety in the Performing Arts Date & Time: February 9, 2021 at 2:00pm ET

Date & Time: February 16, 2021 at 2:00pm ET

Date & Time: March 3, 2021 at 2:00pm ET

Date & Time: March 9, 2021 at 3:00pm ET

Date & Time: March 11, 2021 at 2:00pm ET

Date & Time: March 16, 2021 at 2:00pm ET

Date & Time: March 18, 2021 at 2:00pm ET

Date & Time: March 25, 2021 at 1:30pm ET

The Leon County Division of Tourism (Visit Tallahassee) is the official tourism marketing organization for Tallahassee and Leon County Florida, promoting tourism to the area through direct sales, advertising, public relations, sports, film, product development and visitor services. A partnership with Visit Tallahassee offers you opportunities for promoting your business or event in one of Southern Living’s Top 10 Cities in the South. Building strong relationships within the community helps Visit Tallahassee to achieve their mission – to enhance the region’s economic growth and quality of life by collaboratively inspiring the vitality of Tallahassee’s visitor economy. More info here.

If you're planning any type of event, be sure to post it on the Tallahassee Arts Guide - COCA's official interactive web calendar for arts and culture. 

"Behind the Scenes with COCA" photo albums showcase artists at work in their studios. We love to see the creative process and learn more about how our artists of all genres make their artistic magic happen. Enjoy these social media albums below, and submit your own album here.

View artist studio "Behind the Scenes with COCA" albums here.

COCA has created several RESOURCE GUIDES that aggregate ongoing and similar listings by subject. These can also be found on the sidebar of the COCA Classifieds webpage.

Capable wind, brass, and percussion players are invited to play with Capital City Band of Tallahassee Community College. They currently rehearse via Zoom on Mondays from 7:30 – 9 PM. Contact TCC Director of Bands, Lisa M. Foltz at FoltzL@tcc.fl.edu for more information. Members must be able to read music and must be committed to attending rehearsals. More info here.

Tallahassee Community College Jazz Band is seeking additional capable instrumentalists to join them. They currently rehearse via Zoom on Wednesdays from 7:30 – 9 PM. Members must be able to read music and must be committed to attending rehearsals. More info here.

Singer registration for Spring 2021 is now live. Tallahassee Community Chorus has planned a full schedule of virtual activities planned for this Spring. There will be musicianship classes and presentations, testimonials by current singers, break-out sessions for socializing and sectionals, and of course, more singing of favorite choral standards. Virtual rehearsals over Zoom will resume on Monday, January 25th from 7:30-8:30 PM and run weekly each Monday through March 29th, 2021. More info here.

Artists working in the design, construction and installation of outdoor sculpture are invited to submit an application for the third biennial Rosemary Beach Sculpture Exhibition, opening on May 31, 2021 and closing on May 30, 2022.. More info here.

LeMoyne Arts is looking for local and regional voices speaking out on civil rights. Every media welcome. Pieces must be display ready. Up to 4 submissions for consideration. More info here.

Blackbox Gallery in Portland, OR is seeking photography submissions for their Visions: Shadow and Light show. They will be looking for a range of how shadow and light are interpreted by contemporary photographers. More info here.

Creative Tallahassee, presented by the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA), is an annual, fine art exhibition showcasing talented artists of the Big Bend area. Artwork must be original, current and not previously shown in a COCA exhibition. All media, 2D or 3D, is accepted including fine art, craft and photography, but excluding video and performance art. This exhibition will be on display in the main City Hall Art Gallery. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this exhibit will also be presented in COCA’s online, digital gallery. More info here.

Tallahassee Zine Fest is going virtual. This year they are holding their fest in three parts - a zine exchange, a livestream, and digital zines - all free to participate in or attend. More info here.

Black Box Gallery is excited to announce an open themed juried group photo show. Show them your favorite photographic shots. Open to all themes and ideas, all styles and genres, all perspectives on crafsmanship and photographic creativity. More info here.

The Packard Group National Exhibition will provide artists the opportunity to display their art in a virtual exhibition at No. 7 Center in Vermillion, SD. Any artist in the United States can submit artwork, and the entry fee has been waived this year. More info here.

Sunspot Lit is launching Geminga: $500 for Tiny Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or Art to honor the power of the small. No restrictions on theme or category. Word limit is 100 for fiction and nonfiction. Micropoetry is limited to 140 characters. Visual art entries should be paintings, drawings, or sketches no larger than 25 inches square. Sculptural forms should be no larger than 25 inches in any dimension. Entry fee is $6, and the prize is $500 and publication for the winner. More info here.

Click here to submit information for the weekly COCA Classifieds email. Deadline for submission is 5:00 pm on the Wednesday of each week. COCA reserves the right to include or exclude any listing at its discretion and to determine the content and placement of all listings. Items will be listed for a maximum of two editions.

COCA does not endorse any artists, organizations, or programs listed herein, nor imply stature through their inclusion in this newsletter. While we have made every effort to ensure that this information is correct, we cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information.