Unfortunately, the SBA missed its (June 9) deadline to complete processing of the Priority 1 applications. To date, it has processed just 90 awards out of 14,000 applications. The SBA blames the problem on technical issues. The vast majority of Priority One applications are mistakenly being blocked because of a common name match on a federal Do Not Pay list, a Death Master list, or they (applicants) just need to correct and resubmit the specific Tax Form 4506-T with “SVOG” pre-written on the top of the form.
There is still hope, and a new plan to address the issues. The SBA is moving the SVOG program out of the Office of Disaster Assistance and into the Office of Capital Access, which ran the highly successful $800 billion PPP program that concluded on May 31st. Additionally, SBA is integrating experts from the efficiently executed Restaurant Revitalization Fund to work on SVOG, along with other interagency reviewers. For more details and the latest updates on the program, you can visit the SBA's website here.
$40,000Jazz Road Creative Residencies Grants Now Available
South Arts is now accepting applications for Jazz Road Creative Residencies. Artists from anywhere in the U.S. are eligible for grants of up to $40,000 for 1-to 3-week projects that significantly enhance their creative journey. How projects define "residency" is flexible and might include a focus on creating work, engagement with communities, or a mixture of both. Projects may include the work of a single artist or be a collaboration with other artists or organizations.
Find out more on the Jazz Road website and submit your application by July 1, 2021.
Have questions or want to set up a time to discuss your application? Contact Jess Porter, Program Officer for Jazz and Folk & Traditional Arts at jess@midatlanticarts.org.
Blue Star Museums Nationwide Offer Free Admission to Military Families
The National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families are pleased to announce the return of the Blue Star Museums program for summer 2021. Museums in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands are registered as Blue Star Museums, with more museums signing up to participate throughout the summer.
The NEA in partnership with Arts Midwest, on June 9, announced 61 grants, including one to Amherst Glebe Arts Response, Inc (AGAR, Amherst), to support NEA Big Read projects in 2021-2022. These grants, managed by Arts Midwest, will support dynamic community reading programs designed to encourage conversation and discovery, all inspired by a book from the NEA Big Read library. AGAR's grant will support the community's reading of and engagement activities with Joy Harjo's An American Sunrise.
Congratulations to the staff of AGAR, and to the Amherst community!
Info to Apply for Our Town Grants
Our Town is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grants program. These grants support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes.
Our Town grant guidelines are now available here, with a deadline of August 5, 2021. There is an increased focus in the guidelines on systems change.
The Arts Endowment is hosting a webinar on June 15, here.
The 90 minute webinar will cover the “how to apply mechanics,” trends from the past year, and helpful resources for the various grant application sections (examples of strong community engagement, local government partnerships, artist selection processes, etc.).
Photo: "Cribs" by Brenda Baker was a featured stop on the 2012 Farm/Art DTour as part of Fermentation Fest. Photo courtesy of Wormfarm Institute
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