March 11, 2020 edition
Creative Connection is your exclusive member source for current creative opportunities in the arts and cultural sector. For additional happenings and news visit  lansingarts.org.
grants funding
new grant resource
Need more resources for grant opportunities? Check out the  Artwork Archives Complete Guide to 2020 Artist Grants & Opportunities.
work intern volunteer
jobs
The Old Town Commercial Association is seeking a full-time executive director who can continue the growth and revitalization of the Old Town, Lansing corridor. The executive director will help promote commercial district activities, facilitate business collaboration and growth, promote public awareness of the Main Street program and act as a liaison to other government and community organizations. Learn more.

Impression 5 Science Center is accepting applications for a full-time/temporary position. L.A.B.S. camp instructor to begin in May 2020. The camp instructor Leads and delivers our L.A.B.S. camp program and supports opportunities in the main exploration area, delivers workshops and outreaches. Learn more.

Lansing Art Gallery & Education Center announces call for teaching artists to propose creative lesson plans and teach for their 2020 educational programs!
They are seeking several teaching artists skilled in a variety of media including, but not limited to, the following: drawing, painting, mixed media, collage, ceramics, sculpture, fibers, printmaking and photography. Learn more.

Riverwalk Theatre 's Costume Shop is seeking a costume shop associate to run the shop between 4-10 hrs. per week (more during high volume seasons). Applicants must be comfortable working with the public when selecting and fitting costumes and should have costume experience, such as working at a theater, a school or a store that sells or rents costumes. Learn more.

State of Michigan is seeking a graphic designer. The position serves as the recognized resource for the employment & training area of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. The employee will handle work through all phases of production, including initial drafts, revisions and preparation of files for print. This employee will serve as a technical expert in an area of graphic art design and presentation.  Learn more.

TechSmith Corporation is looking for a creative and motivated graphic designer to join their in-house marketing team. They are looking for an enthusiastic graphic designer who can do it all! No challenge is too big and no task is too menial for this detail-oriented person. The ideal candidate has a willingness to learn new skills and is invigorated to take on graphic design tasks they may have never encountered before. Learn more.

internships
Arts Council of Greater Lansing  is seeking interns in a variety of positions for the spring and summer months! Students with advocacy, administration, general programming, public relations or graphic design experience are encouraged to submit an application.  Learn more.

volunteer
Allen Neighborhood Center is seeking volunteers for the following programs: Breadbasket, Take Root Garden Club, Senior Discovery Group, Youth Service Corps, Allen Farmers Market and Hunter Park Garden House. Learn more.

CCFF is seeking volunteers for its 10th annual festival. Positions include ticketing & pass check-in, information table, ushers, line management/crowd control, setup & tear-down and concessions. Receive a free all access pass, a CCFF t-shirt and more. Learn more.
featured calls ● CCFF & Envision
The Capital City Film Festival is seeking submissions for their 2020 Fortnight Film Contest which begins on March 19, 2020 and ends on April 2, 2020. Registration is now open.

Envision: The Michigan Artists Initiative is holding a free information session on March 21, 2020 at the Ann Arbor Art Center for Michigan artists interested in submitting work to this exciting program.
on the horizon
ArtPrize returns to Grand Rapids Sept. 16 - Oct. 4, 2020. Artist registration is April 13 to June 4, 2020. Learn more.
auditions
Williamston Theatre announces general auditions for the 2020/2021 theatre season. Calls for appointments begins March 17. Auditions take place March 30, 5-9 p.m. and March 31, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and are by appointment only. Call 517-655-7469 for info.

Ixion Theatre Ensemble announces auditions for the "rUSt Monologues." Auditions take place April 4, from 3-4:30 p.m. Performance dates are May 9-17. Monologues will be cold reads. Send an email to Learn more.

Andromeda Community Theatre announces open auditions for the musical comedy "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" on March 15, and March 17, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. at Windwalker Underground Gallery. Learn more.

calls ● conferences ● classes
calls to artists
MICA Gallery announces calls for artists for 2020. The gallery seeks proposals for upcoming solo and/or group exhibitions in any media. Original digital, 2 or 3-dimensional artwork created by artists 18 years or older will be considered. Artwork featuring social commentary, political themes, experimental techniques and innovative approaches is welcome. Exhibitions will be selected by a jury of qualified art professionals. Learn more.

Michigan State University Digital Scholarship Lab at MSU Libraries announces call to artists for their pilot fellowship . This Fellowship comes with a $1000 award from MSU Libraries and culminates in a public showing of the artistic work to coincide with the East Lansing Art Festival (May 16-17, 2020). Any artist/collective interested in working in this space is welcome to apply, such as visual artists, musicians, multimedia artists, data designers, creative coders, AR explorers, game designers, storytellers and researchers. Applications are due March 23, 2020. Learn more.

Cracked Pot Studio Tour announ  ces a call to artists for their fourth annual Cracked Pot Studio Tour which takes place Sept. 19-20, 2020. Artists must be juried and be from, or living in, Mich. Application fee is $25 and deadline for submissions is April 30, 2020. Learn more.

Lowell Arts announces a call to artists for their Fallasburg Arts Festival, featuring 110 juried fine art and fine craft booths. The festival takes place Sept. 19-20, 2020, and is in its 52nd year. More than 25,000 attendees are expected this year. Deadline for applications is April 1, 2020. Learn more.

City of Detroit and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announces a global open call for artists to paint a mural on 1,500 foot wall located behind the Jefferson Assembly Plant. The work will be done by either artists or teams of artists, but the community’s input is needed too. The selection committee will choose an artist or team by June 1, 2020, with the project expected to be completed by late October. Application deadline is March 31, 2020. Learn more.

Manifest Creative Research Gallery announces a call to artists for their Magnitude SEVEN exhibition. Every year Manifest produces an exhibit of little works of art from around the world. Magnitude SEVEN is open to everyone. The only limitation is that entries must represent original works of art that are seven inches or smaller (not including framing or presentation parts not considered part of the artwork itself). Grand cash prize of $2,500. Application deadline is March 24, 2020. Learn more.

Woman Made Gallery announces a call to women artists for Craftivism: The Art of Action. Craftivism is an art-form that fuses art, craft, and action. This broad definition creates endless opportunities for artists to innovative solutions to today’s biggest cultural, structural and societal issues. Open to women-identified and non-binary artists from the local, national and international community, Woman Made Gallery is inviting artwork in any media that focuses on the message to engage the broader community with the intend to effect change. Application deadline is April 1, 2020. Learn more.

The Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival announces a call to poets for the International Poetry Festival Anthology. Submit up to three typewritten poems in a legible font. Poems may be of any topic, any style—although visual/shape poems can be difficult due to margin limitations. Submissions accepted by email ONLY. Deadline is March 25, 2020. Learn more.

competitions
State Representative Sarah Anthony announces a call to student artists! Have your art showcased in the state representative's office. Competition theme is Love Lansing. Applicants must be Lansing students ages K-12. All submissions must be photographed and sent to Sarahanthony@house.mi.gov . For more info email Sarahanthony@house.mi.gov or call 517-373-0826.

Elissa Slotkin announces Congressional Arts Competition call to all high school students residing in Michigan's 8th Congressional District. The winning student will have his or her artwork displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Deadline for submissions is March 15, 2020. Learn more.

"Artists Magazine" announces its annual art competition. If your art is deserving of being celebrated in the pages of "Artists Magazine," this competition is for you. The magazine offers $24,000 in cash prizes plus publication in "Artists Magazine." Categories include portrait /figure; still life/interior; landscape; abstract/experimental and animal/wildlife. Early-bird deadline is April 2, 2020. Learn more.

The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum announces call for entries to their 2020 Regional Biennial Juried Sculpture Exhibition. Cash prizes will be awarded. Sculpture must be entirely original and completed within the last five years. Deadline for submissions is April 3, 2020. Learn more.

Film Pipeline announces 2020 Short Film Competition. The third Annual Film Pipeline Shorts Competition seeks remarkable directors and diverse, engaging content--the type of work defined by forward-thinking perspectives and unconventional yet universally appealing stories. Cash prizes and more. Early deadline is May 31, 2020. Learn more.

AT&T Shape announces the seventh edition of the AT&T Film Awards, offering $60,000 in cash and prizes. Maximum film length is 10 minutes. Submissions will be accepted through April 30, 2020. Learn more.

education
Arts Council Greater Lansing presents "smARTS Workshop: Incorporating Video Into Your Promotional Plan " at MICA in Old Town on March 18, from 3-5 p.m. This workshop will feature Karen Stefl of Render Studios who will discuss multimedia marketing, the world of video and tips to boost your marketing strategy. This is a free event, but please register by emailing taylor@lansingarts.org. Learn more.

SBDC Michigan presents "Marketing Mondays: Take Your Instagram Game from Blah to Bam" at the SBDC Office on March 16, 2020, from 12-1 p.m.  In this session you will learn whether Instagram is right for your business, as well as profile essentials, content development and growth strategies to elevate your Instagram presence.  Learn more .

A Rally of Writers announces their 2020 writers conference, which will feature keynote speaker, bestselling author Doug Stanton and up to 16 sessions. The event takes place on Saturday, April 4, 2020 on Lansing Community College West Campus. Online registration is now open. Learn more.

Creative Capital announces "Building Community for a Sustainable Creative Life Four-Part Online Workshop Series." Sharon Louden excels at building artistic communities as a means to circumnavigate the traditional ways to create a sustainable art practice. Louden shares her expertise in turning generosity into opportunities. This workshop is great for artists who feel isolated, or are located outside typical creative city hubs.
Begins March 16, 2020, 7:00-8:30 p.m. ET. Learn more.

additional resources
featured resource
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is a free tax service provided to households that make less than $55,000 per year. Their team of volunteers, supported by full-time staff, are IRS trained and certified and will provide you with the highest quality return possible. Learn more.
support local festivals
Don't miss out on a single festival this year! Stop by the Arts Council and pick up your free copy of the 2020 Festivals & Events Brochure. Prefer to view it online? You can download a PDF here.
send us your creative opportunities
If you are currently hiring for a part- or full-time position, offering an internship, looking for volunteers or have a competition or call to artists, please let us know. Email the Arts Council at  dawn@lansingarts.org  to list your opportunity in our next Creative Connection.
photo opp! share your creative connections
We would love to share snapshots of your creative connections with our readers! Send us great photos of you, or your organization, making connections with others in the community, and they could end up featured in our Creative Connections or Arts News Newsletter. Send photos to dawn@lansingarts.org.
visit lansingarts.org for complete arts info!