Eternal Celebration of the Black Experience: Here, Now, Forever

We seek artworks that capture the timeless essence of the Black experience, highlighting themes of transcendence, eternal celebration, and the enduring spirit that goes beyond immediate challenges. We encourage artists to explore the profound and everlasting aspects of Black culture, history, and identity, focusing on joy, resilience, and the indomitable spirit that persists through generations and into the future.

Reflect on how the Black experience, like a mighty tree, is firmly rooted in rich heritage and gives us the strength to continually reach toward the infinite.

The Cary Saurage Community Arts Center (CSCAC) offers gallery space (“Shell Gallery”) for the exhibition of artwork and the installation of art pieces—all exhibits are free and open to the public. 

Exhibitions at the CSCAC aim to advance the mission of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge by enriching the intellectual and creative lives of the greater Baton Rouge public. Exhibitions create a forum for critical inquiry-- promoting visual thinking and advancing knowledge of the arts across the capital region. Please understand that our exhibitions are planned 12-18 months in advance-- upon your application submission, please be aware that there most likely will be an extended period of time before your proposed exhibition might be executed.

Any artist who proposes an exhibition in the Shell Gallery must adhere to the guiding principles below-- failure to do so will result in your application being denied.

Guiding Principles:

Artistic Excellence – Exhibitions in the Shell Gallery are comprised of significant works of art that demonstrate a high level of aesthetic quality. Artistic excellence, artistic significance, and artistic merit are the primary criteria guiding the selection and evaluation of the CSCAC’s exhibitions.

Audience—Exhibitions in the Shell Gallery focus on clearly defined audiences. Each exhibition takes into consideration the strategic goals of the Arts Council and is informed by research documenting the needs and interests of our parishes served.

Community Engagement—Exhibitions in the Shell Gallery strive to engage the greater capital region with the services and amenities offered by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge. Exhibitions in the Shell Gallery foster community collaborations whenever possible. Exhibitions with The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge includes a commitment to exhibit and interpret the work of both established and upcoming artists living and/or working in the greater Baton Rouge area.

Design—Each exhibition in the Shell Gallery integrates high-quality exhibition design that is visually pleasing, effectively communicates the exhibition’s message, and that facilitates meaningful aesthetic experiences for all Gallery visitors.

Learning—The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge strives to offer some type of educational publication or programming (gallery guide, catalogue, workshop, etc.) with exhibitions. 

Planning—Exhibitions in the Shell Gallery are planned twelve (12) to eighteen (18) months in advance. However, the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge builds flexibility into its schedule so that it may be flexible and responsive to contemporary concerns and/or unforeseen opportunities.

Evaluation—Each exhibition is informed by clearly articulated curatorial goals and learning outcomes. Those goals and outcomes are measured with appropriate evaluation protocols. 

Social Concerns & Balance—The CSCAC presents a balanced portfolio of exhibitions, demonstrating diversity in artists represented (local, regional, national, gender, ethnicity, contemporary, historic) and types of exhibitions (traveling, juried, Museum/Gallery-originated, collection-based, etc.) The Shell Gallery’s exhibition portfolio includes exhibitions relating to contemporary, local, regional, national, and international social concerns.

I look forward to reviewing any and all exhibition proposals!

The Baton Rouge Arts Market (Arts Market) is an open-air market and cultural event held on the first Saturday of each month (some exceptions apply) and the first 3 Saturdays in December.  The Market is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and located at 5th and Main Streets in downtown Baton Rouge.  The Baton Rouge Arts Market is a program of the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge and is held in conjunction with the weekly Red Stick Farmers Market.

Objectives

• To provide entrepreneurial opportunities to artists
• To encourage economic development
• To create a sense of community by allowing artists to sell directly to the public
• To encourage the production of high-quality, handmade objects of art/craft

Eligibility

• The Arts Market is a producer-only event (artists must create what they sell). Eligible items include, but are not limited to: jewelry, painting, pottery, quilts, stained and blown glass, heritage crafts, photography, woodwork, sculpture, and mixed media.
•  Offset printing, to include reproductions such as giclee, digital reproductions, postcards, calendars, and posters of the Artist Vendor’s originals must comprise 30% or less of the artwork in the booth and must be clearly identified as such.
• Photography must be from original negatives or original digital images and produced or supervised by the photographer. The photographs must be archival quality.
•  Printed works must be produced from hand manipulated screens, plates, or stones by the Artist Vendor.
• Two artists may apply together only if both artists collectively produce the artwork. Include a clear description of each artist’s involvement.
• Ineligible items include: Arts/crafts made from store-bought kits or molds, manufactured items that have been assembled, work of other artists/craftsmen. At this time the Baton Rouge Arts Market does not accept applications for food or spices.
• One application per medium. You can submit up to 3 applications. 

Artist Vendor Responsibilities

• Respond to monthly confirmation emails to reserve and pay for a booth space. If you do not reserve in advance, you are not guaranteed a space at the market. Any Artist Vendor arriving at the Arts Market without a reservation may be turned away.  
•  Should circumstances arise that interfere with your ability to attend the market, you are required to contact the market manager to give notice of your absence so that necessary changes may be made to the market map.
•  Communicate directly with the market director if you experience any complications with the Arts Market.
•  Artist Vendors who prefer to share a booth with another Artist Vendor may request it with the Arts Market manager. Each Artist Vendor must still pay the $30.00 booth fee.
•  Artist Vendors must comply with all Federal, State, and Local laws and ordinances. It is the Artist Vendor’s responsibility to be aware of such laws and ordinances. The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge shall have the authority to warn, suspend, or expel an Artist Vendor based on unlawful activity or violation of the Artist Vendor Agreement.
• Artist Vendors will operate as individual entities and will be responsible for collecting their own city and state sales taxes.
•  Artist Vendors may not sell work that was not submitted and juried into the Arts Market, work that belongs to another artist, or commercially manufactured/retail items.
• Any Artist Vendor perceived as exhibiting rude behavior and/or creating a hostile environment will be required to leave the market and forfeit their membership in the Arts Market program.
• Custom orders or commissions are the sole responsibility of the Artist Vendor.
• Artist Vendors are required to participate at least three (3) times per calendar year. Consistent inactivity in the Arts Market may result in removal from the program. The artist may reapply through the jury process.
• New Items/Mediums: A substantial change in items or medium requires re-application to the Arts Market before new items may be sold. In order to ensure quality, integrity, and the proper mix of artistic mediums, artists are only permitted to sell those items that the jury has approved. 

Arts Market Guidelines and Procedures

• Artist Vendors must enter the St. Joseph Cathedral parking lot from North Street and exit at Main Street.
• Set up may begin at 6:00am on the day of the Market. Artist Vendors may set up in assigned locations only.
• During load-in, Artist Vendors must unpack vehicle completely and park the vehicle off site before booth set up begins. All vehicles must be off the lot by 7:30am.
•  Booths and displays must be completely ready for patronage by 8:00am.
• Artist Vendors will provide their own white 10’ x 10’ tent, and all necessary display materials to properly showcase their work.
•  Artist Vendors will remain open to the public for the duration of the Arts Market, and promptly begin taking down and packing all art and display materials at noon.
•  Breakdown and pack all items before bringing your vehicle onto the lot to load it.
•  Artist Vendors are responsible for disposing all trash in their area.
• The following items are prohibited: amplified music, megaphones, pets (except assistance dogs), firearms, alcoholic beverages.
• Booth assignments are first come first serve, and chosen by the Artist Vendor at the time of purchase. Requests are accepted, but there is no guarantee that the space will be available.
• The jury may reevaluate accepted artwork as they attend the Arts Market or on recommendation by Arts Council Staff. Reevaluation may be based on observations made at the Arts Market. The reevaluation process further requires adherence by Arts Market artists to the minimum participation rule. ALL Market Vendors will be required to re-jury every 3 years.
• The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge reserves the right to alter the guidelines of the Arts Market at any time.

Application and Jury Process

Complete the online application process.  Accepted applications will be reviewed every second week of the month.

You will be instructed to upload the following materials during this process:

• 5 (five) Images of work, and 1 (one) image of your booth as it will be presented at a festival; for a total of 6 (six) images. - Images should be JPGs of high quality, but not to exceed 150 dpi. Each image must be labeled in the following format: Lastname_Firstname_Title_number To rename a file, right or control click on the title choose "Rename" from the menu that appears.
• (example) Loveland_William_Title_01.jpg 
• Artist Process description - Describe the process involved in creating your artwork, including what materials are used, how much of your artwork is handmade, what parts are manufactured. Please be specific. You may include links to process videos in your descriptions. (One page limit)
• Artist Resume - Should include training, education, awards, and employment specific to your work as an artist. Include your website and social media links. (One page limit)
• Application Fee of $10 
• The Arts Market jury meets month to review and evaluate artist applications. The jury bases its decisions on the best interests of the Arts Market in accordance with the guidelines. Jurors may exclude artists or makers in order to regulate the size of the Arts Market and to ensure the proper mix of mediums. In the event that an artist is not accepted into the Arts Market, reapplication may occur following application time or as otherwise directed by the jury. The decisions of the jury are final as upheld by the Arts Council Board of Directors.
• You MAY be asked for a physical sample of your work, especially if your work is scented, or is difficult to judge based on digital photograph alone. This will be determined close to the jury date. 
• You MUST agree to all Terms and Conditions of the BRAM.

*Incomplete applications will not be considered. If your application is considered incomplete you may not get notification. If you do, it will likely not occur until the applications are gathered during the jury process, and thus will likely not be able to be corrected in time for the current application cycle. For this reason we strongly encourage you to read the guidelines and requests carefully to ensure your application is complete AND your images are sized and labelled appropriately. Image labelling is a part of the application process and is considered in assessing application completion.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Luke Lognion, Arts Market Manager
luke@brassbr.com // (337) 513-5526

“GET READY GRANTS”
SPONSORED BY CERF+ AND THE MELLON FOUNDATION
Guidelines
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Grants Award Available: $500
Submit online at artsbr.org. No printed, emailed or faxed applications accepted.


PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Get Ready Grants (GRG) help to expand the CERF+ Artist Readiness Program (CARP), which strengthens the vitality and sustainability of individuals who endeavor to create and innovate within the state of Louisiana. This program supports individual artists with $500 grants to conduct activities that will help safeguard their students, protect their careers, and prepare for emergencies. The Arts Council administers GRG throughout the state of Louisiana on behalf of the CERF+ and the program is funded by the Mellon Foundation.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS MUST

• Be an artist working in a visual, performance, or craft discipline
• Have been residing and working in Louisiana for the last two years

PROJECTS WE FUND

• Tutorials or training in e-commerce 
• Professional photography of their craft portfolio 
• Employing the services of website designers
• Short-term support for childcare to allow studio work time 
• Installing equipment for safely working with studio staff and/or students 
• Documentation and archiving 
• Inventory software
• Business planning for continuity and contingencies 
• Creating secure business record-keeping systems 
• Safety equipment 
• Upgrading studio and/or equipment to improve studio health and safety 
• Contractor consulting 
•  Purchasing safer materials and supplies 
• Emergency tools, supplies and equipment 
• Upgrading studio to reduce disaster risk 
• Contractor consulting 
• Theft protection measures 
• Legacy or estate planning 
• Financial planning services
• Documentation or digitization of artwork and/or related records
• Legal counsel 
• Enrolling in a professional development course or workshop to enhance career protection

WHAT WE DO NOT FUND
As the purpose of “Get Ready” Grant projects is to encourage artists to safeguard their studios, protect their careers and implement other safety measures, proposed projects that focus on producing artwork or enhancing the artistic capabilities of the applicant are not eligible.


CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION
Applications will be evaluated to determine whether the applicant:
· Has proposed an eligible and feasible project
· Has included a budget that accounts for any additional costs
· Has included a plan for sharing their project


FUNDING AVAILABILITY
· Awards are for $500 while funds are available.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
· Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Submit applications online at www.artsbr.org. No emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications will be accepted.
· Contact the Arts Council’s Administrative Assistant, Claire Kittell, for technical assistance or other questions regarding grant application procedures. The Arts Council receives a high volume of calls and emails immediately before a grant deadline. We recommend starting your application early to ensure that you can submit on time, especially if you are a first-time applicant. Call 225-344-8558 ext. 205 or email ckittell@artsbr.org for assistance.

GRANT REVIEW PROCESS
· Applications will be reviewed for eligibility and decisions will be made on a rolling basis.
· Priority will be given to eligible artists who have traditionally been underserved by the grantmaking community, including people of color and folk and traditional artists.

GRANT COMPLETION AND DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS
Grant funds must be utilized to complete the proposed project within six months of the grant award. Grantees are required to document and share what they learned from accomplishing the readiness activity and its impact and report this information back to CERF+. Creative ways to share information such as videos, blog posts, and other media are encouraged and may be shared publicly as an education and outreach tool to help other artists safeguard their career. This documentation and sharing of information, along with a survey administered by the Arts Council, will serve as the grantees final report and must be submitted to the Arts Council’s Chief Programs Officer no more than 45 days after the completion of the grant funded project. For examples of documentation and sharing methods, click here.

COMPLIANCE
Grantees must agree to the following:
· Submission of a grant agreement, government issued ID, and W9 IRS form.
· Participation in preparedness education training from the CERF+ staff.
· Completion of the grant-funded project within 6 months of receiving the funds.
· Adherence to the communications and promotion guidelines.
· Submission of final report within 45 days of completion of the project, which includes follow up surveys distributed by the Arts Council and CERF+ and documentation and sharing of the funded project.
· The recipient agrees to acknowledge the grant by using the Arts Council logo, the CERF+ logo, and the following credit statement using exact working provided by the Arts Council on all printed and online promotional materials and advertisements. This project is supported by CERF+ and the Mellon Foundation through a grant administered by the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge.
· The recipient agrees to assume full liability and responsibility for the conduct of the funded project and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless agencies and corporations funding the program and the Arts Council, its Board of Directors, and its employees and volunteers. The sole responsibility for projects rests with the recipient.
· The recipient must retain all accounting records and supporting documentation for three years following project completion. The Arts Council or its duly authorized representatives shall have access to any books, documents, and records maintained to account for funds expended under the terms of the grant for the purposes of making audits, examinations, excerpts, and/or transcripts.
· Recipients must comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws.


COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION GUIDELINES
Social Media Channels
Facebook: CERFplus
Twitter: @CERFplus
LinkedIn: CERF+
Instagram: @cerfplus
CERF+ release boilerplate


About CERF+ -- the Artists Safety Net
Since 1985, CERF+ has assisted thousands of professional artists working in craft disciplines with emergency financial assistance as well as resources and educational programs for any studio-based artist designed to strengthen and sustain their careers. CERF+ has endeavored to assure the well-being and success of individual artists, but also, through research and advocacy, to advance the needs and status of the craft field in general. CERF+ has developed the expertise and reputation as the “go-to” organization for artists working in craft disciplines. Over this time, CERF+ has become a respected leader on the national arts scene, advocating for improving the overall safety net for U.S. artists before, during, and after disasters through its leadership of the Coalition for Artists’ Preparedness and Emergency Response.
Newsletters or Letters
Consider including your grant news in electronic and printed newsletters, as well as partner emails and letters. For digital communications, please direct readers to http://cerfplus.org
Logo Use
The CERF+ logo may be used on websites, news releases or brochures. When used online, please link to https://cerfplus.org/.


PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY
Failure to credit the grant as required, submit an acceptable Final Report within 45 days of program completion, or violation of grant contract terms may result in penalties including forfeiture and/or return of grant funds, ineligibility to apply for future Arts Council grants, or other penalties deemed appropriate by the Arts Council.