|
In an effort to help students learn how to write grants and present art events, the Arts Council offers publications, workshops and individual consultation sessions free of charge. We also refer students to other userful sources of information on campus.
In addition to our literature on public art, students may obtain the following publication free of charge:
Money for Art: A Guide for Students (a publication which describes how to develop programs and apply for UMass Art Council funding)
The UMass Arts Council offers a unique service to fee-paying students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst which is closely aligned with our educational mission. Our staff provides individual consultation sessions, free of charge, which introduce students to the process of how to develop a program on campus and write a grant and/or seek alternative sources of funding for that event.
Each consultation session is geared towards the specific program or event, and Council staff will make every effort to assist student groups in creating a program which is of the highest quality. We understand that many students are unfamiliar with initiating programs and writing grants, and our goal is to help students to learn these skills, so that they can continue to enliven their communities with art events long after they have graduated from the University. An important part of these consultation sessions is providing students with information about the vast array of resources on campus which are available to them.
We understand that the University can be a large and sometimes overwhelming place, so our aim is to help students easily navigate the campus community and avail themselves of these unparalleled resources. For example, the Arts Council supports student scholarships to the popular "Introduction to Arts Management" course offered by the Arts Extension Service. The class provides students with an in-depth understanding of how to run an arts organization, including how to write grants, develop programs and other topics of importance to incipient arts presenters (call AES for more information at 545-2360 or email them at aes@admin.umass.edu). Council staff also frequently refer students to the helpful advisors in the Campus Activities Office, who provide students with a plethora of resources and assistance. These dedicated individuals work closely with Registered Student Organizations, who provide peer support in an array of different areas. Academic departments affiliated with the arts are also excellent sources of information, and include the Departments of Art, Dance, English, Film, Music, and Theater, among others. Graduate students may wish to seek assistance from the Graduate Student Senate Office, located in the Student Union Building. These are just a sampling of the many opportunities available to students.
In fact, many students who are new to the University are also interested to learn that the campus is situated in a very active arts community. The Pioneer Valley has developed a national reputation for its thriving arts community, which complements the vast array of art offerings at the Five Colleges. Not surprisingly, the University benefits from this fertile atmosphere, and extra-curricular offerings in the arts are often blended with academic programs. Where appropriate, Council staff will help students network with off-campus organizations as well.
The Program Director at the UMass Arts Council is happy to work with professrs and teaching staffs ar the University to provide grant writing workshops within their class curriculum. Past classroom workshops have included Music350: Writing about Music and Art370: Junior Year Writing for Art Majors. In addition, Council staff participated annyally in the fall Leadership Conference and RA resource fairs. If you would like a Council staff member to visit your student group or class, please call 545-0202 to arrange a workshop.
|
