KY: Arts Council - Kentucky Crafted Program

Application to this program must be made via Kentucky Arts Services OnLine (KASOL). The Kentucky Arts Council (KAC) strongly encourages you to read and understand the KAC Values, general guidelines, Kentucky Crafted Program guidelines and each step of the application process before accessing the application at www.culturegrants-ky.org.

Program Purpose

The purpose of the Kentucky Crafted Program is to identify and support the development of professional Kentucky craft artisans and promote a diverse selection of high quality contemporary and traditional Kentucky craft products.

Goals

To enable Kentucky craft artisans to successfully compete in a world market.
To recognize, validate, and encourage the production of marketable high quality craft products.
To provide retailers and consumers with access to high quality craft products.
To establish Kentucky as a leading producer of high quality crafts in order to enhance tourism and economic development.

Performance Expectations

Each entry will be reviewed using the following performance expectations:

1. Design (30%)

The components of the design (i.e. color, form, line, texture, proportions, etc.) relate to each other as a cohesive whole
The design satisfies the intent/function of the piece
Traditional work reflects the integrity of the historical design

2. Technique (30%)

There is evidence of skilled craftsmanship (i.e. finishing, joinery, construction, balance, etc.)
Materials relate to the original intent/function of the piece

3. Originality or Authenticity (30%)

Originality - Reflects a unique style, personal expression or interpretation

Authenticity - The work exhibits the tradition of the culture or the community it is intended to represent

4. Marketability (10%)

Appropriateness of products for marketing activities of the Kentucky Crafted Program and its mission
Wholesale / Retail is consistent and is priced in line with industry standards

Program Description

The Kentucky Crafted (KC) Program provides assistance to Kentucky individuals and groups pursuing development as craft professionals through economic opportunities and training, to other outside entities (i.e., craft retailers, craft and art organizations, community and government agencies), and the general public.

Program Support

The Kentucky Crafted Program will offer the following support to ensure that the program standards and goals are met:

Introduction to wholesale marketing opportunities
Opportunities to exhibit: Kentucky Crafted: The Market, the Governor's Derby Celebration, the New York International Gift Fair
Use of Kentucky Crafted logo
Representation on the KAC website via the online directory located at http://artistdirectory.ky.gov
Listings and referrals to wholesale buyers, show organizers, state agencies, the media, and participation in cultural heritage tourism initiatives
Opportunity to apply for Product Development grants
Participation in special displays/exhibits
Technical assistance through conferences, workshops and product development initiatives
Buyer services program that links retailers/buyers to juried participants
Mentor Program to assist in specific professional areas

Who May Apply

Artists working in 3-D craft who are Kentucky residents, and are at least 18 years of age may apply. Individual applicants and craft businesses must have themselves, or the majority of employees, been full-time Kentucky residents for at least six months prior to the application deadline, and remain full-time residents for the program participation period. For proof of residency, applicants must submit a copy of two of the following at the time of application:

Kentucky drivers license which includes the date issued and expiration date
State of Kentucky identification card which includes the date issued and expiration date (Can obtain at your local driver's license distribution center in your county)
Voter registration card (Copies of your voter registration card can be obtained through your county clerk's office)
Kentucky state income tax forms for the most recent year

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, or lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence or have permission from the Department of Homeland Security to work permanently in the U.S.

Participation Requirements

All applicants must be registered as a business with the state of Kentucky, or have applied for registration. A business tax number or proof of application must be included with the application. To register with the state, contact:

Kentucky Revenue Cabinet
Taxpayer Registration
200 Fair Oaks Drive
P.O. Box 299
Frankfort, KY 40602-0299
Phone: 502-564-3306
(Form #10A100)

http://revenue.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/BDF3ABA4-6C19-40BA-8917-D372D0FD1FCF/0/10A100FI.pdf

Applicants must be willing to sell their work to both wholesale and retail markets.
Craft business must have the majority of craft production made in Kentucky.
Sales representatives are only eligible if they participate as an employee or a craft production center.
To remain in the program, the craft businesses or individuals must participate in at least one KCP sponsored event with a 3-year period, and must remain a resident of the state of Kentucky.
Items that are eligible: Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Leather, Metal, Mixed Media, Paper, Natural/Organic, Stone and Wood.

Restrictions

Work made from items purchased and decorated, and items created by combining purchased commercial objects, unless commercial objects play a subordinate role.

Note: Assemblage of commercially produced items is generally not considered to be handcrafted work and is discouraged; however, strong overall design, interpretation, and originality can affect the end result.
Hand-processed materials (for example, dried flowers, wood cutouts, etc.), unless part of the finished product. (An exception is made for spun wool or other similar processed items that stand on their own merit as a product with traditional craft origins.)
Jar candles (traditional hand-dipped are preferred; however, non-container candles will be accepted for the jury, based on strong overall design, technique, and originality or the work.)

Note: Juried participants that have added a product through an interim review using their own natural/organic process or their own handcrafted container may be permissible, pending interim review of KAC staff.
Work that replicates another artist's personal style (not to confused with traditional work)
Work where the majority of the piece is made outside of Kentucky
Artwork created under the supervision of an instructor within an undergraduate or graduate degree program.
All work samples submitted must have been created within the past three years.
Crafts identified as Native American but not made by Native Americans.

Note: The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 makes it illegal to sell or display for sale, any product not made by Native American Indians in a way that falsely suggests it was. If submitting Native American work, please submit a copy of your membership card in a federally recognized Indian tribe, band, nation, or organized group or community, with your entry for authenticity purposes, which will be kept on file at the Kentucky Arts Council.
Any entry may be deemed ineligible if it has insufficient work by hand, is made from inappropriate or protected natural materials, is technically insufficient, or does not fit the focus of the Craft Marketing Program.
Artists who create two-dimensional artwork (paintings, prints, computer-generated graphics, posters, drawings, photographs, and printed products derived from original 2-D art) must apply to the Visual Arts at the Market Program. Please refer to the guidelines at http://artscouncil.ky.gov.
Note cards and books (unless made from handmade paper, hand bound, or hand printed)

Note: To be considered for participation in Kentucky Crafted: The Market, you must have had your book reviewed and accepted into the Kentucky Book Fair. For information, contact, Charla Reed: 502-564-3757, ext 485; toll-free, 1-888-592-7238(KY CRAFT), e-mail; Charla.Reed@ky.gov. For additional information, contact the Kentucky Book Fair Committee: 502-564-8300, ext. 297
Food
Note: Food products are handled through the services of the Department of Agriculture, Division of Agriculture Marketing and Agribusiness Recruitment. Please contact Alisha Morris, at 502-564-4983, e-mail; Alisha.Morris@ky.gov or on the web at www.kyagr.com.

How to Apply

To access and complete the Kentucky Crafted application, please go to www.culturegrants-ky.org.

Program Timeline

Application deadline	March 15, 2008
Deadline for submission of paper copy of the application and attachments	Within 7 calendar days of March 15, 2008
Sample mail delivery	April 30 - May 7, 2008
Sample hand delivery	May 12, 2008
Review of applications by panel	May 12 - 16, 2008
Sample pick up	May 16, 2008
KAC board reviews panel recommendations	June, 2008
Applicant notification	As soon as possible after board meeting
*Market Orientation	August/September, 2008
Kentucky Crafted: The Market 2009	February 19 - 22, 2009
Market Orientation is mandatory* for new artists interested in participating in the 2009 Market and for those selected to the mentor program.

Application

Completed application forms must be submitted via Kentucky Arts Services OnLine (KASOL) by the deadline. Upon online submission, applicants will receive a confirmation email with your application PDF attached. If you do not receive a confirmation, contact the KAC immediately. Print and sign the PDF and mail/deliver it to the KAC along with the required work samples in accordance with the guidelines. The PDF and materials must be received in the KAC office within seven calendar days of the deadline date. KAC offices will be open until 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (EST). If the application deadline date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a state/federal holiday, the deadline date will be the next following day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or a state/federal holiday. If the KAC does not receive these items by close of business on the 7th day, your application will be considered ineligible.

Following the deadline, each application will be reviewed by the program director who may contact the applicant if clarification is needed. Applicants will be notified by email/letter of their status in the application/panel process.

Supporting Materials

Resumes and work samples are required for all disciplines. They must be submitted in accordance with the following instructions:

Resume

All applicants must submit a resume focusing on their artistic background and experience. Resumes must include three professional references with current contact information, including email address.

Work Samples

For detailed instructions on preparation, formatting and submission of all work samples, see general guidelines.

An entry consists of five work samples.

•  Your work samples must be a line of work made in the same medium/technique and therefore, constitute a coherent body of work rather than a range.

•  Samples should work together and complement each other.

•  Sets (ie. Earrings, gloves, sugar/creamer pieces) are considered one sample.

•  Number each sample from 1 to 5, so the number is highly visible to the jurors and corresponds with the Image Upload Form in the application.

Work samples employing techniques, styles or materials that vary greatly should not be mixed within a single entry. For example, turned wood vessels and wood jewelry would be two separate applications. Work samples of entirely different mediums must be submitted as separate applications.
A maximum of five (5) applications per craft business will be accepted.

Supplemental Materials

Applicants are encouraged to submit examples of marketing materials (i.e., brochures, website information, business forms, logos, tags, etc.) These items will be available for viewing at the jurors' discretion. All supplemental materials must be sent in with the work samples.

Work Sample Delivery

It is required that all applicants submit a printed, signed copy of their completed application along with their entry.

Mailed/Shipped Entries: must arrive at our office between April 30 - May 7, 2008. Entries received before or after this date will not be accepted. Please send to:

Kentucky Crafted Jury
Kentucky Arts Council
2100 Capital Plaza Tower
500 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601-1987

Hand-Delivered Entries: must arrive on Monday, May 12, 2008 from 8:00a.m. to 12:00p.m. (EST) at the Frankfort Convention Center, 405 Mero St., Frankfort, Kentucky in meeting rooms A, B, and C. When delivering, park on Mero St. and use the Mero St. entrance to the Convention Center.

Work Sample Return

Pickup: must be picked up between 8:00a.m. - 12:00p.m. (EST), Friday, May 16,2008. Entry(s) may NOT be picked up any later.

Return Shipment: $15.00 shipping and handling fee will be assessed per package. Make sure you have furnished proper packing materials and any packing instructions. Include payment in the form of check or money order, payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer. NOTE: All packages that are returned by CMP must meet STANDARD UPS requirements for height and width and must not exceed 50lbs. THE KENTUCKY ARTS COUNCIL WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ITEMS BROKEN DURING RETURN SHIPMENT. To find standard UPS box requirements for height and width, see www.ups.com.

Artist Selection

A jury of professional artists and arts professionals working in wholesale and retail markets selects artists for the Kentucky Crafted Program. Applications and work samples are reviewed according to the program's Performance Expectations.

Jurors review each entry (set of five (5) samples) complete scoring sheets, and write comments designed to be helpful in improving and/or marketing applicant's work. Jurors' comments are then compiled and mailed to applicants. KAC staff is available prior to and after the session for further clarification of instructions or results.

An applicant whose work does not meet the minimum cut-off score, but whose score falls within a few points of the qualifying score, may be assigned a Kentucky Crafted Mentor to assist them in understanding how to bring his/her work to the required standards of the Kentucky Crafted Program.

Applicants will receive a letter notifying them of the jury results and the jurors' recommendations for mentoring. The applicant then must agree to the terms if they choose to participate in the program. After the applicant has successfully completed the mentoring process, and the mentor has filed a successful "Mentor Completion Report" with the CMP, the applicant will be accepted into the Kentucky Crafted Program and granted all the benefits therein, without having to wait an additional year to rejury. During the mentoring process, applicants MUST ATTEND the Wholesale Workshop of the Market Orientation session that is open to Kentucky Crafted participants and mentorees only. **Note: Any mentoree interested in participating in Kentucky Crafted: The Market is required to attend both the wholesale workshop AND the Market Orientation Session.

Appeals

There are no appeals in this category.

For More Information

The Kentucky Arts Council welcomes all questions regarding this program. For more information, please contact:

Charla Reed
Outreach and Training
502-564-3757 Ext. 485
E-mail: Charla.Reed@ky.gov

Kentucky Arts Council
21st Floor, Capital Plaza Tower
500 Mero Street
Frankfort, KY 40601-1987
Phone: 502-564-3757
Toll-free: 888-833-2787
FAX: 502-564-2839
Send comments or questions to: kyarts@ky.gov

Kentucky Arts Council

Revised: December 3, 2007

FY2009 Guidelines and Instructions

Kentucky Crafted Program

Application Deadline: March 15, 2008