BEAN Dinner & Micro-Grants
Congratulations to the winners of the second round of BEAN micro-grants, which were awarded on January 23, 2011!
$255 – Neighborhood Schoolhouse: Art Studio Classes for Kids
$250 – Vermont Theatre Company: Music for Shakespeare in the Park
$245 – Marlboro Elementary School: Printing Student Collage Books
The Brattleboro Museum & Art Center and the Elliot Street Café are teaming up to empower our community to take arts philanthropy into its own hands!
Based on similar programs happening all around the world, BEAN Micro-Grant Dinners aim to enhance the vitality of art and artists in our community by providing artists with much-needed financial support and encouraging dialogue and collaborative decision-making between artists and the general public.
BEAN (which stands for “Brattleboro Essential Arts Network”) also aims to change the face of arts funding—from a top-down model with limited interaction between funders and recipients to one that features direct, personal contact between donors and their beneficiaries, allowing virtually anyone to become a philanthropist.
The next BEAN Dinner will take place Sunday, May 22, 2011, with funding requests due Monday, May 16.
HOW IT WORKS, PART 1: Eat, Discuss, Vote
For only $10 anyone can attend a Mexican-inspired dinner at BMAC provided by the Elliot Street Cafe (no, it’s not just beans!). Over dinner, guests will review and discuss funding requests for local art-related projects. At the end of the night, guests will vote for the proposal that deserves to receive the proceeds from dinner.
We recommend you arrive early – BEAN dinners are first come, first serve, and capacity is limited!
HOW IT WORKS, PART 2: Apply for a Micro-Grant
To apply for a grant (probably no more than $300, depending on how many people show up for dinner), take a few minutes to answer three simple questions about your project.
To apply online for a BEAN Micro-Grant click here. (Hard copies of the application form are available at the Elliot Street Café, open Wed-Sun, 8:30-2:30.)
Not sure what to apply for?
Maybe you need to buy supplies…
… or frame some paintings
… or install an exhibit
… or hire acrobats
… or produce a video of a performance
… or advertise an art event
… or rent a harpsichord
… or skip a shift at work to complete a project
… or develop informational resources of use to artists in our area
… or pay to keep the heat on in your studio…
In a nutshell, any project that contributes to the vitality of art and artists in our community and would benefit from a small grant of just a few hundred dollars might fit the bill. Individuals, groups, teams, businesses, schools, non-profit organizations and others are welcome to apply. (And applicants and their friends are welcome to attend the dinner and cast votes, too!)
Questions? Call Will Jenkins at 802-257-0124, ext. 103
