Join a Guild - Get a Grant!

Thank you for joining me on the art blog journey here as I prepare to execute my first grant and build a museum exhibit!   I am truly awed to have this opportunity...  What went right?   How did this happen?

“90% of life is showing up” – Woody Allen
 I volunteered at the Sandy Spring Museum for 6 years as the resident spinner demonstrating for field trips and doing occasional crafts for family days.   Doing this established a relationship with the museum which paved the way for a collaboration.   Friends had suggested joining the Potomac Fiber Arts Guild as I'm interested in so many fiber arts.  So, when the idea of creating the exhibit finally germinated I met the grant criteria of having been a member for a year.   Another contributing factor was a bum shoulder that was keeping me from knitting, spinning, dyeing, felting, etc...   I had an opportunity to think, set goals and write.   Finally, the time was just *right* to step up to the working artist challenge.   My kids have all mutated into teenagers and are in danger of becoming very capable adults!

I also attribute the grant win to taking advantage of offered assistance.   Two guild members and another fiber friend reviewed my application.  It's a good thing that they did...   My previous grant writing experience was for the local elementary school.  The grant writing workshop the county arts program provided stressed simple, concise language directed to reviewers inundated with thousands of applications.  I won several grants with this advice in mind.   Accordingly, my first Conant draft was bare bones.  One reviewer (a previous Conant grant winner herself) explained that the guild would likely have only 3 to 5 applications to send to the judge.  She suggested showing my passion for the project and building a detailed vision of the work and it's benefits..  I was to woo the judge.   The moral of the story here is to know your audience when you write...and use your resources.