Intermedia Arts
2015 Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Tuesday, December 9, 2014 // 6PM
Intermedia Arts’ Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers awards grants of up to $4,000 to four to six emerging
Minnesota writers each year. This program defines an emerging writer as a writer whose work demonstrates a
sustained level of accomplishment and commitment, but who has not yet received widespread recognition from
peers and/or industry as an established professional writer.
In addition to their grant award, recipients also participate in a nine-month fellowship program that provides
peer support, guidance, community, and resources throughout the program year.
Intermedia Arts’ Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers places a particular emphasis on increasing the visibility
of and providing a platform for emerging writers whose voices have historically been underrepresented in the
literary arts, including (but not limited to): writers of color, LGBTQ writers, women, new and recent immigrant
communities, Native and Indigenous writers, low-income writers, and writers exploring non-traditional pathways to
success. By providing financial assistance, professional development, and recognition to a culturally, ethnically,
socially and socio-economically diverse group of writers, this program strengthens and supports Minnesota's literary
community and provides a platform for many new voices to be heard as they achieve their next level of artistic
success.
Past fellows have used this opportunity to:
● Take classes
● Attend a writer's conference
● Travel and/or do research
● Work with a mentor
● Have their manuscript read by an established writer
● Pay for childcare while they wrote
● Promote a newly published book
These are just a few of the possibilities. We encourage you to give serious thought to how this grant could make a
difference in your career!
This program is made possible, in part, thanks to the generous support of the Jerome Foundation.
Before You Apply …
STAFF ASSISTANCE
Our program staff can be a resource for help on your application as you plan your project and write your proposal.
Contact us at 612.871.4444 or Info@IntermediaArts.org for more information.
READ WINNING PROPOSALS!
You can read successful proposals from past grantees. Our grant book is available at Intermedia Arts during regular
business hours: Monday-Friday, 10AM to 6PM
SCHEDULE ONE-ON-ONE GRANT APPOINTMENT:
Limited 20-minute Grant Appointments will be available November 21, 28 and December 5, 2014. These are available
on a first come, first serve basis and can take place in person or over the phone. Use this session for brainstorming or
preliminary review of a completed proposal. Specific questions and concerns welcome.
Questions or Grant Appointment Scheduling:
Call or email 612.871.4444 1
or Info@IntermediaArts.org
Intermedia Arts // Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
ELIGIBILITY:
In order to be eligible for a 2015 Beyond the Pure Fellowship For Writers:
● You must have been a legal resident of Minnesota for at least 12-months.
● You must NOT be a full-time student
● The work you submit must not be for any degree or diploma
● Your work must fall within the genres of poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction
● You may only submit ONE Beyond the Pure Fellowship proposal per year
● You must be an emerging artist
● You must NOT have published more than two full-length books with a publishing house
● You must commit to participating in all aspects of the fellowship program. This includes a PROGRAM
ORIENTATION, 3 COHORT MEETINGS, a PHOTO SHOOT, a FINAL MEETING, and a PUBLIC LITERARY
READING for a total of approximately 15 program hours over the course of the 9-month program.
● You must NOT have received a SASE/Jerome or Beyond The Pure Fellowship grant in 2014, 2012, or 2011.
● You may not be, or be the immediate family member of, an Intermedia Arts staff or board member. Note: Intermedia
Arts contractors, curators, artists, and teaching artists ARE eligible to apply.
SELECTION PROCESS
Beyond the Pure Fellowship applications go through three stages of review:
STAGE 1: Eligibility Screening
Our staff screens each application in order to ensure it is complete and meets all eligibility requirements. Incomplete
applications will be disqualified.
STAGE 2: Community Judging
Members of our local literary community are asked to review all eligible applications and choose a maximum of 15
finalists to move on to the next round of judging. Finalists will be notified of their status on or before January 15,
2015.
STAGE 3: Panel Review
Final selections for the Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers are made by the previous year’s grant recipients. As
part of this process, finalists are offered the opportunity to participate in an optional five-minute Q&A with the panel
on January 31, 2015, during which applicants are able to answer any questions that may have come up during the
review process. Fellowship Recipients will be notified on February 4, 2015.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Beyond the Pure Fellowship applications are evaluated according to the following criteria:
Artistic Quality
The writer must have significant literary potential.
● Does the writing demonstrate artistic excellence and significant knowledge of the writer’s craft?
● Is the writing consistent in its style, reflecting a complete grasp of technical details and clearly conceived
ideas throughout?
Project Merit
The project must advance the writer’s artistic and/or professional development.
● Will funding this project support the creation and/or production of new artistic work?
● Will funding this project contribute significantly to the writer’s professional advancement? Will not funding
this project have a negative impact on the career of the writer?
Ability
The writer must be able to complete the project.
● Is the project well designed, with reasonable expectations and a realistic timeline and budget?
● Has the writer outlined specific goals/outcomes?
● Has the writer given you reason to believe that they have the discipline and desire to complete the proposed
project?
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Story & Voice
Intermedia Arts’ Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers places a particular emphasis on increasing the visibility of
and providing a platform for emerging writers whose voices have historically been underrepresented in the literary arts.
▪ What makes this writer stand out as one whose voice needs to be heard? How is this project telling a story
that needs to be told?
● Will supporting this writer and/or this project strengthen the cultural, ethnic, social, and/or socio-economic
diversity of Minnesota’s literary community?
● Would this writer have a difficult time finding or being eligible for an opportunity like this elsewhere? Will
supporting this writer showcase or highlight a non-traditional path toward artistic success in the literary arts?
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Intermedia Arts // Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
PROGRAM TIMELINE
The 2015 Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers program runs from March-November 2015. Fellows selected
for this program may receive up to $4,000 to work on an individual grant project during this period. In addition to
their grant award, fellows also participate in a fellowship program designed to provide community, peer
support, guidance, conversation, and resources throughout the program year.
This fellowship program includes an additional 15 hours of required program activities, including a program
orientation, three mentorship meetings, a program photo shoot, a final meeting, and a public literary reading. In
addition, fellows serve as the selection panel for the next round of Beyond the Pure Fellowships. Fellows must
commit to participating in all aspects of this program in order to receive their grant award.
December 9, 2014 | Deadline to Apply
January 15, 2015| Finalists notified of their status
January 31, 2015 | Optional Interview with Panel
February 10, 2015 | Fellowships Announced!
February 24 2015 | Program Orientation | 7-9PM at Intermedia Arts
April 2015 | Mentorship Meeting // 6-9PM at Intermedia Arts
June 2015 | Mentorship Meeting // 6-9PM at Intermedia Arts
August 2015 | Mentorship Meeting // 6-9PM at Intermedia Arts
October 2015 | Final Program Meeting | 6-9PM at Intermedia Arts
November 2015 | Public Literary Reading | 7:30PM at Intermedia Arts
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Intermedia Arts // Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Before submitting your application, please make sure you have included ALL of the following materials. Incomplete
applications are ineligible for review.
NOTE: Please do not staple or bind your application. Use paperclips only.
❑
Cover Sheet
❑
Eligibility Agreement
❑
Emerging Artist Statement (1-pg max)—DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THIS
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Proposal Narrative (3-page max)—DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THIS
❑
Budget (1-page max)—DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THIS
❑
Timeline (1-page max)—DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THIS
❑
Writing Samples (20-page max)—DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THIS
❑
Bio or Curriculum Vitae (CV) (1-page max)
❑
Optional Attachment (1-page max)—DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON THIS
IMPORTANT!! Your name may appear ONLY on your Cover Sheet, Eligibility Agreement, and Bio/CV. Do
NOT include your name on any other parts of your application, or your application will be ineligible for
review.
Submission Deadline: 6PM DECEMBER 9, 2014
Note: THIS IS NOT A POSTMARK DEADLINE.
Applications must be received by 6PM
YOU MAY SUBMIT YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION TO INTERMEDIA ARTS VIA MAIL, EMAIL
OR HAND-DELIVERY.
MAIL OR HAND-DELIVER TO:
Intermedia Arts
Attn: Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
2822 Lyndale Ave South
Minneapolis, MN 55408
EMAIL TO:
Info@IntermediaArts.org
Subject: Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
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SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY WHEN YOU SUPPORT INTERMEDIA
ARTS!
When you support Intermedia Arts, you are joining a group of committed community activists. Your contribution
supports the innovative arts-based approaches we use to help solve community issues. Art. Changes. Everything.
JOIN THE CHANGE.
Yes! I want to be part of the change! Enclosed is my contribution of:
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CHECK (please make checks payable to: Intermedia Arts)
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CREDIT
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USE THIS CONTRIBUTION WHEREVER IT IS MOST NEEDED
USE THIS CONTRIBUTION TO SUPPORT:
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Intermedia Arts
2822 Lyndale Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55408
Tel: 612.871.4444
Email: Info@IntermediaArts.org
www.IntermediaArts.org
NOTE: THIS PAGE IS OPTIONAL AND WILL NOT AFFECT YOUR APPLICATION STATUS
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Intermedia Arts // Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
COVER SHEET
Name (First, Last): ___________________________________________________________________________
Street Address: ______________________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ______________________________________________________________________________
Email: _______________________________________________________________________________________
Daytime Tel: _________________________________________________________________________________
Genre/s: You may submit work in up to two genres. However, you may only submit ONE application.
__Fiction
___Poetry
___Creative Nonfiction
___Multiple Genres (please specify):
List the title of each of your writing samples here (attach an additional page if necessary):
Project Summary (please describe your proposed project/goal in 150 words or less):
Total Amount Requested: $
How did you hear about this program? ________________________________________________________
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Intermedia Arts // Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
ELIGIBILITY AGREEMENT
In order to be eligible for a 2015 Beyond the Pure Fellowship for Writers please certify that the following
statements are all true:
● I have been a legal resident of Minnesota for the past 12-months.
● I am not a full-time student.
● The work I am submitting was not created for any degree or diploma.
● My work does fall within the genres of poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction.
● I am submitting only one Beyond the Pure Fellowship proposal this year.
● I am an emerging artist.
● I have NOT published more than two full-length books with a publishing house.
● I will participate in all aspects of the program. This includes a PROGRAM ORIENTATION, ALL
PROGRAM MEETINGS, a PHOTO SHOOT and a PUBLIC LITERARY READING for a total of
approximately 15 program hours over the course of the 9-month program.
● I did NOT receive a Beyond The Pure grant in 2014, 2012, or 2011
● I am not, nor am I the immediate family member of, an Intermedia Arts staff or board member.
By signing this document I certify that each of the above statements is true regarding my eligibility for a 2015
Beyond the Pure Fellowship for Writers.
____________________________________________________________________
Applicant Signature
Applicant Name (printed)
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_______________
Date
Intermedia Arts // Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
EMERGING ARTIST STATEMENT (1-pg max)
Tell us why you believe you are an emerging artist, and how you think participation in the Beyond the Pure
Fellowship program will benefit you (1-pg max). In your statement, please tell us about the following:
● What is your history of involvement in the literary arts? What are your accomplishments as an artist?
● Why do you define yourself as an “emerging artist”? How are you NO LONGER a beginning writer, and
how are you NOT YET an established writer?
● If selected for this grant, will you be able to commit to participate in regular mentorship meetings over the
course of the fellowship period, and to participating in the final reading at the end of the year? How do you
think you will benefit from the fellowship aspects of the program? Why are they important to you at this
time in your career?
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Intermedia Arts // Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
PROPOSAL NARRATIVE (3-pg max)
Submit a narrative of no more than three (3) single-sided pages. In it, you must address each of the criteria below.
We suggest you include the three main headings in bold type. You do not have to answer every bullet point below;
they are simply there as a guide to help you think about what you might want to include in your narrative.
I. Project Overview
▪ Describe the way in which you intend to use your grant award. What will you be working toward?
What is your goal?
▪ Where are you now in your career and where do you want to go? How will this project help you
get there?
▪ Who are you as a writer, an artist? Why does your artistic voice need to be heard?
▪ Describe the focus of your project. Is it about process or product? Why is this project unique
and important?
II. Project Merit
The project must advance your artistic and/or professional development.
▪ How will funding this project support the creation and/or production of new artistic work?
▪ How will funding this project contribute significantly to your professional advancement?
▪ How would not receiving this funding have a negative impact on your career as a writer?
III. Ability
You must be able to complete the project.
● Why do you think your expectations are reasonable expectations and your timeline and budget
realistic?
● What are your specific goals/outcomes? How will you know if you are successful?
● Describe the ways in which you will make sure you are able to complete this project.
IV. Story & Voice
Intermedia Arts’ Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers places a particular emphasis on increasing the visibility
of and providing a platform for emerging writers whose voices have historically been underrepresented in the
literary arts.
● Why are you a writer whose voice should be heard? How is your work giving voice to a story that
needs to be told?
● How will supporting you and/or this project strengthen the cultural, ethnic, social, and/or
socio-economic diversity of Minnesota’s literary community?
● Why might you have a difficult time finding or being eligible for an opportunity like this
elsewhere? How will supporting you showcase or highlight a non-traditional path toward artistic
success in the literary arts?
BUDGET (1-pg max)
Submit a one-page budget showing how your requested grant funds will be used.
TIMELINE (1-pg max)
Submit a one-page timeline outlining your work plan. Your grant project should begin in March 2015, and can take
up to 9 months to complete.
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Intermedia Arts // Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers
WRITING SAMPLES (20-pg max)
Your writing must demonstrate significant literary potential. We suggest you choose pieces that show your
artistic excellence and significant knowledge of the writer’s craft; writing that is consistent in its style, reflecting a
complete grasp of technical details and clearly conceived ideas throughout.
Fiction and Creative Nonfiction
Submit a maximum of 20 double-spaced single-sided pages. Margins should be at least one inch on all sides. Font
size must be 12-point or larger. If your submission is part of a larger work, you may submit a synopsis as part of
your entry. The synopsis must be included in the total page count.
Poetry
Submit a maximum of 20 pages. Do not put more than one poem or more than one column of poetry on a
page. Poems that are longer than one page must be continued on subsequent pages. Poetry may be single-spaced.
Multiple Genres (poetry and prose)
Submit a maximum of 20 pages, following the formatting described above.
BIO or CURRICULUM VITAE
Submit a bio or curriculum vitae outlining your training and accomplishments as a writer. Include all featured
reading and publication credits.
OPTIONAL ATTACHMENT
If your project involves you working with another individual, organization, or business (for mentorship, editing,
manuscript review, publicity or other professional services), you may include a one-page summary of their
experience and qualifications.
Submission Deadline: 6PM Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Note: THIS IS NOT A POSTMARK DEADLINE.
Applications must be received by 6PM
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