Staten Island Arts currently administers two types of arts education grants.

Artists Bring Change (ABC) regrants are for artist residencies in K-12 schools, and are funded by the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

SU-CASA grants are for artist residencies in senior centers. SU-CASA is a citywide program funded by the New York City Council and administered by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Department for the Aging. 

Staten Island Arts also founded The Lark Fund, a community funding effort designed to provide schools with mini-grants to repair or purchase musical instruments, and administered the fund for 5 years. Since 2017, the Lark Fund has been run by Projectivity Group, continuing to bring more music to more schools.

ABC (Arts Bring Change) Grant

The ABC (Arts Bring Change) Regrant program supports local cultural organizations and/or individual artists working in partnership with public schools to engage K-12 public school students in rich artistic learning experiences.

Grant request should not exceed $2,500.

Applications for the 2024 cycle are currently open. Deadline to apply is January 31, 2024.

All first-time applicants must attend an information session. The information session schedule can be found here.

Projects must focus on the exploration of art and artistic process. Intercurricular collaboration is encouraged but not required. Projects must take place in schools and center on the development and implementation of sequential, skills-based study that incorporates one or more art forms and includes a minimum of 3 hands-on learning sessions with students. ABC Regrant funding must not replace, or appear to replace, the role of certified arts teachers in school.

The grant is funded by New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency Statewide Community Regrant Program with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

NYSCA ABC Regrant Guidelines

To be eligible for an ABC Regrant, the applicant must meet ALL the following criteria:

  • Evidence of true partnership between the school and artist or organization (joint planning, reflection, and evaluation), as well as stated learning goals, methodologies and outcomes and a means for evaluation.
  • Clarity and completeness of the proposal, including specific activities.
  • Clarity and completeness of the budget.
  • Evidence of past success shown in work samples.
  • Partnership letter from participating public school.

What is not eligible:

  • Organizations that submit a direct application to the New York State Council on the Arts in the 2023 fiscal year regardless of their application’s status.
  • Organizations with operating income budgets over $300,000 for two of the last three fiscal years.
  • Programs that are essentially religious, recreational, rehabilitative, or therapeutic.
  • Home schools, private, and parochial schools.
  • Stand-alone assembly programs, single performances, or one-time visits to cultural institutions.
  • Extracurricular activities that occur during non-school hours.
  • Programs where selected students are taken out of regular classes or are self-selected for participation.
  • College-level courses, scholarships, contests, or student-performing groups.
  • Applicants who are not in good standing with Staten Island Arts including failing to complete previous Staten Island Arts grant projects and/or failure to complete final reporting.

REQUIREMENTS

Applicants may apply for only one grant in this category. The maximum grant request is $2,500. Grant funding should never cover more than 75% of the applicant’s total project budget. School partners are encouraged to cover 25% of the total project budget.* ABC Regrant funding must not replace, or appear to replace, the role of certified arts teachers in school.

SU-CASA

SU-CASA is a 3-month community arts engagement program that places local artists in residence at senior centers across Staten Island. SU-CASA teaching artists engage older adults in a series of workshops and classes over the course of the residency. Each residency culminates with a public program component – exhibits, readings, performances, open houses or other cultural events open to the surrounding Staten Island community.

Individual artists-in-residence  receive a stipend of $6,000 and an additional $2,000 materials/supplies budget.

SU-CASA 2024 GUIDELINES 

Individual artists may apply for up to two SU-CASA residencies but must submit two separate residency applications to be considered. Organizations, universities, collectives, students, or other groups are not eligible to apply for a SU-CASA Residency through Staten Island Arts. Please refer to the SU-CASA 2024 Guidelines for more information concerning eligibility. 

The 2024 SU-CASA program is funded by the New York City Council. It is a collaboration among the City Council, the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the Department for the Aging (DFTA) and Staten Island Arts.

2024 SU-CASA PROGRAM TIMELINE

  • Applications Open: November 15,  2023
  • Applications Close: January 31, 2024 at 11:59 PM
  • Notification of Decision and Artist Orientation: March 2024 
  • SU CASA Residency: April  2024 – June 2024 (All residency activities must be completed by June 30th 2024)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for a SU-CASA Residency and other Staten Island Arts grants at the same time?

Yes. Artists applying for Staten Island Arts grants can also apply for a SU-CASA residency, providing that they can complete the distinct project requirements for each program. If applying for a SU-CASA residency and other Staten Island Arts grants, applicants will need to share a brief plan on how they intend to meet requirements for both SU-CASA and the project grant they’re applying for. Staten Island Arts grants include but are not limited to: DCLA Premier Grants, DCLA Art Fund Grants Fund, NYSCA Encore Grants, NYSCA Future Culture Creative Placemaking Grant, and NYSCA Arts Bring the Change (ABC) Regrants. SU-CASA funds cannot be used to support project proposals in any of these categories.

What is the difference between a SU-CASA Residency and a Staten Island Arts fall project grant?

SU-CASA residencies support artists to lead creative programming in designated senior living centers around Staten Island. They are best suited for artists who are passionate about teaching art and interested in working with seniors. SU-CASA is funded by City Council so awarded artists are given a fixed stipend and materials/supplies budget each year. Staten Island Arts fall project grants offer an opportunity for individual artists, unincorporated collectives, and small-budget non-profit organizations to receive public money to fund their individual projects on Staten Island. Award amounts vary based on grant category and each applicant’s proposal. These public project grants are made available by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts.