For Immediate Release: January 4, 2008 Elaine Mariner, Director, elaine.mariner@state.co.us Online Grant Applications Available for Artists, Organizations, Schools Deadline for Application is March 13, 2008

Denver, CO (January 4, 2008) - The Colorado Council on the Arts announces the online applications for the 2008-09 Grants to Artists and Organizations (GAO) and the new Success through Art (StART Schools) are available. The deadline for both categories is March 13, 2008. Only online submissions will be accepted.

Colorado artists, nonprofit organizations and government agencies may submit Grants to Artists and Organizations proposals. In addition to addressing the Council’s goals, applicants must demonstrate artistic excellence, community involvement and benefit and implementation capacity. A key requirement of the GAO program is that applicants must have matching funding support from local, regional or national sources.

The new StART Schools grant program for schools and districts derives from the recognition that, in a global economy, creativity and innovation are the keys to competitiveness. Learning in and through the arts stimulates creative and analytical capabilities, and is therefore fundamental to ensuring that today’s students are prepared for tomorrow’s jobs. This new program will help schools and districts create an arts-rich curriculum, where students not only acquire knowledge and skills in the basic arts disciplines, but also apply that understanding to learning in other core subject areas, ultimately increasing the relevance of their education and supporting their academic success.

To assist applicants, CCA has extensive application tools available on its web site for Grants to Artists and Organizations and StART Schools. In addition, the Council will host Grant Information Sessions around the state in January and February. CCA staff will provide an overview of the programs, demonstrate the Online Application, and provides tips for preparing a competitive application. For complete details on the Information Sessions click here.