2011 BRIO Guidelines & application

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PLEASE NOTE

2011 BRIO applications will be available in late November 2010.

This year's application deadline date is Friday, January 28, 2011.

2011 BRIO Application & Guidelines will be available online in late November 2010. Into its 22nd year, BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) continues to provide support for artistic development of individuals creating works of literary, media, performing, and visual arts in the Bronx. This year marks an increase in the awards program which will provide a minimum of 25 BRIO grants of $3,000 each to individual artists residing in the Bronx at our BRIO Awards ceremony in June 2011.

2011 BRIO CATEGORIES

Literary Arts
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, and Screenwriting.

Media Arts
Digital Arts, Narrative/Documentary/Experimental Film or Video, Film Animation.

Performing Arts
Acting, Choreography, Dance, Instrumental and Vocal Music Performance, Music Composition, Performance Poetry, Spoken Word, and Storytelling.

Visual Arts
Crafts, Illustration/Artist Book, Installation Art, Mixed Media, Painting, Performance Art, Photography, Printmaking / Drawing, and Sculpture.

About BRIO
BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) continues to provide support for artistic development of individuals creating works of literary, media, performing, and visual arts in the Bronx. A total of 25 BRIO grants of $3,000 each will be awarded to individual artists residing in the Bronx.

BRIO award winners must complete a one-time public service activity to receive their complete award. The selection for awards is based solely on artistic excellence and is decided by a panel of professional artists representing the various disciplines. Only artists living in the Bronx are eligible to apply for BRIO.

About BCA
The Bronx Council on the Arts, a private non-profit membership organization, is the officially designated cultural agency of the Bronx. For 48 years, BCA has been providing quality cultural services and arts programs to a multi-cultural constituency of our borough.

The Mission of the Bronx Council on the Arts is to encourage and increase the public’s awareness and participation in the arts and nurture the development of artists and arts organizations.

GENERAL APPLICATION INFORMATION

Who can apply

You must be 18 years old.
You must be a resident of the Bronx. (2 proofs of residency must be supplied upon award notification. See Application Checklist below).
You must have a valid e-mail address.

Who cannot apply

A full-time graduate or undergraduate student enrolled in any degree program.
A recipient of any 2010 Bronx Council on the Arts Awards - BRIO, Bronx Writers Center Fellowship, Digital Matrix Commissions Program or Bronx Community Arts Fund.

Application Checklist

Signed and completed original application.

Support Materials: Must be mailed or hand-delivered by postmarked date
(not metered): Friday, January 28, 2011.

Literary Arts Applicants: 5 copies of typed manuscript (click here).
Media Arts (A & B) Applicants: 1 CD (click here).
Performing Arts (A) Applicants: 1 CD (click here).
Performing Arts (B) Applicants: 1 CD (click here).
Visual Arts Applicants: 5 images on CD and one checklist of artworks, or (for
Performance Art) a CD with a brief description of the performance (click here).

Social security number, One-page resume citing your artistic, professional, and educational background and Proof of Bronx Residency, All to be furnished upon award notification.

(2 of any of the following are considered acceptable )

Photocopy of a recent Drivers License or State Issued ID.
Utility Bill (Phone, Gas, Electricity).
Copy of recent rent receipt or lease agreement.
Copy of NYS or Federal tax return.
Bursar’s receipt (required for part-time students).
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Return Policy

Literary submissions will not be returned, but recycled after panels convene.
All other submissions will be held at BCA’s main office to be picked up (by the applicant and by appointment only) until September 16, 2011.
No submissions will be returned by mail.

ABOUT THE BRIO PROCESS

Selection of Awards
The selection of awards is based solely on artistic excellence – the quality of work submitted – and decided by a panel of professional artists. A new panel is convened each year. All materials and information involved in the selection process are kept confidential and are viewed anonymously by the panelists. When the application package is received, a code number is assigned to each application and its corresponding material. The applicant’s coded submission is the only information available to the panelists for review. Materials not meeting the submission guidelines will render the application ineligible.

Award Notification
All applicants will be notified by e-mail of panel decisions approximately four months after the deadline date. The first payment of $2,500 is made at an awards ceremony in June 2011. The balance payment of $500 is made when the awardee has completed a one-time public service activity. (Read about ACE). All BRIO awardees are subject to verification and proof of Bronx residency at time of award notification.

Return of Materials
Due to the amount and bulk of literary manuscripts sent to panelists, all manuscripts will be recycled. However, all other submissions will be kept at BCA’s main office for pick up (by the applicant and by appointment only) until September 16, 2011. We will keep the support material for the winning submissions for archival and marketing purposes. No materials will be returned by mail.

About ACE (Artists for Community Enrichment)
An important and integral component of BRIO is ACE which requires each awardee to present a one-time public service activity within the one-year period of the award. This initiative was created to provide artists with additional visibility and also to provide Bronxites with the opportunity to experience the wealth of talent available in the community. If possible, recipients will be given an opportunity to take part in an exhibition, performance, or workshop through one of our BCA programs. When the ACE activity is completed, the awardee will receive the remaining $500 balance of the award.

The "What" and "How" of Submitting BRIO

General Submission Information

Work must have been created between 2006 and 2011.
Panelists are asked to evaluate work based on the materials they are viewing/hearing/reading. Be careful and selective of the work you submit. Poor quality submission materials will affect the panel’s evaluation.
Submit only copies of your work, never the original.
ONE application per artist.
Only submit materials necessary for the category in which you are applying.
Any required information missing at the time of panel review will render the application ineligible.
Do not send reviews, books, magazines, brochures, or catalogues, etc. as they will not be reviewed.
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LITERARY ARTS
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Playwriting, Poetry, Screenwriting

For all Literary Categories - manuscript submissions

Submit 5 copies of one manuscript on 8 ½” x 11”, 20 lb. white paper.
Text must be typed in 12 point font or larger. Only clear, readable copies are acceptable.
Manuscripts MUST be in English.
Each manuscript must be STAPLED in upper left hand corner.
Please do not use paperclips.
Your name must not appear anywhere on the manuscripts.
It will be rendered ineligible.
Synopsis and title pages do not count as one of the numbered manuscript pages.
Submit 1 one-page cover sheet with your name, literary category, address, and phone number.
Manuscripts will NOT be returned. All manuscripts will be recycled.
Do not send originals.
Do not print on both sides of one page.

Playwriting and Screenwriting (these categories will be judged together)
Category includes stage plays, screenplays, teleplays, libretti, radio plays, and audio dramas.

Select up to 20 pages.
With each manuscript include 1 copy of a one-page typed synopsis and 1 copy of a title page listing the work title, category, genre of work, length of completed work, and year of completion.
Submit 1 one-page cover sheet with your name, literary category, address, and phone number.

Fiction and Non-Fiction (these categories will be judged together)
Fiction includes novels and short stories of any genre.
Non-Fiction includes essays, criticism, journalism, memoirs, autobiography, and monograph.

Select up to 20 pages.
Manuscripts must be double-spaced.
With each manuscript include 1 copy of a one-page typed synopsis, and 1 title page listing the work title, category, genre of work, length of completed work, and year of completion.
If you are excerpting from a larger work, you are strongly advised to include substantial portions, rather than small fragments.
Submit 1 one-page cover sheet with your name, literary category, address, and phone number.

Poetry
Category includes all forms of poetry except performance poetry.

Select up to 10 pages. (Minimum 3 pages).
Poetry may be single-spaced.
With each manuscript copy include 1 copy of a separate page listing work titles
and year of completion.
Submit 1 one-page cover sheet with your name, literary category, address, and
phone number.
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MEDIA ARTS
Digital Arts, Documentary/Narrative/Experimental Film or Video, Film Animation

(A) Documentary/Narrative/Experimental Film or Video, Film Animation
(these categories will be judged together)

Only the DIRECTOR of the film or video submission may apply. The director is considered
the driving creative force behind the formation and creation of a film/video project. We cannot accept submissions from any one other than the director.

Panelists review between five to ten minutes of each applicant’s work, so it is essential that your sample represents pivotal moments.

The name of the artist must not appear or be heard
throughout the entire length of the submission.

For CD submissions by mail / delivered by hand:

Label each CD and case with your name, title of work, date, total running time, and production credits.
Include cue information or real elapsed time indicating start of selected work.

CD submissions for Media Arts:

Video Format: H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 preferred.
Aspect ratio: Native aspect ratio without letterboxing (examples: 4:3, 16:9).
Resolution: 640x360 (16:9) or 480x360 (4:3) recommended.
Frames per second 30.
Maximum length: 10 minutes (we recommend 2-3 minutes).
Maximum file size: 1GB.

(B) Digital Arts
Any works of art in which the creation, presentation or understanding makes use of digital
media such as computers or the Internet. Examples include: animation, interactive installations, internet/web projects, 3D computer models of sculpture, and virtual environments..

NOTE: For all submissions by mail and hand:

All CDs must be in PC format and completely viewable without relying on an Internet connection.
Double-check all submissions to make sure that they can be viewed on a PC computer.
If submitting a CD, label each CD and case with your name, title of work, date, total running time, and production credits. Include cue information or real elapsed time indicating start of selected work.
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PERFORMING ARTS
Acting, Choreography, Dance, Instrumental Music Performance, Music Composition, Performance Poetry, Storytelling/Spoken Word, Vocal Music Performance

(A) Acting, Choreography, Dance, Performance Poetry & Storytelling, Spoken Word
(These categories will be judged together)

Each CD and case must include a label* with your name, title of work, date, total running time, and production credits.
Include cue information or real elapsed time indicating start of selected work.
Clearly specify your role in the production (i.e., “dancer in green”, “actor with
beard”, etc.).
Panelists review between five to ten minutes of each applicant’s work, so it is essential that your sample represents pivotal moments.
Write name directly on CD with Sanford permanent marker by Sharpie.
No Tape or Adhesive.
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(B) Instrumental / Vocal Performance & Music Composition
(These categories will be judged together)

Submissions are accepted on compact disc format CD.
Include a label* with the CD with the title and length of the work, and production credits, and your role in the production (i.e., singer, saxophonist, percussionist, etc.).
With CD submissions, please include track, minute, and second where you want the panel to begin listening to your work.
FOR MUSIC COMPOSITION SUBMISSIONS: Submissions must include a full score, or where appropriate, fully harmonized lead sheets, neatly written and readable. The written music MUST correspond with the selection of music submitted.

CD submissions for Performing Arts:

Video Format: H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 preferred.
Aspect ratio: Native aspect ratio without letterboxing (examples: 4:3, 16:9).
Resolution: 640x360 (16:9) or 480x360 (4:3) recommended.
Frames per second 30.
Maximum length: 10 minutes
Maximum file size: 1GB.

NOTE: The name of the artist must not appear or be said throughout the entire length of the submission!

*Example of label to be included with CD (do not use tape or adhesive on your CD)

TITLE:_____________________________________________________________________
LENGTH OF WORK:_________________________________________________________
CUE INFO (Please include track, minute and second):______________________________
YOUR ROLE IN PRODUCTION:________________________________________________
PRODUCTION CREDITS:_____________________________________________________
DATE:_____________________________________________________________________

VISUAL ARTS
Crafts, Illustration/Artist Book, Installation Art, Mixed Media,
Painting, Performance Art, Photography, Printmaking/Drawing, Sculpture

CD Submissions for Visual Arts (These categories will be judged together)

For Crafts, Illustration/Artist Book, Installation Art, Mixed Media, Painting, Photography, Printmaking/Drawing, and Sculpture:

Five (5) images on a PC-formatted CD, submitted using the following specifications:

Image size: 1240 pixels x 1240 pixels maximum, 300 dpi resolution.
File size: no larger than 2.0 MB (total).
Image format: JPG or JPEG only.
Do not send PowerPoint presentations or work samples saved as PDFs.
Images must be saved directly onto the root directory and not into folders or subdirectories.
Please save your files in the following format: (01_Title of the piece, 02_Title of the piece, etc.) Order must match that of the written Checklist of Artworks. Your name must not appear on the file. This will render your application ineligible.

For Performance Art

Label each CD and case with your name, title of work, date, total running time, and production credits.
Include cue information or real elapsed time indicating start of selected work and a brief
description of the piece

Some helpful definitions for disciplines:

Crafts: Original work by the artist / creator, making use of artistic practices that are traditional or contemporary, functional or decorative. Objects and art utilizing natural materials including but not limited to wood, clay, glass, textiles, fiber and metal. Some examples of craft include pottery, metalwork, quilting, glassblowing, weaving, jewelry making, paper making and crochet.

Installation Art presents a visualization of interior experience 3-dimensionally, in real time and space. (Can be submitted on CD).

Mixed Media combines techniques and materials from two or more fine art processes in the same surface, no one of which predominates.

Performance Art is art where the actions of an individual or group at a particular place and in a particular time constitute the work. Performance Art can be any situation that involves four basic elements: time, space, the performer’s body, and a relationship between performer and audience.

Printmaking/Illustration/Artist Book/Drawing includes aquatints, collages, engravings, etchings, lithographs, prints, woodcuts, and drawings.

Sculpture applies to tri-dimensional work that stands alone on a base or pedestal and that can be seen from all angles.

PLEASE NOTE:

CDs only!

CLICK HERE
for
Checklist of Artworks for Visual Artists Only

CLICK HERE
for
Checklist of Artworks for Media Artists Only
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BRIO APPLICATION WORKSHOPS

Need application assistance?
Want tips on how to professionally present your work?
BRIO Application Workshops will be available to assist you.
Workshop dates will be posted when applications are available
in November 2010.

Individual consultations will be available
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY

Funding for BRIO is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts and New York City Department of Cultural Affairs-Greater New York Arts Development Fund. Additional funding is provided by the Carnegie Corporation, Scherman Foundation, Krasdale Foods, Council Member Maria del Carmen Arroyo, the Office of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., and BCA’s membership program