TGIF! Just wanted to remind everybody that the due date for Artist Applications is tomorrow, February 14th.

Oh my gosh, the response has been oooooooooverwhelming! At this point, we have about 3x-4x as many applications as we have space available. So much good work I have no idea how we are going to choose!

Needless to say, we are excited to find that we are filling such a need in Miami and look forward to doing so for a long time in the future as we grow and offer more services and larger events.

Thank you to everyone who has applied and show support!

-James Echols – Co-Founder – www.lifeisartfest.org

Hello Life Is Art Fans!

Just wanted to let everyone know that the first run of 4×6 flyers/invitations are hot off the press. If anyone would like some to give out to friends and family, please let us know and we will get them right to you. Here is what they look like:

Response to our call for artists so far has been incredible! We have received so many applications, we cannot believe it. The list of artists will be announced no later than February 22nd. There are so many great ones, I have no idea how we are going to choose!

Also, Grolsch Beer and Yelp.com have been confirmed as sponsors! More announcements to come. We are very excited.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Remember, this weekend is the Coconut Grove Arts Fest, the Wynwood Art Walk, and the Design District Art Walk. Lots of great art stuff going on!

Sincerely,
James Echols
Co-Founder
www.lifeisartfest.org

Today is February 7th. Just wanted to remind everyone that there is just ONE WEEK left to send in your applications. The call closes on February 14th. I know that this was very short notice, but we were restricted by the availability of our venue. We appreciate everyone’s understanding. But, hurry!

Artist Application

Hey hey! We got a mention in Metromix Magazine. Pretty cool, just had to share.

Life Is Art Fair
Artist Application/Agreement
Due Date: February 14, 2009
Event Date: March 7, 2009

Please complete all sections of this form and send to: art@lifeisartfest.org

Application
· Artist applications due by February 14, 2009.
· All artists must have primary residence in Southeast Florida.
· Fill out the application below and return
· Include artist statement, biography, and resume.
· Note that this is a NON-THEMED show. Any art format is considered.
· Include at least five (5) images of your art with application. Submission format as follows:
o Emailed in JPG or PDF format, maximum of 2MB per image.
o Uploaded to the Life Is Art Forums, maximum of 20MB per image. Be sure to tell us which post is yours!
o By postal mail to Life Is Art, 1334 Euclid Ave, #10, Miami Beach FL 33139
o With each image, include the following information
§ Artist Name
§ Reference Number (just number them 1 through 5, if you like)
§ Title
§ Size
§ Year
§ Price (including commission)
· All images remain the the property of the artist and may only be used for promotional purposes by Life Is Art if the artist is selected.
· Artists will be notified no later than February 21, 2009 if they have been selected for the fair.
· There is no fee to apply.
· Should you be accepted, set up and take down instructions will be supplied with your acceptance letter.

Artist Exhibition Space
· Each artist will be provided with a display space of at least 20’ x 20’ (400 square feet).
· Life Is Art will charge only a 15% sales commission for each piece sold.
· No display materials will be supplied with the space. Artists are encouraged to bring their own displays and installation materials.
· Artists are encouraged to be creative in the set up of their installations, but all spaces must be returned in the form they were found or a cleaning fee will be assessed to the artist.
· Display and installation materials may be rented from Life Is Art for a small rental. We can supply tables, chairs, temporary walls, lights, and other installation materials. Please contact us no later than February 28th with your needs.
· Art must arrive at the venue ready for hanging or installation.
· Artists must be able to install their own art, or bring personnel to do so.
· Artists are encouraged, but not required, to be in occupation of their space during the hours of the show. If the artist is not available, an artist representative must be onsite at all times.
· Badges will be provided for the artist and up to three (3) representatives for access to back stage and storage areas.
· After the fair concludes, art must be removed by the deadline or a transportation and storage fee will be assessed.

Art Sales
· Life Is Art will handle all art sales.
· Artists need not have a merchant (credit card) account.
· Artists must provide Life Is Art with a list of art for sale at the fair with prices by February 28.
· Life Is Art will take cash or major credit cards as payment.
· After the payments clear (approximately 3 days), Life Is Art will issue a payment to all artists who sold work, minus the 15% sales commission.
· Payment will be made to artists via cash, check, credit card, or Paypal, at the artists request.

Download the Artist Application in Word document format – Click Here

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kitty Dumas
Frost Art Museum
305-348-2890
kdumas@fiu.edu

Submission Deadline for 2009 Cintas Fellowship Applications is Jan. 30

Miami, (Jan. 16, 2009) Artists and musicians have until Jan. 30 to submit applications for the coveted annual Cintas fellowships in the visual arts and music administered by the Cintas Foundation and the Cintas Fellowship Program at FIU’s Frost Art Museum. The fellowship competitions for the 2009 Emilio Sánchez Award in the Visual Arts and the 2009 Brandon Fradd Fellowship in Music Composition began Dec. 9, 2008. Finalists will be announced in May 2009. Cintas fellows are awarded $15,000 and the opportunity to pursue an art project outlined in their applications.
The visual arts award is funded through the generous support of the Emilio Sánchez Foundation to recognize the achievements of the winner of the Cintas Fellowship in the visual arts. Based in New York City, the foundation is a nonprofit organization that preserves and promotes the legacy of the Cuban-born American artist Emilio Sánchez (1921-1999) through research, exhibitions and publications. Applicants must submit original images or film projects. Past visual arts fellows include Ernesto Oroza, Carlos Alfonzo, Teresita Fernández, Anthony Goicolea, Ernesto Oroza, photographers Andres Serrano and María Martínez-Caíñas, sculptor Maria Elena González and filmmaker Mari Rodríguez-Ichaso.
Established in 2006, the Brandon Fradd Fellowship is generously endowed by Brandon Fradd of NewYork City. Managing director of Apollo Medical Partners, Fradd, a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Medical School, grew up in Miami among Cuban friends from whom he learned Spanish and developed an interest in Cuban music. Applicants for the music fellowship must submit original musical compositions and recordings of their work. Past music fellows include Armando Bayolo, Sergio Barroso, Mario Bauza (known as the father of Afro-Cuban jazz), José Bernardo Aldo Rafael Forte, Julián Orbon, Tania León and Orlando Jacinto Garcia. Last year, the first William B. Warren Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Bebo Valdes.
The only one of its kind in the nation, the program has honored some of the world’s most talented Cuban artists and musicians. The Cintas Foundation awards fellowships annually to creative artists of Cuban lineage who are currently residing outside of Cuba.
Since it was established in 1963, the Cintas Fellowship Program has honored more than 300 artists. FIU and the Cintas Foundation Board have been administering the awards program since 2005. The Cintas Fellowship Program encourages creative development in architecture, literature, music composition and the visual arts, and awards annual fellowships in creative writing and visual arts as well. The foundation was established with funds from the estate of Oscar B. Cintas (1887-1957), former Cuban ambassador to the United States, a prominent industrialist and patron of the arts.
Application forms and competition requirements are available online at www.cintasfoundation.org or by contacting Stephanie Guasp at the Frost Art Museum at sguasp@gmail.com.

About the Frost Art Museum- Florida International University

The Frost is an AAM accredited museum and Smithsonian affiliate. The museum is located at 10975 SW 17th St. across from the Blue garage and adjacent to the Wertheim Performing Arts Center on the University Park campus. Its hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 10-5 and Sunday noon-5. The Frost is closed on all legal holidays. For more information, please visit www.frostartmuseum.org or call 305.348.2890.

I received the latest Miami Art Zine email newsletter on December 31st, but today when I went to check their website www.miamiartzine.com, I got 404 Not Found. If anyone knows anything, please come comment in the forum thread I just posted and let us know. It was a great art resource and would be sorely missed, if gone.

While we are still in planning, we have set up a Facebook group for everyone to connect on. Come on by and join up!

We also started a little contest for a cool picture for our Facebook group. Nothing fancy, just something for fun.

Hope everyone has a Happy Holidays and great New Year!