Art Grants

Art is a central part of Firefly, and the event wouldn’t be the same without the wonderful pieces that have been brought to Vermont over the years. Bringing art is a great way to add a piece of yourself to the event and contribute/participate in a meaningful way. Art grants are intended to support and promote radically-expressive, community-based, interactive, and/or collaborative projects that help shape the creative core of the event.

Grants overview

There are several types of grant. This chart is a quick reference guide. Click each grant’s name for more details.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for cool stuff, inspiring stuff, stuff that’s fun to look at, play with, experience, or think about. This doesn’t need to be a “traditional” art form like sculpture or painting (although it could be!), nor does it need to be the kind of Big Impressive Art that you might remember from Burning Man (although it could be!). It could be an immersive space, a roving performance experience, or a big silly game.

You can think about it like this: what would you be excited to discover in the woods? These grants are here to support expression, community, and playfulness, so anything that fits under that umbrella can be considered. Don’t feel hemmed-in!

We are especially interested in proposals from people who aren’t sure they’re artists, who are very sure they aren’t, who are worried they aren’t good enough, or who have never tried anything artistic before. Sharing your weird niche hobby with the rest of Firefly is still an act of Art, and we want to see it!

Funding

Although we will support as many projects as possible, please keep in mind that the Firefly Art Grant budget is limited. This money comes from the community via ticket sale proceeds and private donations. All submitted requests, large and small, will be carefully considered.

Grants don’t pay for…

• Transportation costs (to and from Firefly): Art grants do not generally pay for fuel, vehicle rentals, or other transportation costs (with the exception of Burner Exchange Grants). Please do not include transportation costs in your budget. If you need help transporting your art to Firefly, please reach out to the Art Grant Core at grants@fireflyartscollective.org.
• Labor: Time and effort is how we all participate and contribute to the Firefly Community, so please don’t include labor costs or wages in your budget.
• General-purpose durable goods: We do not fund general-purpose durable goods like DJ / VJ gear, generators, lithium-ion batteries (cheaper or disposable batteries may be considered).
• Tickets and other ‘general’ expenses: We won’t fund your tickets, any food, or camping gear.

Tickets

Grant recipients who attend the event must register for and pay for their own tickets, just like other participants. Art grants do not come with tickets or waive the ticket fee. Grant funds may not be used to pay the ticket price.

If an artist or a critical team member is put on the waitlist, each project can request one (1) discretionary ticket to guarantee that it can be realized at Firefly. The ticket may be allocated to any individual on the grant team (not just the contact). Please contact grants@fireflyartscollective.org for discretionary tickets.

Notification of Receipt of Grant

All applicants will be notified via email. If your project is funded, we will send you a contract to ensure that you are willing to commit to using the funds as proposed and that you agree to follow through on your project, or at least make a good-faith effort. If you fail to send in the contract by the contract deadline, your art grant funds will be distributed to the next grant in the waiting list.

Grant Disbursement Schedule

• 75% – Once the signed contract is received. Even if your project doesn’t turn out as proposed, this money will not need to be returned. It is for you to try to make your vision a reality, but it’s not a conditional loan.
• 25% – After Firefly, confirmed site clean-up, and required documentation is received.
  • Your project will be considered to be complete once proof and documentation have been delivered to, and reviewed by, the Art Grant Review Committee.
  • Your project must be set up no later than 6pm on the Friday of the event to receive the final 25% of funding.

Free Art Transportation (Art Truck)

Firefly offers free transportation for many kinds of art projects. If you need assistance getting your art to the event, FAC will try to arrange free transportation for your art on the Art Truck. You can bring your projects to a few central “Art Hubs” in the Camberville/Boston area to participate. Contact arttruck@fireflyartscollective.org.

Art Grant Review Committee

In order to create an impartial review, applications will be anonymized before they are submitted to the Art Grant Review Committee. The committee members will score each proposal based on the criteria listed below.

Review Criteria

The committee will score each proposal based on the following criteria:

• Thoughtfulness: How well thought-out is the project’s relationship with participants?
• Creativity: How original and awe-inspiring is your project?
• Feasibility: How likely is this project to be completed and installed?

Advice for Prospective Artists

After many years of reviewing grants and seeing what succeeds in the woods, the Art Grant Review Committee has collated the following tips:

• We do not fund art intended primarily to be enjoyed by the camp showing the art. Make sure to explain how your project can be experienced by everyone at Firefly, not just your camp.
• Please note that electronic and mechanical projects have a high rate of failure in the woods. If your project involves soldering, software, or moving parts, please put extra effort into convincing us the project will succeed.
• We are not inclined to fund ball pits unless the design is significantly creative, impressive, and different from what has been done before.