HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-581-E-Arts Commission-Cosmic Rays Foundation -2023-24 Arts GrantsGRASSROOTS ARTS PROGRAM / ARTIST PROJECT GRANT 2023-24
Grantee Name
Authorizing Official
Project Title
Award
Grant Category ☐Artist Project Grant Program
Funding Source
Date
End Date
OCAC Report Due
☐Grassroots Arts Program
☐North Carolina Arts Council ☐ Orange County
July 1, 2023
June 30, 2024
Monday, July 15, 2024
Stipulations ☐Grantee must spend $ on the hiring of multicultural artists specified in
the grant application.
☐Grantee must properly credit the Orange County Arts Commission using the proper
logo on all publicity materials for the funded program. Recipients of operations‐related
grants must include the OCAC logo with link to www.artsorange.org on grantee’s
website. Download logos on the OCAC website at
https://artsorange.org/grants/grantee‐resources
☐Grantee must properly credit the Orange County Arts Commission and the N.C. Arts
Council using the proper logos and N.C. Arts Council credit line on all publicity materials
for funded program. Recipients of operations‐related grants must include the OCAC logo
with link to www.artsorange.org and N.C. Arts Council logo, credit line, and link to
www.ncarts.org on grantee’s website. Download logos and view proper credit line
language on the OCAC website at https://artsorange.org/grants/grantee‐resources
☒The Grant Recipient must enter all events, exhibits, and performances (virtual or in‐
person) open to the public and related to this grant award on the Orange County Arts
Commission website at www.artsorange.org/events. In addition, the Grant Recipient
must add a link to www.artsorange.org (Orange County Arts Commission logo
preferred) to their main webpage.
Staff Contact Katie Murray, Director
(919)245‐2335 | kmurray@orangecountync.gov
Cosmic Rays Foundation
William Brown President
Cosmic Rays Film Festival Programming Support
$3,000.00
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3,000.00
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DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
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Revised August 2022
ORANGE COUNTY ARTS
COMMISSION 2023-24
GRANT AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, entered into this 29 day of September, 2023, by and between Orange
County ("County"), by and through the Orange County Arts Commission ("Arts
Commission") and ("Grant Recipient").
WHEREAS, the Arts Commission is a countywide arts agency that ensures the growth of
local arts experiences by providing funding and support for diverse high quality programs and
projects.
WHEREAS, the Arts Commission administers the annual Grants Program to provide
economic opportunities to Orange County artists and non-profit organizations coordinating arts
projects benefiting the citizens of Orange County.
WHEREAS, the annual Arts Grants Program is supported by Arts Commission with
funds from the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, a state agency.
WHEREAS, the Grant Recipient was selected by the Arts Commission to receive
the annual Arts Grant through the procedures duly adopted by the Arts Commission; and
WHEREAS, both parties wish to promote and maintain the integrity and clarity of the
Grant Recipient's ideas and statements and delineate the Grant Recipient’s obligations to the
County;
NOW, THEREFORE, the County and the Grant Recipient, for the consideration
and under the conditions hereinafter set forth, agree as follows:
1.Approved Grant Project. Grant funds are provided under this Agreement for the project
(“Project”) described in the Grant Recipient’s Grant Application, attached hereto and
incorporated herein as Exhibit A.
2.Grant Award. Grant funds in an amount not to exceed ($ )
have been awarded by the Arts Commission to the Grant Recipient for the approved
Project. The Recipient shall be required to match funds at least dollar-for-dollar with cash
from the Grant Recipient’s funds not derived from either Orange County appropriations or
the North Carolina Arts Council, as outlined in the attached Exhibit A.
3.Contingency. This grant is contingent on North Carolina Arts Council Grassroots
Program funding to the Arts Commission. Final decisions on Grassroots Program funds
to the North Carolina Arts Council are subject to approval by the North Carolina General
Assembly.
4.Responsibilities of the Grant Recipient
Cosmic Rays Foundation
three thousand dollars $3,000.00
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
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A.Implementation. The Project implementation shall take place between July 1,
2023 and June 30, 2024. The Project shall be implemented in the manner
described in Exhibit A. Time is of the essence in the implementation of the
Project.
B.Modifications to project. Grant Recipient shall present major changes to the
original proposal, including but not limited to changes in design, implementation
schedule and increase in Project budget by more than 10%, in writing to the Arts
Commission for approval. Arts Commission shall approve or disapprove Grant
Recipient’s request for modifications within seven (7) days of receipt thereof.
Consent to project modifications shall not be unreasonably withheld. Arts
Commission’s decisions shall be in writing. In the event the Arts Commission
fails to approve or disapprove the requested modifications within the time stated
herein, the modifications shall be deemed approved.
C.Non–assignment. The grant cannot be assigned or transferred to a different project
or artist without prior written approval of the Arts Commission.
D.Records. Grant Recipient must maintain records and other evidence pertaining to
costs incurred and revenues acquired during the Project implementation. Grant
Recipient shall maintain financial records pertaining to the Project for three (3)
years from the date of this Agreement, in case of audit.
E.Use of Funds. Grant Recipient shall not use the grant funds to repay outstanding
taxes or other debts of any nature. The grants shall be utilized solely for the
purpose described in the attached Exhibit A.
F.Final Report. Grant Recipient shall submit to the Arts Commission a Final Report
on July 15, 2024. The Final Report shall be in the format required by the North
Carolina Arts Council. Failure to submit the Final Report or late submission of
the Final Report, for any reason, shall be grounds for denial and/or cancellation of
grant funds for the Project and future grant proposals.
5.Responsibilities of the Arts Commission
A.Payment. The Arts Commission shall release the grant funds in the amount of
$ to the Grant Recipient.
6.Publicity
A.Acknowledgement. Credit must be given to the Orange County Arts
Commission and/or the North Carolina Arts Council using the proper logo(s)
and credit line in brochures, news releases, programs, and all other printed and
online publications. Copies of such printed materials must accompany the
evaluation report. Official Orange County Arts Commission and North Carolina
Arts Council logos may be downloaded at www.artsorange.org/grantee-resources
and may not be altered in any way. When no printed information is used, verbal
$3,000.00
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
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Revised August 2022
credit shall be given. In addition, all print and promotional material must include
the following credit line and logo(s) (check all that apply):
i.County Funds Only. Orange County Arts Commission logo required.
Credit line required for audio projects: “This program is supported by the
Orange County Arts Commission.”
ii.North Carolina Arts Council Funding. The Orange County Arts
Commission and the North Carolina Arts Council logos are required. Credit
line: “This program is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.”
B.The Grant Recipient must enter all events, exhibits, and performances open to the
public and related to this grant award on the Orange County Arts Commission
website at www.artsorange.org/events. In addition, the Grant Recipient must
add a link to www.artsorange.org (Orange County Arts Commission logo
preferred) to their main webpage.
7.Indemnity. The Grant Recipient agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the County, the
Arts Commission and the North Carolina Arts Council and their officers and employees
from any and all claims or actual injury, damage or loss to a person, or real or personal
property that results from or is in any way connected to the use of the grant funds.
8.Independent Contractor. The Grant Recipient is an independent contractor and not an
employee, agent or other representative of the County and/or the Arts Commission.
Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed to create the relationship of
principal and agent, or employer and employee, between Grant Recipient and Arts
Commission or Orange County Government. Grant Recipient understands and agrees
that he/she is not authorized to incur any expenses or any liability whatsoever on behalf
of the County or the Arts Commission and has no authority, expressed or implied, to
obligate or make representations on behalf of the County or the Arts Commission. In
addition, Grant Recipient agrees to maintain his or her own worker's compensation
insurance for himself/herself and his or her employees for the duration of the art work's
installation.
9.Termination
A.In the event of any of the circumstances set forth below (hereinafter referred to as
“default”), the Arts Commission may immediately terminate this Agreement:
(i)Any fraudulent representation in any verification required to obtain
payment under this Agreement or other dishonesty on a material matter
relating to the performance of services under this Agreement.
(ii)Nonperformance, incomplete service or performance, or failure to
satisfactorily perform any part of the Project or to comply with any
provision of this Agreement, as determined by the Arts Commission in its
sole discretion.
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4
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
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(iii)Failure to adhere to the terms of applicable county, state or federal laws,
regulations, or stated public policy.
B.In the event of default by the Grant Recipient, the Arts Commission has the
discretion to elect to terminate this Agreement, in whole or in part and/or require
the Grant Recipient to repay the grant funds within seven (7) from written notice
of default or allow the grant recipient the opportunity to cure the default. This
clause shall not be interpreted to limit the County’s or the Arts Commission’s
remedies in law or in equity.
10.Miscellaneous.
A.Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the attachments contain the final and
entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this
Agreement. All modifications and amendments to this Agreement shall be in
writing. This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties, their heirs, successors
and assigns.
B.Governing Law. Governing Law and Priority: Both parties agree that this
Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina and
Orange County. Grant Recipient shall at all times remain in compliance with all
applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations including but not
limited to all state and federal anti-discrimination laws, policies, rules, and
regulations and the Orange County Non-Discrimination Policy and Orange
County Living Wage Policy (each policy is incorporated herein by reference and
may be viewed at
http://www.orangecountync.gov/departments/purchasing_division/contracts.php.).
Any violation of this requirement is a breach of this Agreement and Arts
Commission may immediately terminate this Agreement without further
obligation on the part of the Arts Commission. This paragraph is not intended to
limit and does not limit the definition of breach to discrimination. By executing
this Agreement the Grant Recipient certifies that they has not been identified, and
has not utilized the services of any agent or subcontractor identified, on the list
created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.58. By executing this
Agreement the Grant Recipient certifies that they has not been identified, and has
not utilized the services of any agent or subcontractor identified, on the list
created by the State Treasurer pursuant to G.S. 147-86.81. By executing this
Agreement Grant Recipient affirms they are and shall remain in compliance with
Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the North Carolina General Statutes. In determining
the basic services to be provided, should any documents be referenced in or
attached to this Agreement, the terms herein shall have priority in any conflict
between the terms of referenced documents and the terms of this Agreement.
C.Dispute Resolution: Neither party may initiate binding arbitration. Any disputes
shall be resolved by nonbinding mediation. If such mediation fails either party
may initiate litigation to resolve the dispute. Should either party initiate litigation
to settle any dispute involving the terms of this Agreement such litigation shall be
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
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Revised August 2022
initiated in the General Court of Justice of North Carolina seated in Orange
County, North Carolina.
D.Signatures. This Agreement together with any amendments or modifications may
be executed electronically. All electronic signatures affixed hereto evidence the
intent of the Parties to comply with Article 11A and Article 40 of North Carolina
General Statute Chapter 66.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Orange County and the Grant Recipient have signed this Grant
Agreement, effective on the last date this Agreement is signed by both parties as indicated by the
dates set forth under signatures below.
For and on behalf of the Grant Recipient
Date
For and on behalf of Orange County Government
Bonnie Hammersley, County Manager Date
William Brown President
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
10/12/2023
10/17/2023
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Revised August 2022
ORANGE COUNTY—DEPARTMENT USE ONLY
Department
Party/Vendor Name: Party/Vendor Contact Person: Contact Phone: Party/Vendor Address:
City State: NC Zip: Department: COUNTYMGR/Arts Commission Amount:
Purpose: 2023-24 Arts Grants Budget Code(s):30601020-683000-96060 Vendor # (N/A if new vendor) Vendor
is a BOCC consultant? Yes No Contract Type: (Check one) New Renewal Amendment Effective
No Date 9-29-2023 Approved by Board Yes Agenda Date:
This agreement is approved as to technical form and content:
Department Director’s Signature Date:
Information Technologies
(Applicable only to hardware/software purchases or related services) This agreement has been reviewed and is
approved as to information technology content and specifications:
Office of the Chief Information Officer Date:
Risk Management
This agreement is approved for sufficiency of insurance standards, specifications, and requirements:
Office of the Risk Management Officer Date:
Financial Services
This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control
Act:
Office of the Chief Financial Officer Date:
Legal Services
This agreement is approved as to legal form and sufficiency:
Office of the County Attorney Date:
Clerk to the Board
Received for record retention:
All Docusign contracts must be copied to Laura Jensen upon completion @ljensen@orangecountync.gov
The following signature block is for hard copies only and is not required for Docusign contracts:
Office of the Clerk to the Board _Date:_
Cosmic Rays Foundation William Brown 806-789-6906
16 DAVIE CIR Chapel Hill 16 DAVIE CIR CHAPEL HILL, NC 27514 $3,000.00
68265
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
10/12/2023
10/13/2023
10/13/2023
10/17/2023
Orange County Arts Commission Powered by Submittable
Title Cosmi c Rays Foundati on
by Bill Brown in 2023-24 Grassroots Arts Program
Grant Application
16 Davie Cir
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
27514-5900
United States
806-789-6906
dreamwhip@gmail.com
05/23/2023
id. 38498862
Original Submission 05/23/2023
APPLICANT
INFORMATION
Please tell us about your organization.
Organization Name Cosmic Rays Foundation
Mailing Address of
Organization
16 DAVIE CIR
CHAPEL HILL, NC
27514
How did you hear
about our grant
program?
Other
Did you or a
representative of
your orgnanization
attend one of our
grants training
sessions?
Yes
Nature of
Organization
Arts Organization
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
Organization
Description
The Cosmic Rays Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that presents the
annual Cosmic Rays Film Festival. Our mission is to support and celebrate
experimental films and digital media art created by regional, national, and
global media artists; and to provide a venue in Orange County where a
diverse range of audiences can have access to this vital and expanding
area of the arts.
The first Cosmic Rays festival took place in 2018 at the Varsity Theatre in
downtown Chapel Hill. Since that time, Cosmic Rays has expanded its
programming and partnered with other local non-profit venues, including the
Morehead Planetarium on the campus of UNC where we presented a
program of digital videos commissioned for display on a planetarium dome;
the Nightlight and Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, local music venues where we
have presented curated live-cinema programs; Fatwood Studio, an artists'
project space near Carrboro where we have organized festival after-parties
and filmmakers' lunches; and Arts Everywhere, a comprehensive initiative
at UNC that collaborates with diverse partners to embed the arts into daily
life. During our last edition in 2023, we saw some 400 people attend our
screening and live-cinema programs. Based on our post-festival audience
survey, we determined that our festival's reach extends across Orange
County, the Triangle, and the state.
In addition to programming two nights of cinema art selected from over 500
submissions from around North Carolina and the world, Cosmic Rays also
invites distinguished film programmers to curate thematic programs of work.
Visiting curators have included David Dinnell, former programmer of the
Ann Arbor Film Festival who brought a collection of 16mm films from the
Canyon Cinema archive that were made by feminist filmmakers; Aily Nash,
experimental programmer for the New York Film Festival, who presented
work commissioned for a planetarium; and Rachael Rakes, co-curator of
the Film Society at Lincoln Center’s Art of the Real, whose program entitled
“Forms Are Facts” focused on the groundbreaking experimental work of
contemporary female filmmakers-of-color. During our 5th edition, we were
able to invite Indian-American filmmaker Suneil Sanzgiri to present a
program of personal documentaries in which he contends with questions of
identity, heritage, culture and diaspora in relation to structural violence.
Since 2022, we have also created the Cosmic Rays Touring Festival.
Each year, we select films from the past festival and create a traveling
program of work. By partnering with screening venues across the country,
we are able to reach even more audiences, promote our festival's work,
and raise the profile of North Carolina artists' cinema. Our 2022-23 tour
included screenings at Union Docs in New York City; the International Film
Series in Boulder, Colorado; and the W exner Center for the Arts in
Columbus, Ohio.
The Cosmic Rays Foundation was established in June, 2022. Our board
consists of Sabine Gruffat (CEO), Bill Brown (President), and Kathie
Roberts (legal counsel). Our goal is to grow this board and our
organizational capacity in the coming years to ensure our festival's
sustainability.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
Has your
organization
undergone any
Diversity, Equity, and
Inclusion (DEI)
training? If so,
please explain. If not,
please explain any
barriers that have
prevented you from
receiving this
training.
Despite our limited budget, we have been able to benefit from the wealth of
DEI resources available online. These have helped immensely as we've
worked to clarify and augment our diversity efforts over the years both in
terms of artistic programming and audience outreach, and especially over
the last year as we've transitioned from an artist-run festival to a nonprofit
organization. Of particular help has been the University Film & Video
Association's EDIT Media (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Teaching
Media) initiative. Edit Media's online resources provide useful frameworks
for programming media work, as well as educational resources that provide
insight into ways we can discuss and expand our thinking about media art
and media art education.
Inspired by these DEI resources, we have sought to make DEI fundamental
to the way we program art work, reach out to audiences, and structure our
organization. Some tangible initiatives have been our ongoing effort to
reach out to a wide diversity of voices and communities during
programming, especially filmmakers who might be unable to submit work
through our annual call or who may be unaware of the call; a special focus
on promoting the festival to HBCU's, community arts organizations, and
other venues that tap into historically underrepresented communities; and
online and word-of-mouth outreach that helps us reach beyond reflexive
channels of communication and circulation. W e are especially proud of our
efforts to keep submissions fees low and to pay filmmakers who participate
in the festival a screening fee, a practice that is rare among film festivals in
the United States, but something we feel is crucial in our effort to create
artist equity.
In recent years, we have sought to increase the diversity of our screening
committee, a key part of the process by which we discover and program
work from a wide variety of makers. Each year, we also integrate
conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our training meetings
with the committee, emphasizing the fact that Cosmic Rays is founded on a
mission to explore, support, and promote film and media art that comes
from the rich and wonderful variety of artists who are working in the field
today.
Since the festival’s founding, we have been cognizant of the ways access
to artwork can be limited by geographical distance, limited financial
resources, physical disability, and a range of other factors. In addition to
responsible in-person festival screenings, we sell festival passes on a
donate-what-you-can basis, and we continue to explore online streaming
platforms that will allow us to reach audiences who remain socially
distanced or have limited mobility. Our recently inaugurated touring program
was conceived as another opportunity to connect with new, expanded, and
diverse audience communities beyond our two-day festival event.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
During FY22-23, will
your organization
receive operational
support funding from
the North Carolina
Arts Council or the
North Carolina
Department of
Natural and Cultural
Resources?
No
Organization's EIN 883790225.0
Organization
W ebsite
www.cosmicraysfilmfest.com
Authorizing Official's
Name
W illiam Brown
Authorizing Official's
Title
President
Authorizing Official's
Phone
806-789-6906
Authorizing Official's
Email
cosmicraysfilmfest@gmail.com
Applicant Race W hite
Financial Overview
FinancialOv erv iew_Submittable.xlsx
Organizational Financial Statements
Cosmic_Rays_2023-4_Draft_Budget.pdf
COSMIC_RAYS_2023_Income_Expense_Sheet.xlsx
Deficit/Surplus
Are you an entity of
UNC-Chapel Hill or
another unit of state
government?
No
PROJECT/PROGRAM
INFORMATION
Tell us about your project or program
Title of Grant
Request
Cosmic Rays Film Festival Programming Support
Grant Amount
Requested
3000
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
Is the person in
charge of this
program or project
different from the
Authorizing Official?
No
W hat are you
requesting funding
for?
A specific program or project
Project/Program
Summary
The 6th Annual Cosmic Rays Film Festival which will take place as a live
event at the Varsity Theater in Chapel Hill, NC and the Cat's Cradle in
Carrboro, NC from February 29 - March 1, 2024.
Grassroots Arts Program funding will help support:
1. Venue rental for live festival screenings and live-cinema performance,
2. Artist fees for filmmakers whose work is selected for the screening
programs,
3. Travel and accommodation for visiting filmmakers and media artists, with
priority given to artists working in North Carolina and artists participating in
the live AV-performance program.
4. Stipends for artistic direction and administration of the festival.
Project Start Date
(no earlier than July
1, 2023)
November 1, 2023
Project End Date (no
later than June 30,
2024)
March 31, 2024
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
Project Goals The overall goal of our film festival is to support and promote formally
inventive artists' cinema and media art created by artists speaking with a
variety of voices and representing a diversity of communities and life
experiences; and to grow an audience for this exciting and important art
work in our city, county, region, and beyond. W e measure our success in
terms of the quality of the work we present and the impact this work makes
both on our audience here in North Carolina as well as on the field of
artists' cinema as a whole.
The quality of the work we present is determined by careful evaluation of
the films submitted during our open call by a Screening Committee made up
of artists and arts professionals. Due to the limitations of the open call, and
the fact that many underserved communities may not be connected to the
same networks of exhibition and circulation, we also make a point to reach
out to artists from a diversity of backgrounds in order to solicit their work;
and we invite guest curators to expand the kinds of films we show.
Since our beginnings in 2018, we have seen our audience grow thanks to
promotional efforts, advertising, online outreach, and word-of-mouth. It has
been and remains our goal to build a large and diverse audience and to
reach beyond the sometimes narrow confines of the art world to promote
this vibrant and broadly relevant form of film art.
Audience Description Now entering its sixth season, Cosmic Rays’ profile has grown along with
its audience, from 100 attendees and three visiting artists in 2018 to some
500 attendees from across the Triangle and a dozen visiting artists, live-
cinema performers, and digital media artists from North Carolina and
beyond in 2023.
Cosmic Rays firmly believes in the role regional art exhibition can play in
supporting and cultivating an artistic community outside of the handful of
major urban centers which enjoy an outsize share of cultural resources.
W e are cognizant of the ways access to artwork can be limited by
geographical distance, limited financial resources, physical disability, and a
range of other factors. W e are therefore committed to offering festival
passes on a donate-what-you-can basis, and we continue to explore online
and streaming options to reach audiences who cannot attend the festival in
person.
Based on data gathered from our most recent post-festival audience
surveys, our audience comes primarily from the Triangle region, but with a
significant number of folks from across the state, and even a small share
from neighboring states (Virginia and Georgia). Our audience reports that
they value the festival's mission to screen experimental film and are
excited by both the screenings and live-performance programs. At our most
recent edition, 33% of respondents said this was their first time to attend
the festival, while 67% had attended the festival more than once. 92% said
they were highly likely to attend again.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
Location Description The Cosmic Rays Film Festival takes place at two primary venues. Film
screenings are programmed at the Varsity Theater in Chapel Hill, a fully
accessible space conveniently located in the center of town, close to
parking and public transit. Live-cinema and live-audiovisual performances
are programmed at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro. This space is also
accessible and ADA compliant, with parking and public transit located
nearby.
Artist Description Cosmic Rays programs both its film festival from submissions collected
during an annual open call. W e are committed to making the festival
accessible to emerging as well as established media artists, and to artist
communities that are underrepresented at experimental media arts
festivals. W e believe in the idea of the open call as the most equitable way
to program work and to discover new artistic talents and voices outside
established curatorial channels. W e make an effort during the open call to
reach out to a large variety of potential submitters, with an emphasis on
high schools, community colleges, and universities (including HBCUs), and
community arts organizations. W e are especially committed to supporting
North Carolina-based artists, and we include a discounted North Carolina
Media Artist category in our open call in an effort to foster and support
regional artists.
All work submitted to the festival is viewed and discussed by a Selection
Committee made up of volunteers from the community who have a passion
for and background in cinema art. In past years, the committee has
included graduates and faculty from the MFA in Experimental and
Documentary Arts at Duke University; graduates and faculty from the MFA
in Studio Arts at UNC-Chapel Hill; independent arts programmers; and
independent filmmakers and media artists from the region. Each submission
is viewed by at least three members of the selection committee. Top-
ranked submissions are reviewed by the festival co-directors who make
final programming decisions, prioritizing work that extends the artistic
possibilities of cinema and new media technology; that challenges
audience expectations of cinema form and content; that arises from a
diversity of life experiences, identities, and communities; and that
questions conventional models of production, exhibition, and distribution.
In our upcoming season, we expect to select some 30-40 films from a
submission pool of approximately 500 entries, and to program three live-
audiovisual performances, including a magic lantern performance by
internationally-known filmmaker Charlotte Pryce. W e are also in
conversation with UNC's Ackland Art Museum to sponsor a visiting
Indigenous filmmaker to screen a program of work in conjunction with the
Ackland's planned exhibition of Indigenous art in the W inter of 2024.
Are you hiring
multicultural artists
with the requested
funds from this
grant?
Yes
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
For each multicultural
artist you intend to
hire, please list their
name, race, and how
much you plan to pay
them.
Fox Maxy, Indigenous visiting filmmaker (Kumeyaay and Payómkawichum
ancestry), screening program of work in conjunction with Ackland Art
Museum, $2000
Various filmmakers-of-color TBD, participating filmmakers are paid
screening fee, approx. $40 each
How will the
project/program be
publicized and
promoted to reach
intended
participants?
1. Online promotion through festival social media (Facebook, Instagram,
etc.) and website
2. Promotion via participating artists' social media
3. Paid print (Indy W eek) and online advertising
4. Email promo campaigns
5. Posters and flyers
6. Direct outreach to local colleges, schools, arts organizations, etc.
7. Promotional interviews and articles about the festival
8. Fund-raising activities in advance of festival
9. W ord-of-mouth
How will you
evaluate the success
of the program?
Cosmic Rays evaluates its success according to a number of quantitative
and qualitative metrics to measure both the quality of work presented by
the festival and the impact of the festival on both the local community and
the wider community of artist filmmakers and digital media artists. Some of
these metrics include:
1. Audience attendance numbers at screenings, performances, and events.
2. Site visits, followers, and commentary on social media (Facebook,
Instagram, etc.).
3. Online and print reviews of festival programming and events by
participating artists and audience members.
4. W ritten accounts of the festival by film and arts writers and critics.
5. W ord-of-mouth accounts by festival attendees and participating artists.
6. Repeat submissions by past participants, and new participation by a
diverse range of filmmakers and media artists.
7. Grants, donations, sponsorships, and/or in-kind donations to support the
continuation and expansion of festival programming.
8. Feedback from festival volunteers and staff.
9. Feedback and data gathered by our post-festival online audience
survey.
PROJECT/PROGRAM
BUDGET
Please fill out the charts below with your project's expenses and income.
Use the "Explanation" box to offer details for each category. NOTE: The
Total Cash Expense must equal the Total Cash Income.
Project Expense
Expenses-english-rev ised.xlsx
Project Income
Income-english-rev ised.xlsx
Resumes of artists/administrators
Brown_CV2023.pdf
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6
Gruffat_CV2023.pdf
Board of Directors List
Cosmic_Rays_Foundation_Board_Members.pdf
IRS Tax Exemption
IRS_Approv al_Cosmic_Rays.pdf
W ork Samples
Video Sample:
External Link 1
https://vimeo.com/700086071/7d96d20c2b?share=copy
Video Sample:
External Link 2
Video Sample:
External Link 3
Letters of support (optional)
Cosmic_Rays_Letter_of_Support-Jh.pdf
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9534835E-C98C-4014-88B5-64907150F4B6