ARC (Artists' Resource for Completion)

ARC FAQs

I am finishing a body of work, and need some funding to carry me over until it is done. Can I apply for an ARC grant?

ARC grants must be tied to a specific opportunity that will benefit the artist's career. The opportunity can be an invitation from a venue - such as a gallery, museum or theater - to present your work. The dates of the event must be secured, and the applicant must submit a copy of the invitation from the venue. Applications to complete work that is not being produced for a specific, invitational opportunity are not eligible.

How do you decide whether the opportunity will benefit the artist's career?

First, we look to the artist's statement of purpose describing how the opportunity will affect his or her career. We also look at the resume to see where he or she has presented in the past and whether the new opportunity is a significant building block, such as a first opportunity for a solo show. Sometimes the benefit is that the artist is taking a risk by working in a new medium, or collaborating with a fellow artist who will allow the applicant to stretch in a new direction.

I am collaborating with a group of artists. Can we apply for the grant together?

ARC grants are made to individuals, not groups. Multiple ARC grants will not be made to support one group project, so collaborating artists should confer and decide which member of the group will apply for the grant.

I am one of several artists participating in a group show, and we all need extra funding. Should we all submit individual applications to ARC?

You are technically eligible to apply, but multiple applications for a single project can be frustrating to a review panel. Because the Foundation's financial capacity is limited, we are unlikely to provide funding to more than one artist in a particular event. We advise artists in such a situation to confer with their curator to determine which participants(s) might present the strongest proposal to fit the ARC guidelines, and to apply accordingly.

What are "core" expenses and why don't you fund them?

Core expenses are the basic expenses you will need to incur to fulfill your obligation to the host venue to present your work. If you are a dancer and have been invited to perform in Houston, for example, your plane ticket would be a core expense. (If you can't get there, there's no performance.) We assume that you have already committed to do the proposed project, whether or not you get Durfee support. Accordingly, core expenses are those that enable the event. ARC expenses are reserved for those that will polish and improve it.

We don't fund core expenses because we don't feel we can be responsible for the viability of all ARC applicants, whose public presentations are scheduled to take place within a short span of time. To do so would be destabilizing for both artists and venues.

I'd like to use ARC funds to document my show. Is that possible?

No. Because ARC funds are so modest, they are limited to those expenses that will make the event look or sound better. Consequently, catalogues and video documentation are very unlikely to be funded. We recognize that documentation is important to an artist's career, but it falls outside the scope of ARC funding.

I'd like to use ARC funds to promote my event. Is that okay?

No, ARC funds are limited to only those expenses that will make the event look or sound better. While promotion is important for attracting audiences, it doesn't in itself improve the quality of the artist's work.

Can I use ARC funds to pay myself a fee?

No. While we firmly believe that artists should be paid for their work, a request to use ARC funds to pay a fee to oneself is unlikely to be funded. We receive many applications, and we are looking for those that promise modest but demonstrable impact from the use of ARC funds -- we want to know how the work will look or sound better as a direct result of the grant. Since all applicants deserve to be paid, a request to pay oneself simply isn't competitive.

Can I use ARC funds to pay fees to collaborators?

Yes. Many ARC recipients use the funds to engage collaborators' service, which they could not otherwise afford. You may wish to bring on a director, hire live musicians, contract a metalworker, or pay collaborators for additional rehearsals -- all of which will measurably improve the way the work looks or sounds. If you propose engaging collaborators, be as specific as you can: name them, and state why they're the best choice for you. Fees already included in your core expenses in Part I are not eligible. If you have promised your host venue a musical trio, for example, we would expect to see fees for the trio in your core budget in Part I. We would, however, allow use of ARC funds to add a performer, so that you could have a quartet.

I have been invited to curate a show. Can I apply for ARC funding?

No. ARC funds are reserved for artists who have a presenting opportunity. Curators are not eligible to apply.

I live in Los Angeles, but the presenting opportunity I have is in New Mexico. Can I apply?

Yes, the art venue can be anywhere in the world. The artist must live in Los Angeles.

I live in New York, but I have an invitation to present my work in Los Angeles. Can I apply?

No, the artist must reside in Los Angeles.

I am working on a public art project. Can I apply for funds?

Yes, if there is a specific, firm "unveiling" date. In the statement of purpose, be sure to include information about the exact completion/public opening date, and any sort of reception or commemorative event related to the opening.

I don't have a live event, but I've been invited by a publisher to publish my work. Can I request funds related to publishing costs?

Unfortunately, no. Eligibility is restricted to artists' live performance of their work. We understand that recording and publishing are crucial to an artist's career. Durfee, however, is a small foundation, and we find ourselves already overwhelmed by requests for support of live events. We regret not being able to support publishing requests. However, costs related to a public reading or other book-release event may be eligible for support.

Why doesn't the Durfee Foundation look at work samples?

The purpose of the ARC program is to provide small grants in a short time frame so that artists can take advantage of specific opportunities for presentation of their work. Rather than look at work samples, which is a slow and labor-intensive process, the foundation relies on the judgment of the venue that has committed to presenting the work. Reliance on the venue's judgment allows our small office a fast turnaround time on grant decisions and the ability to get funding to artists quickly.

How do you define "completion" for the purposes of the grant?

By completion, we mean the final steps in preparing or improving a work for public presentation. Because the artist's proposed event must take place within a short time after the award is made, we presume that the work to be presented is already well underway. Completion expenses may include a wide range of final touches, such as framing, shipping, the reproduction or creation of new pieces to augment a larger body of work, the rental or purchase of equipment to enhance production, the hiring of an assistant, the engagement of a designer or other collaborator, and so on.

I received an ARC grant last year. When can I reapply?

Artists who have received grants are eligible to apply the following calendar year. If you received a fourth-quarter ARC grant in November, for example, you can reapply anytime in the following calendar year.

Who is on the review panel that allocates the grants?

The ARC Selection Committee consists of a Durfee staff member and/or trustees of the Durfee Foundation, and three working artists who have received an ARC grant in the past.

What are the odds that I will be awarded an ARC grant?

We typically receive 75-110 applications each quarter, and are able to make about 15 full grants. That puts the odds of receiving an ARC grant somewhere between 1 and 7, and 1 in 11, depending on the number of applications in a particular round.

Are people who have received an ARC grant in the past judged by the same standards as those who have never received one?

ARC alumni who apply for a second grant are held to a higher standard for impact than first-time awardees. For example, if an artist receives an ARC grant to perform at a dance festival in L.A., it is unlikely that this artist will receive a second grant to perform at a dance festival in L.A. The second grant should provide a career boost well beyond that of the first grant. Artists seeking third or fourth ARC grants will be held to even higher standards. Artists who have received a previous ARC grant are asked to explain in their new application how they used their prior ARC funds and how the project advanced their career. When the Selection Committee reviews new applications from ARC alumni, it will take into account how well the artist used the previous ARC grant and its impact on the artist's career.

When should I expect to hear back after submitting my application?

You will hear back within five weeks of the deadline date about the status of your application.

ARC (Artists' Resource for Completion) Overview »