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Here's How Queens Artists Can Get Up to $5K for Their Projects

 The Ayazamana Dance Group is one of the Queens groups funded by the Queens Arts Fund in 2014.
The Ayazamana Dance Group is one of the Queens groups funded by the Queens Arts Fund in 2014.
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Queens Council on the Arts

ASTORIA — Calling all Queens creatives: the Queens Council on the Arts is now accepting applications for its annual Queens Arts Fund, which provides grants to artists and art groups in the borough to support their projects.

Applicants have until Oct. 9 to apply online for the 2015 grants, which are funded through the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts and range from $1,000 to $5,000.

"These are emerging artists grants," said Lynn Lobell, managing director for Queens Council on the Arts, who said one-time recipients include the now well-established Socrates Sculpture Park and the Queens World Film Festival.

"Those were emerging organizations at one time, and they grew with these taxpayer dollars," Lobell said. "These grants do open the door for other opportunities."

The Queens Arts Fund supports projects in all disciplines, though those funded are expected to do the work in Queens, and supported projects must ultimately be accessible to the general public.

A full list of guidelines and eligibility requirements for the available grants can be found here.

In 2014, Queens Council on the Arts doled out more than $180,000 through the program, providing grants to 31 individual artists and 47 organizations in Queens.

First-time applicants are required to complete an information session, either in person or through video tutorials on the QCA's website. Other resources to help with the application process can be found here.

"We really offer a lot of technical assistance — the technical assistance is important, especially if you've never written a grant before," Lobell said. "We encourage people to start early, and think very clearly about their projects."