Fund$ for Floats
The Wheaton Arts Parade will award as many as SIX grants of up to $500 each for the creation of floats and parade art for the 7th Annual Wheaton Arts Parade & Festival. (Link to application form at bottom)
The theme for the 2023 parade is "Art for Action." Before we can make our world a better place, there has to be a vision of the future that inspires action. Give us your vision, your call to action in a float or parade art. And if you just want to make something beautiful, bring it! If will inspire us to want more beauty in our world.
ALL ORIGINAL ART IS WELCOME!
Deadline: Rolling
Applications will be reviewed as they are received until midnight on August 30, 2023. There is an advantage to applying early because funds may be exhausted by the deadline. The sooner you apply the sooner you can start work on your float.
Eligibility: Open to all residents of Montgomery County, MD.
Because our mission is to bring the community together with art, preference will be given to proposals that involve groups such as schools, community organizations and arts groups. Please involve your friends and neighbors. Applicants must be over 18, but we hope their team will be made up of people of all ages.
Technical requirements: There are no limits to the kinds of art that can be in the parade as long as it is "hand made" and is “people-powered.” Motorized vehicle are NOT permitted. The content of parade art is as unlimited as the imagination of the artist, but artists should keep in mind that the spectators will include families and children. In making a float there are three important considerations: scale, mobility, and stability.
The parade is outdoors and spectators cannot get a close look at artwork from the sidewalk. Therefore, the scale of artwork needs to be large enough to be to be seen and appreciated. Your float or parade art needs to be light enough to be carried or able to be moved on some kind of wheeled platform. It needs to be structurally sound enough to survive a half-mile walk and the bumps in the road, gusts of wind, and the shaking by people moving it. Artists need to make sure there are enough people on hand to get the art safely to the end of the parade. The more the merrier. At the end of the parade, floats will be displayed at the festival and a number of floats will be selected for display at Westfield Wheaton.
Selection Criteria:
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The scale of the artwork. It must large enough to be appreciated from a distance along the parade route.
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The feasibility of the design, including plans for moving the artwork along the parade route.
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Artistic quality, including: creativity, originality, and dramatic visual effect.
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The cost of materials and labor. Preference will be given to proposals with minimal labor costs and to proposals that leverage additional sources of funding.
Construction Timetable:
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Floats must be completed by September 30, 2023.
Award of funds:
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Half will be awarded at the time of selection.
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Half will be awarded upon completion.
