Highlights from the latest newsletter include:

More info here.

Since our June symposium with keynote speaker Mariama Boney, we’ve been pondering how these learnings can impact our community. What would an inclusive and representative nonprofit sector look like? How will we successfully and sustainably operationalize DEI? What would a sector DEI statement include? More info here including resources and the replay of the virtual event.

Here you will find a variety of local and national resources, including webinars, training, toolkits, and guides for venues to safely re-open. See all resources here.

Tallahassee Mayor John Dailey announced a new initiative called the Tallahassee Awards, allowing local residents to spotlight each other for moving the community forward. The program is for individuals, not groups or businesses. More info here.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state, and local stimulus packages have been passed or are currently in development. COCA has listed stimulus resources for arts organizations and non-profits, individual artists, and arts businesses. Find national, state, and local stimulus info here.

The Fast Track Project Grant Program is designed to provide expedited access to funds supporting small organizations through arts and cultural projects. This program is not intended to fund the general programming activities of your organization. Instead, this program supports projects including, but not limited to, artist residencies, performances, or exhibitions. The how to Apply webinar answers questions about the program and guides you through the application process. Click here to watch the recording. More info here.

Florida Humanities’ American Rescue Plan grants are intended to reach a diverse network of small to large-sized organizations located in both urban and rural communities and which serve diverse constituents statewide. Eligible organizations with annual operating budgets of up to $2 million may request up to $25,000 in general operating support. More info here.

The goal of COCA’s Arts Education Grant is to remove financial barriers for arts educators to access resources and arts experiences for their students, materials and equipment for their classrooms, and arts specific professional development opportunities for their own continuing education. This grant supports creative instructional approaches by funding arts related projects not supported by school budgets. More info here.

Presented by the Apalachee Regional Planning Council and the Leon County Office of Economic Vitality, the Regional Economy Vested in Vital Enterprises (REVIVE!) Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) provides a source of capital for local small businesses and non-profit organizations, and is designed to fill capital gaps and promote job creation. The purpose of the REVIVE! Program is to assist women- and minority-owned small businesses and non-profits in the retention, expansion, and creation of jobs in Leon County. These loans are intended for small businesses and non-profit organizations that do not qualify for traditional lending programs. More info here.

The Foundwork Artist Prize is an annual juried award to recognize outstanding practices by contemporary artists working in any media. This year, two honorees will receive unrestricted $10,000 grants and studio visits with each of the distinguished jurors. The honorees and three shortlisted artists will also be interviewed in the Foundwork Dialogues program to further public engagement with their work. More info here.

Requirements of Museum Intern at John G. Riley Center & Museum of African-American History and Culture include responding to standard inquiries via mail and email including artist/organization inquiries and submissions, assisting with day-to-day administrative tasks including file building and organization, and assisting with requests for museum information and photos. More info here.

The Gadsden Arts Center & Museum is seeking an Art Museum Educator, whose primary role is to connect people of all ages and levels of experience with art-making opportunities and interpretive experiences at the museum, online, and at partners’ sites. This museum professional is a creative team player who loves art, people, and learning. This is a full-time professional position with benefits, including paid health insurance, sick leave, vacation, and 3% matching retirement (after the required waiting period). More info here.

The Division of Arts and Culture is looking for a State Folklorist to run the Florida Folklife Program. Individuals with a degree in folklore, cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology or related field and some experience are encouraged to apply. More info here.

The Operations and Programming Manager is responsible for administration of Goodwood Museum & Gardens under the direction of the Executive Director. Key duties include overseeing human resources, managing key organizational functions, and supporting the Executive Director in development activities (corporate and private fundraising, grants, and membership). In addition, the Operations and Programming Manager plays a prominent role in the organization’s three primary public programs including the Museum, Wellness, and Cultural Arts. More info here.

Join Challenger Learning Center of Tallahassee's “out of this world” team. They are hiring a Guest Services Manager to manage their box office, concessions, and gift shop operations. Primary duties and responsibilities include: Hiring, training, supervising, scheduling, reporting time, and evaluating part-time OPS staff; Managing the day-to-day operations of the box office, concession stand and gift shop; Inventory management for both concession and gift shop inventory, and more. Candidates should have excellent communications skills (both written and verbal) and the desire to provide superior customer satisfaction. More info here.

Guided Tours in Florida's Capital and the Forgotten Coast is is now hiring part-time employees to provide friendly informative narrated guided tours around Florida’s capital city. Training will be provided. It is a fun way to supplement your income and for you to show off area gems and venues to national and international travelers visiting the Tallahassee area. More info here.

LeMoyne Arts is looking to add new teachers to their team. LeMoyne offers four 8-week studio sessions for adults, teens, and children: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, as well as a myriad of one or two-day workshops year-round. Their teaching opportunities are flexible, with some instructors teach multiple classes, some teaching one at a time, and others teaching during one season of the year. All instructors are paid as independent contractors, and receive a free one-year Individual Membership to LeMoyne Arts. There are four instructor positions available: Ceramics, Painting, Fiber Arts, and Handwiting/Calligraphy. Click each one to find out more.

GivingTuesday’s Starling Collective is a global learning community and innovative fellowship for grassroots organizers, activists, artists, and changemakers to discover and share best practices for increasing generosity and driving systems change. Applications for the 2021 cohort are now open. More info here.

Join Florida Alliance for Arts Education's premier arts education conference focused on the collaboration between schools, community and lives. The Summit gathers dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual art educators, administrators, and partners from across the state to network, share, learn and get inspired for the year ahead. Throughout the weekend participants can choose from 28 unique breakouts sessions including topics like Advocacy, Arts Innovation in Education and Arts Integration. More info here.

Legendary hip-hop artist Black Thought leads a four-day workshop for emerging and young professional MCs (ages 18–35) that culminates in a showcase by the invited participants. Over the course of the workshop, participants will explore the history of hip-hop and examine the technical skills employed by the genre. Invited MCs should come prepared to workshop their music, focusing on lyricism, flow, style, and delivery. Black Thought will equip participants with tangible exercises to improve their overall artistry. More info here.

The 5th Annual Sector Forward Conference is focused on exposing nonprofits and prospective investors to the social enterprise Collab Lab workshops, education classes, competitions, and networking. The conference will introduce the concept of ideation and design-thinking to expand income, inspire innovation and increase impact within the social sector. More info here.

FAEA’s in-person Annual Professional Development Conference resumes October 14-17, 2021, at the Caribe Royale Orlando. Over 150 workshops, forums, demos, keynotes, and special events will celebrate art education and ongoing learning at this year’s conference. Mural artist Hamilton Glass will be the keynote speaker. You can once again look forward to the Welcome Reception, Artist Bazaar, Member Virtual Exhibition Reception, Awards Breakfast, Gala, and more. More info here.

COCA newsletters are a great way to reach arts enthusiasts, patrons, visitors and locals; each with a different audience to meet your needs! Learn more about promoting your business in the Tallahassee Art Guide "This Week!" newsletter, the COCA Classifieds, and the Arts in Education Newsletter.

More info here.

If you're planning any type of event, be sure to post it on the Tallahassee Arts Guide - COCA's official interactive web calendar for arts and culture. 

"Behind the Scenes with COCA" photo albums showcase artists at work in their studios. We love to see the creative process and learn more about how our artists of all genres make their artistic magic happen. Enjoy these social media albums below, and submit your own album here.

View artist studio "Behind the Scenes with COCA" albums here.

COCA has created several RESOURCE GUIDES that aggregate ongoing and similar listings by subject. These can also be found on the sidebar of the COCA Classifieds webpage.

The Office of the Clerk in the Florida House of Representatives is currently developing a state-wide civics program focused on enhancing the studies of state and local governments in fourth grade classrooms. Actors cast in this video series will be assigned an article of the Florida Constitution and will play the role of “host” as they breakdown difficult concepts found in the Constitution and make them more relatable and understandable for the fourth grade viewer. More info here.

The Bardlings Fall 2021 Auditions will be hosted at the Oasis Center for Women and Children. The Bardlings auditions are open to middle and high school students only. Please come prepared with a 60-90 second monologue and expect to also read from their Fall production, Zombie Shakespeare. More info here.

Camille A. Brown & Dancers’ (CABD) Mentorship Program – an initiative of CABD’s FREE Social Dance for Social Change School – will pair a next generation Black artist with one of CABD’s accomplished current or former Company Members, who will provide unique one-on-one mentoring sessions, sharing expertise, advice and guidance stemming from their own personal and professional experiences. More info here.

Artisans in the Garden returns to the lush and lively grounds of Tallahassee Nurseries on Saturday, November 6th from 9am-5pm. Tallahassee Nurseries invites artist vendors to share their talents and hopes that you will be able to join them for the fun and festivity on their 25th Anniversary. Application and $100 Entry Fee due September 10th. More info here.

Able Artists Gallery welcomes eerie artwork submissions from differently-abled artists or volunteers for their “Gallery of Ghouls” running this September and October. They are a non-profit organization that celebrates the talent of artists with disabilities. They enjoy featuring artist’s abilities by showcasing their different styles, mediums and processes. More info here.

Be creative, think outside the cauldron and design a “Sweet Ride” witch’s broom to decorate for the hallowed season. Brooms will be featured on the Havana Main Street Webpage and Facebook page. All of the entries will be photographed and offered for sale on the webpage through October 31. Continuing the the witchy season the brooms will all be displayed in the local stores through October 31. The brooms should be titled, signed by the artist and priced. More info here.

Photofest is a juried fine art photography exhibition at the Artport Gallery, in conjunction with the City of Tallahassee’s Winter Festival celebration. COCA generally shows the work of approximately 25-30 local and regional photographers. From the entries submitted, approximately 30-40 individual artworks will be selected and exhibited in the Artport Gallery located in the Tallahassee International Airport from Nov. 10, 2021 – Jan. 12, 2022. This exhibit will also be presented in COCA’s online, digital gallery. All submitted artworks will be included in the digital show. More info here.

SlowArt Productions presents Emerging Artists 2022, the 30th annual competition for exhibition, promotion and $500 cash award. Open to all artists working in any media. This event is devoted to the discovery, introduction and promotion of Emerging Artists. The competition is open to all artists, national and international, working in all media. All forms of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, graphics, digital and installation art, etc. are eligible. More info here.

The Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, FL, invites emerging artists currently residing in Florida to submit entries for possible exhibition in the sixth annual Fresh Squeezed: Emerging Artists in Florida. The exhibition will be held at the Morean Arts Center April 9 – June 23, 2022. The purpose of this exhibition is to nurture and advance the careers of emerging visual artists while also giving the community the opportunity to discover exciting new art being made in our region. More info here.

Sunspot Literary Journal offers an Editor’s Prize of $35 for each digital edition (four times per year), and an Editor’s Prize of $50 for the annual print edition (published once per year). Artwork selected for a digital or print cover will be paid $20. Genre categories are accepted along with literary works. Poetry can be up to 1,250 lines. One piece per prose submission (except poetry). More info here.