Program Structure and Policies
Program Structure and Policies
For schools
For artists
Guidelines for Schools
Who is eligible to participate
Artists-in-Schools artists' programs are available to educational facilities in central Ohio and beyond. Educational facilities include schools, libraries, senior centers, correctional facilities, community centers, health care facilities, afterschool programs, parks & recreation facilities, and more. Private businesses, festivals, and individuals are also able to book artist services through Artists-in-Schools; however, a few artists in the program have different fee structures for what might be considered commercial bookings. Non-educational institutions should check with the Artists-in-Schools office regarding fees.
Sites located outside of Franklin County should be aware that artists will charge for mileage costs in addition to their service fees. The IRS standard reimbursement rate is $.50/ mile. Depending on the nature of the booking, artists may require additional travel expenses for sites more than two hours away.
Artists-in-Schools Service
All artists on the Artists-in-Schools roster have undergone an extensive vetting process to join the program. A panel of local educators and artists review written applications and auditions, and recommend artists to join the Artists-in-Schools program.
GCAC provides professional development opportunities for artists on the Artists-in-Schools roster, such as workshops on marketing, program planning, and Ohio academic content standards.
Artist Preview Night
Artist Preview Night is held at the start of each school year, in mid- September. The tradeshow-style event gives teachers, school administrators, PTA representatives, librarians, and other community members the opportunity to sample the variety of arts education offerings available through the Artists-in-Schools program. The event is free and open to the general public. More information about Artist Preview Night is available here.
How to book an Artists-in-Schools Artist
- Requests for artist bookings are accepted throughout the year. It’s recommended that schools submit booking requests at least four weeks in advance. However, all efforts will be made to accommodate last minute bookings.
- Requests can be submitted electronically via the online Artists-in-Schools Directory, or in writing on a hard-copy request form. Telephone requests will not be accepted.
- GCAC will send written confirmation once the artist has confirmed their availability. If the artist is not available for the first or second choice date, they may contact the school to arrange an alternative schedule.
Soon after the engagement is confirmed, the artist will contact the school to discuss the details of their visit. For bookings scheduled many weeks in advance, artists are required to re-confirm the booking with the school by telephone at least two weeks prior to presentation. If a school does not hear from the artist, it is the school's responsibility to phone the Artists-in-Schools office for confirmation. The Artists-in-Schools office must be notified of any changes need to be made to the artist’s schedule after confirmation.
Cancellations
Cancellations must be made at least three weeks prior to the date of the activity. Schools cancelling within three weeks of the scheduled engagement will be required to pay a 30% cancellation fee. In the event of a cancellation due to circumstances beyond the school’s control (ie: school closure due to a snow day, power outage, etc.), it is the school's responsibility to contact the artist right away to notify them of the cancellation. Failure to do so will result in compensating the artist in full. Schools that are able to notify the artist of the cancellation in a timely manner will not be held responsible for payment, although they are encouraged to reschedule the artist for another date. If the artist must cancel due to illness or personal emergency, they are required to notify the school as soon as possible.
Teacher Involvement
School staff must be present during all Artists-in-Schools programming. The level of support needed from teaching staff will vary according to the nature of the program. Artists are responsible for communicating their needs and expectations for teacher participation in advance of their visit.
Payment
Payment is made directly to the Greater Columbus Arts Council following the artist’s visit. It is against Artists-in-Schools policy for artists to accept direct payment from the school.
- Following an artist's presentation, the school contact person or principal will need to sign a pay voucher supplied by the artist. The artist will give the school a copy of the voucher for their records. The artist is responsible for submitting the top two copies of the payvoucher to GCAC.
- Once GCAC receives the pay voucher, an invoice will be sent to the school. Payment is due upon receipt.
- GCAC can accept purchase orders, checks, or cash for payment. Credit cards are not accepted.
- All outstanding balances must be paid before the end of the school year.
GCAC adds a nominal administrative reimbursement charge (ARC) of $12.00 to the artist's fee. This fee offsets a small portion of the general administrative costs for Artists-in-Schools.
Feedback and Evaluation
Following an artist’s performance or workshop, sites will be asked to complete an Artist Visit Evaluation form. Evaluation of the artist's presentation is extremely important as artists continue to refine their presentation skills and activities throughout the year. In addition, on-site visits by GCAC staff are conducted throughout the year to insure quality programming and to support the artists in the program.
For More Information
Any questions regarding artist’s program offerings or availability should be directed to GCAC's Community Arts Education Program Administrator, Oulanje Regan or (614) 221-8625. If you would like someone to speak to your parent-teacher organization, or if there is any way we can make the program serve you better, please call our offices at (614) 224-2606.
Guidelines for Artists
Background Check
Artists who are accepted into the Artists-in-Schools program are required to undergo both state and FBI criminal background checks at their own expense. For groups, all members who will be performing in schools must complete these background checks.
Artist Agreement
Artists accepted in the program are required to sign an agreement detailing the terms of their participation. This agreement is renewed biennially.
Curriculum/ Study Guides
Artists are required to submit a curriculum/study guide, which must be approved by GCAC. Each artist is required to review and if necessary revise their curriculum/study guide every three years. This study guide should be related to the artist’s presentations and designed for use by classroom teachers. The material may include suggestions to teachers for pre-visit and follow-up activities as well as additional references or resources. Artists are responsible for delivering this material to schools well in advance of their appearance.
Artists-in-Schools Directory
The online Artists-in-Schools directory summarizes the programs offered by each artist, including fees, special requirements, and the artist's credentials. The directory offers schools immediate access to the full roster of artists participating in Artists-in-Schools. Artists are required to review and update their directory listing annually. The directory is accessible via GCAC's Web site.
Artist Preview Night
Artist Preview Night is held at the start of each school year, in mid-September. The tradeshow-style event gives teachers, school administrators, PTA representatives, librarians, and other community members the opportunity to sample the variety of arts education offerings available through the Artists-in-Schools program. For artists, it is an opportunity to promote their educational programs to a targeted audience.
Artist Preview Night is only open to artists on the Artists-in-Schools roster. There is no charge to participate. Admission to the event is free and open to the general public.
How to book through GCAC
Schools can book artists online through the GCAC website, via the Artists-in-Schools Directory. Hard copy booking forms are also available for download from the website, and are distributed to schools at Artist Preview Night. Artists are notified of booking requests by mail. Once an artist confirms the booking date with the Artists-in-Schools office, GCAC will send written confirmation to both the artist and the school. The artist's confirmation will also include a pay voucher and an activity evaluation form. Any changes to the confirmed schedule must be made through the Artists-in-Schools office.
Artists should contact the school immediately after confirming the booking to discuss the details of their visit. Artists are also required to touch base with the school two weeks prior to their visit; this reassures the school that the artist has the date on their calendar, and is prepared for the visit. It also lets the artist make sure that the school has the date on their calendar, and that they have begun preparing students for the visit.
In the event that an artist arranges an activity directly with a school, the artist is required to notify GCAC at once. Any bookings that are made thanks to a connection with GCAC (ie: through contacts made at Artist Preview Night, through a school that learns of the artist by reading their page on the Artists-in-Schools website, referral from the GCAC office, etc.) must be scheduled through GCAC.
Cancellations
If an artist needs to cancel an event due to illness or family emergency, they should notify both the school and the Artists-in-Schools office as soon as possible. The artist and school are encouraged to reschedule.
Schools are allowed to cancel a booking, without penalty, up to three weeks prior to the date of event. Schools that cancel within three weeks of the scheduled engagement will be asked to pay a 30% cancellation fee. In the event of a cancellation due to circumstances beyond the school's control (ie: school closure due to a snow day, power outage, etc.), it is the school’s responsibility to contact the artist right away to notify them of the cancellation. Schools that fail to do this will be required to compensate the artist in full. Schools that are able to notify the artist of the cancellation in a timely manner will not be held responsible for payment, although they are encouraged to reschedule the artist for another date.
After an Artists-in-Schools visit, the artist is required to fill out a pay voucher, and have it signed by a school representative. The artist should leave one copy of the voucher with the school, keep one copy of the voucher for themselves, and return the top two copies to GCAC, along with the activity evaluation form. GCAC will pay the artist once this voucher is received, and then bill the school for the cost of the visit. The school is also asked to complete an activity evaluation.
Teacher Involvement
School staff must be present during all Artists-in-Schools programming. The level of support needed from teaching staff will vary according to the nature of the artist's program. Artists are responsible for communicating their needs and expectations for teacher participation in advance of their visit.
Artist Fees and Payment
Artists set their own fees for their programs. Any additional expenses on top of the standard artist fee, such as mileage or materials fees, must be agreed upon by the school in advance of the artist visit.
As an arts resource network, Artists-in-Schools is intended to provide and facilitate a direct relationship between arts professionals and educational facilities. In doing so, GCAC acts as the broker, charging a nominal administrative reimbursement fee ($12.00 per artist booking), which is added to the artist's fee. This fee offsets a small portion of the general administrative costs for Artists-in-Schools.
For each Artists-in-Schools visit, the artist is required to fill out a pay voucher, and have it signed by a school representative. The artist is responsible for sending the top two copies of the payvoucher to GCAC. GCAC will pay the artist once the signed payvoucher is received. GCAC cuts checks twice a month; payvouchers must be received by the 10th of the month in order to be processed for payment on the 15th, or by the 25th for payment on the last day of the month. In the event that the 10th or 25th falls on a weekend or holiday, vouchers must be submitted on the last business day before the break.
Feedback and Evaluation
Both artists and schools are asked to complete an activity evaluation, the Artist Response Form and Artist Visit Evaluation forms respectively, for each Artists-in-Schools booking. These forms are important feedback tools for the Artists-in-Schools program.
Additionally, GCAC staff may occasionally sit in on Artists-in-Schools activities, to support artists in the field and provide feedback on their programs. These are informal visits, whose primary purpose is to help strengthen the relationships between GCAC, the teaching artists in the Artists-in-Schools program, and participating schools. Artists will be notified in advance of any staff visit arranged by GCAC.
Professional Development
The GCAC Community Arts Education Program offers professional development services for local educators and teaching artists. The Summer Teacher Arts Institute is an annual program for classroom teachers that supports the integration of arts into the general school curriculum. Throughout the year, GCAC may also provide other special opportunities for teaching artists, such as workshops on marketing, program planning, or preparation of curriculum materials. Artists are strongly encouraged to take advantage of these professional development opportunities as they are made available.
Artist Review
Artists receiving one scheduled activity or less in a two-year period will be considered inactive, and will be required to repeat the audition process or be removed from the program. Unsatisfactory evaluations (either from outside evaluators or school evaluation forms) are also cause for review.
Grounds for removal from the Artists-in-Schools program include, but are not limited to the following: failure to abide by the contractual agreement; a lack of professionalism; lack of willingness or ability to make appropriate programmatic changes; lack of responsibility in communicating with teachers and site liaisons; ineffective integration of arts into the curriculum when appropriate; and others as determined by GCAC's Community Arts Education Program Director
How New Artists Join Artists-in-Schools
GCAC accepts applications from professional artists and companies wishing to participate in Artists-in-Schools every two years, with applications due in February of odd years. Based on the written application, selected artists will be invited to audition for the program. Auditions take place in April.
Individual artists, ensembles, and arts organizations are eligible to apply for inclusion in the Artists-in-Schools program. We accept applicants working in the following disciplines:
- Architecture and Design
- Dance/ Movement
- Film and Video
- Literature
- Multi-Disciplinary Arts
- Theatre
- Visual Arts
- Music
- Storytelling
Panels of educators and arts professionals evaluate applicants on the basis of their proposed programs, credentials, and in-school live auditions. Artists are selected according to quality, educational value and professionalism of their presentation, and their ability to articulate their art form to an audience.
Applicants should submit proposals that are well thought-out and carefully designed to be appropriate for school age children in grades K-12. Services may include performances, lectures, workshops, master classes, readings, or multidisciplinary experiences. Time may range from a single class period to extended visits or residencies.
A Prospective Artist Workshop is held prior to the application deadline. During this workshop, the selection criteria and the policies and goals of the Artists-in-Schools program are discussed.
The following criteria are used in evaluating written applications and auditions:
- Artist should devote a substantive amount of time and energy to their art form. Artist is active in their professional community and regularly performs/ exhibits/ publishes in their chosen field.
- Artist’s work must be of professional status and quality. Artist should have a high level of skill, as developed through formal training and/or years of experience in their field. This program is not intended for hobbyists or student performers.
- Artist has demonstrated ability to work in an educational setting, and is skilled in working with K-12 students.
- Artist is able to collaborate with teachers, administrators & other teaching staff in developing programming for students.
- Artist’s programs should be designed so that the artist does not act as an arts teacher, but offers students an opportunity to experience the arts from the artist’s point of view. The activities should reflect the professional training and experience of the artist.
- Artist’s programs should support and extend the work of classroom teachers. However, the artist’s programs must offer more than what a teacher could provide from a well-written lesson plan, instructional package or an in-service workshop.
- Artist shows a commitment to ongoing professional development to enhance their skills as an educator.
- Artist has working familiarity with the Ohio Content Standards for the Fine Arts and arts integration.
Contact CAEP Program Administrator Oulanje Regan at oregan@gcac.org for application materials and to sign up for the Prospective Artist Workshop.
