My name is Eric Vinal. I work in the Onondaga County Office of Economic Development, heading up the Onondaga County Film Commission. As many of you may know, the Film Commission is quite new to the region. Our main objectives are to build and grow the TV and film industries in the greater Syracuse area and Central New York, through production and post-production; create jobs and opportunities; and have a positive economic impact in our cities, towns, villages and communities.

As we go forward, we are looking to utilize the aggressive film tax incentive program offered in New York State/Onondaga County and focus on local industry professionals, community leaders, students, interns, unique locations/properties, local restaurants, bars, hotels, museums, theaters, establishments and the rich history of film in our region to help this industry flourish.

This all begins with local talent and support and cannot be successful without it. We see the film industry growing very organically here in Central New York and Onondaga County. We have tremendous talent and resources that need to be utilized and fortunately, the film industry tends to bring together a very diverse group of people and places. As most of you have experienced, the film and arts industries are special in that they help create a sense of community within our neighborhoods and businesses and truly bring people together.

That being said, we want to know who is out there. We are developing discussion groups of industry professionals, and more importantly a database and directory of local talent. This way, when production teams or companies come to the area, they have the resources right at their fingertips and can all on whoever or whatever they may need to make their production a success.

If you have experience with any roles listed below, tell us about it! See below for instructions on how to submit your information to the CNY Arts Directory.

Another key component to the success of this industry in our region is locations. Many production companies that are scouting our area are here because New York State offers a higher tax incentive in Onondaga County than they offer in downstate counties or cities. Because of this, more and more production is moving our direction. Therefore, we have to offer locations that are not only unique to our area, but that also replicate other areas around the country and around the world. So please feel free to send photos our way of locations that you feel represent our region, as well as others.

I hope you have found some of the information and ideas shared above valuable. As I have stated, this industry cannot be successful without our local talent, resources or the help of industry professionals and community members like you. Should you have any questions, want more information, or simply want to share your ideas, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your time, your help, and your support. I look forward to working with you all in the near future.

Sincerely,

Eric Vinal

Onondaga County

Office of Economic Development

Film Commission

EricVinal@ongov.net

315-435-3770

February 2015

What's Inside?

Film Industry Directory Roles

Arts Grants Awards

Proposed NYSCA Increase

On My Own Time 2015

Reviving Place RFP

Arts Community News

CNY Arts is providing space for an important message from the Onondaga County Film Commissioner. The monthly message from Executive Director Stephen Butler will return in March.

CNY Arts

421 Montgomery Street

Syracuse, NY 13202

315-435-2155

www.cnyarts.org

www.gotocnyarts.org

CNY Arts is supported by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency,

with support from the

County of Onondaga,

and

the IDEAS Collaborative

Include Your Name on the CNY Arts Film Directory

If you have experience with any of the roles listed below, the Onondaga County Film Commission would love to hear from you. Register on the CNY Arts Directory so film companies know about the talent in our region. Make sure to choose "Film" as a category and tag your skills so that you're easy to find! If you're already on the Directory, you can always edit your profile with new categories or tags.

Actor / Actress	Film Maker	Director	Assistant Director
Producer	Casting	Production Design	Stunts
Camera Operator	Grip	Lighting	Electrical
Sound	Equipment	Hair and Makeup	Costume & Wardrobe
Art Department	Set Design	Set Construction	Set Dressing
	Music / Soundtracks	Special and Visual FX

Community Arts, Arts Education, & Individual Artist Recipients Announced

CNY Arts is thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2015 Community Arts Grants, artSTART Arts Education Grants, and Individual Artist Commissions. In total 92 projects from 88 individuals and organizations were awarded $159,950 for arts projects in our communities. This year, six panels with representatives from Cortland, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, and Oswego counties reviewed 136 applications.

"This year's applicants represented over 24 artistic disciplines, from over 48 cities, towns, and villages in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. It was an incredibly diverse and worthy pool. The panels were charged with making very challenging decisions, but we have an outstanding group of awardees this year doing vital work for our communities."

These grants are made possible through the Decentralization program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The purpose of Decentralization is to foster the continuing development of local cultural resources responsive to community needs.

"Local decision making has always been at the core of Decentralization," said Stephen Butler, CNY Arts Executive Director. "Arts and culture are so crucial to what makes a community, it is important that our communities have a voice in determining which projects receive New York State support.

For a full list of grant recipients and projects, please visit cnyarts.org.

Governor Proposes $5 Million Increase for Arts Grants in NYSCA Budget

Arts leaders from around the state cheered the news that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's 2015 budget proposal included a $5 million increase for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) for the use of arts grants and praised the effort of NYSCA Chairman Aby Rosen, who promoted it. There is also a proposed increase in NYSCA staff, bringing the total number to 30.

Starting in October, arts advocates met with their legislators asking them to write the Governor to request an increase. They explained to legislators that nonprofit cultural organizations are in actuality small businesses that have struggled through the recession with diminished resources and greater demand for their services. Many of these businesses do not have the foundation and corporate funding as do other more institutional players. CNY Arts is a leader in ArtsNYS, a statewide coalition of arts councils working on arts advocacy issues, and helped coordinate local advocacy efforts with the Arts and Culture Leadership Alliance (ACLA) of Onondaga County.

CNY Arts extends thanks to Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, Assemblyman Sam Roberts, and Assemblyman Al Stirpe for the letters of support for this increase, and to Governor Cuomo for the inclusion of the increase in his budget. CNY Arts, ACLA, and ArtsNYS will focus on building non-partisan support for the budget item.

You can read more about the increase, the involvement of local legislators, and the advocacy efforts of CNY Arts, ArtsNYS, and ACLA here.

Become an On My Own Time Company This Year!

Elizabeth Lin, Upstate Medical University

"Morgan Hill" Photography

It's a great time to join CNY Arts' 42nd annual On My Own Time program. Businesses and organizations of any size are invited to join our varied and prominent group of Central New York companies that celebrate their employees' creative talents through this exciting business/arts collaboration. You'll get a nice return on your investment, too. On My Own Time companies pay a modest fee to participate, and receive adjudication of their worksite exhibits, as well as mention in CNY Arts newsletters and press releases, and on its website and social media channels. Selected art works from each company are included in a month-long exhibit at the internationally recognized Everson Museum of Art in Downtown Syracuse, and are featured on a full page in the On My Own Time catalog that's distributed to the community at the museum. On My Own Time companies also receive tickets to the Artists Reception held at the Everson Museum of Art in the fall, where their selected artists are recognized by their friends, families, and colleagues. Past participants have found the program to be a great morale booster, as their staff members discover the artistic abilities of their colleagues. You may not even know which employees are skilled artists "on their own time", but their avocation likely energizes all the work they do! Visit cnyarts.org for more information, or email Kara Greene at omot@cnyarts.org.

Reviving Place - Onondaga Environmental Institute

Please read the full RFP For details

CNY Arts is partnering with the Onondaga Environmental Institute to promote Reviving Place in the Onondaga Lake watershed.

The goal of this project is to create artistic "maps" that depict important features of local places through images and words. The primary reference material for this creative process will be input provided by community members. Maps will focus on capturing the spirit and priorities of community members rather than precise geography. One map will be created for each of four geographic focus areas within Onondaga County: the upper Ley Creek watershed, the east shore of Onondaga Lake, the South Side of the City of Syracuse, and the Tully Valley.

Each artist will be compensated $450 for a 2 ft x 3 ft artwork that is able to be framed/mounted and hung. In addition, each artist will be compensated $25 per hour for attending community meetings (see "Project Scope") with the intent of incorporating community input into the finished piece. Total compensation per artist per focus area is not to exceed $625

Artists with reviewable portfolios residing in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga, or Oswego counties are eligible. Must be available for spring/summer 2015

The Deadline for application is February 17 at 4pm. Submissions should be sent to the Onondaga Environmental Institute.

CNY Arts Community News

CNY Arts and the Central New York arts community mourns the sudden passing of Lauren Sanzi Ritchie. Mrs. Ritchie was a co-founder of the Westcott Art Trail, an artist/owner of Gallery 54, and a former president of the Syracuse Ceramic Guild. Memorial services will be scheduled in the spring. Read more here.

The Tech Garden in Syracuse welcomes Steve Nyland as its new Gallery curator and artist-in-residence. Nyland is a lifelong resident of the Syracuse area. Graduate of Jamesville-Dewitt High School (June 1985), Syracuse University School of Visual & Performing Arts (BFA, 1992), State University of New York at Albany (MFA, 1997). He has strong ties to the Utica-Hamilton area currently serving as the co-Chair of the Utica based Project-U Artists Group, director of their Art In Windows and Public Exhibitions programs, and acting as the Director of Visual Arts for the 2013 and 2014 Utica Music & Arts Fests. You can follow the Gallery at the Tech Garden on Facebook.

CNY Arts Newsletter Submissions

CNY Arts encourages all readers to share arts news and opportunities of regional relevance with us at communications@cnyarts.org. Newsletters are typically published the first week of each month. We are always on the look out for job opportunities in the arts, calls for entry, requests for proposals, grant opportunities, volunteer opportunities, newcomers to (and passings from) our community.

Please note, our policy is not to share arts event information in our newsletter. Arts event information should be submitted to gotocnyarts.org. Click here to learn more about that process.

We also only share RFP's and Calls for Entry where artists have an opportunity to earn income, through stipends, salaries, or sales.

Opportunities and Resources for Artists and Organizations

(email communications@cnyarts.org to submit)

Opportunities

Opening at View, the arts center in Old Forge

Performing Arts Program Manager

Administer the performing arts presenting program with an emphasis on a diverse array of programming that will expand View's audience and help to broaden View's overall visibility within the performing arts community. This is a full-time, year-round position, with seasonally defined responsibilities, reporting to the Assistant Director.

See job description: www.viewarts.org

Applications reviewed as they are received until the position is filled.

To apply, submit cover letter and resume via email to:

Linda Bamberger, Assistant Director, at admin@viewarts.org

No phone calls, please.

View is an equal opportunity provider and employer

2015 Light Work Grants in Photography
Deadline: April 1, 2015

The Light Work Grants in Photography program was established in 1975 to support photographers in Central New York. The $2,000 grants are awarded to encourage the creation of new work. The work of the grant recipients is exhibited at Light Work and reproduced in Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual.

*NOTE: If you received a grant in 2010 or earlier you are eligible to re-apply this year. Full-time students are NOT eligible to apply.

Applicants must reside in the following counties to apply: Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Tioga, or Tompkins.

Apply here.

Stone Quarry Hill Art Park

Request for Qualifications
Deadline: February 28

Stone Quarry Hill Art Park seeks inquiries from potential applicants for two Artist-in-Residence positions to work on the Entrance Station component of a comprehensive Gateway Project. Interested individuals and/or groups can apply for a stone wall residency OR sculptural figure residency. Artists will be responsible for the design, fabrication and installation of entrance-drive infrastructure that increases public visibility, better welcomes visitors, and reinforces the Art Park's role as a community-oriented art and nature venue. Residencies will be between 4-6 weeks in duration and run during the Art Park's 2015 summer season (April-November).

Click here for the full RFQ

Resources

The New York State Literary Tree - Resources for writers in New York State.

Giffordslist.org

- A resource sharing website, administered by the Rosamond Gifford Foundation, for Central New York nonprofits and businesses.

Oswego Arts Collaborative - a local service and advocacy organization whose mission is to be a catalyst for the economic development and sustainability of visual and performing arts, is compiling a list of artists and arts organizations interested in strengthening the cultural life of Oswego County. All artists, groups and residents interested in receiving regular information about the Collaborative and its initiatives or in taking part in the mission of the Collaborative are asked to email artsinoswego@gmail.com.

The Salt District of the Near West Side

Inexpensive home/studio ownership opportunities for artists. Please click here to visit the website.

Jobs/Volunteers/Grants

Syracuse First can always use volunteers. Call for more information (315.396.6418)

For a comprehensive listing of artist workshops and classes in your area,

visit gotocnyarts.org and look under category "workshops/classes."