Penland Summer Scholarships

Penland School of Craft has announced new scholarships for 2022 and is making changes to make their scholarships more accessible. They’ve made the following changes to their application process:
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The application fee has been reduced to $5, images are no longer required for most scholarships, and letters of recommendation are no longer required.⁠

In addition, they’ve added a new Kent McLaughlin Scholarship for Working Potters. This scholarship will cover the full cost of a Penland workshop, in any studio on campus, and grant a stipend of $1,000.00 a week to offset time away from working studio production for a full-time potter. Details here.
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Deadline: February 17th for Summer 2022!
More application details here.

Type Directors Club: Adé Hogue Scholarship

The Type Directors Club has renamed a scholarship after Chicago-based art director and letterer letterer Broderick “Adé” Hogue. The Adé Hogue Scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding US-based BIPOC student currently in their junior year of college or in their first year of graduate or postgraduate school. The recipient of this scholarship must demonstrate exceptional talent, sophistication, and promise in the creation and design of letterforms, be they typeface, lettering, or calligraphy. The scholarship, valued at $5,000 USD, will be applied to the recipient’s final year tuition, beginning in September 2022.

Full details here. Deadline is March 31, 2022.

Spoonflower Small Business Grant

Pictured: Fall 2021 Small Business Grantee @thehonestcrook

Spoonflower is currently accepting applications for their next cycle of Small Business Grants, awarded to creative makers looking to use custom fabric for their business. Winners receive up to US $1,000 Spoonflower credit. Applications are open to businesses worldwide. Visit their website for pointers and suggestions to help prepare your submission.

Deadline to apply is March 1, 2022

Guide to Etsy Search

If you’re on Etsy, you’ve probably wondered how to crack the code for getting your products to show up in user searches. The good news is that Etsy is giving us the inside scoop with their ‘Ultimate Guide to Etsy Search’.

Fair warning, it’s kind of a lot. But you won’t have to wonder any more.

Spoonflower Seller Handbook

If you’re thinking about joining the Spoonflower artist community, this in-depth series of articles will help you learn how to promote your work and stand out in a marketplace that’s growing by the minute.

About Impostor Syndrome

Squarespace shares some tips for overcoming Impostor Syndrome as a small business owner. Whether you’re a new creative business owner or not, the three tips they share here are helpful and simple to tackle.

Craft Research Fund

Applications are open for the Craft Research Fund 2022 from The Center for Craft. The Craft Research Fund is a visionary program dedicated to supporting scholarly craft research in United States. Prospective applicants are invited to attend a virtual information session to ask questions and learn more about applying for this incredible opportunity.

Exhibition & Project Grants Info Session
Thursday, September 9, 3 - 4pm ET

Artist Fellowship Info Session
Friday, September 10, 4 - 5pm ET

Application Deadline: October 4, 2021

The Plywood Podcast

From our friends at Plywood Place in Atlanta this new podcast is focused on real talk for social entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders. In their words “Think of The Plywood Podcast as a kitchen table conversation debating the pros and woes of running a business and sustaining a nonprofit. We dive into building business plans, sustaining relationships (personal and professional), diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, forming values while being a part of true cultural change for good, and so much more.”

Plywood People is a non-profit that leads a community of start-ups doing good. Their conferences and courses help small business owners accomplish big things.

Square Holiday Sales Checklist

Are you prepared for the holidays? Square gives us a checklist of items for small retailers to consider as we get closer to the holiday shopping season.

Market Prep Tips

As in-person craft shows being gearing back up, Spoonflower grant recipient Nicole Brown shares a quick rundown of how to prep for your next stress-free market.

Spoonflower Small Business Grant

Pictured: Spring 2021 Small Business Grantee @pena_pads

Spoonflower is currently accepting applications for their next cycle of Small Business Grants, awarded to creative makers looking to use custom fabric for their business. Winners receive up to US $1,000 Spoonflower credit. Applications are open to businesses worldwide. Visit their website for pointers and suggestions to help prepare your submission.

Deadline to apply is August 15, 2021

Mural Pricing Guide

For artists curious about the process and pricing of murals, this free pricing guide from Pandr Design Co is a great place to start. Other paid resources from the company include information about mural licensing, contracts and more.

Made in NC Awards

For North Carolina based artists, Our State Magazine is hosting their annual showcase of goods made in (you guessed it) their state. Submit your work in one of these categories — Craft, Drink, Food, Home & Garden, or Style — by August 16.

BADG's Creative Futures Grant

The Creative Futures Grant is an annual grant for art + design students from the Black Artists + Designers Guild (BADG). Accepting applications through August 16, 2021, this grant is open to Black undergraduate and graduate students studying Architecture, Design, and Fine Art in US-based schools (citizenship not required). The new program aims to provide a platform for Black art students to show the world what they have to offer.

It includes a $5000 award, mentorship, and an opportunity to join and research with the BADG community.

Garden & Gun Made in the South Awards

Each year, Garden & Gun celebrates the region’s talented artisans, creative makers, small-business owners, and other entrepreneurs with its annual Made in the South Awards. Apply in one of the awards’ six categories—Food, Drink, Home, Style, Outdoors, or Crafts—from now until July 1. Visit their site for information about each category and the judges.

Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Eastern on July 1, 2021
Note: There is an entry fee of $75. To take advantage of the $50 discounted rate, apply by 11:59 p.m. on May 31, 2021. 

Tips for Building a Newsletter from Squarespace

Squarespace tackles the question of how to create a newsletter – and whether you need to in this step by step guide. This is a very helpful read if you’ve been considering adding a newsletter or working to improve your communication with an existing email list.

Plywood Presents 2021: New Beginnings

Plywood Presents is a one day conference in August for dreamers, thinkers & entrepreneurs to engage with others, learn new things and do good.

For 12 years, this Atlanta-based non profit has been gathering for inspiring talks, aspirational projects and connections that can make any idea come to life. Plywood Presents is a gathering for purposeful doers, dreamers, activists, investors, volunteers, mentors and sustainers. Their annual conference is back for 2021.

Date: August 12th, 2021
Tickets available while supplies last.
Hosted In-person At Plywood Place and Monday Night Garage in Atlanta, Ga.

In addition to the main event, there will be extra add-on workshops, taking place on August 11th at Plywood Place. These workshops are set up for you to get tactical, grow your business, and stretch you creatively. There are three sessions, with two options each.

Brick & Order Podcast – Season 2

The Brick & Order podcast from Faire is back for a second season. In each episode, they talk in-depth with retail shop owners and brands, giving you insight into each side of this entrepreneurial world.

Spoonflower Promo Tips

If you use Spoonflower as a creative outlet, you’ll want to check out their recent blog post full of tips for using social media to promote your shop.

Updated PPP Guidelines

This CNBC article outlines the updated Payroll Protection Program rules for self-employed and gig workers. Updates include a revised loan calculation for sole proprietors as well as expanded eligibility rules.