Antonio Cirino Memorial Arts Education Award

The Antonio Cirino Memorial Fund offers awards to Rhode Island resident/artists who need financial assistance to acquire education toward a master's or doctorate degree in order to pursue a teaching career in the arts. Applicants should demonstrate a consistent pursuit of knowledge about and in practice of the arts. Preference will be given to visual artists and persons attending college full time. Applicants may be degree candidates in one or more of the arts disciplines (visual, theatre, dance, music, literature, film/video) and in one or more aspects of the arts (history, production, criticism). In the areas of history and criticism, preference will be given to applicants who are also practicing artists. Students may apply for 3 years maximum (first year plus two renewals); renewal amounts may vary annually depending on financial need and the costs of the institution attended. Students writing dissertations would generally be funded for one year at the minimal amount ($2,000). Applicants cannot be Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) graduates or seeking a graduate degree from RISD.

Applicants must: 1) Have a history of involvement with any of the arts; 2) Be able to demonstrate financial need; 3) Have Rhode Island residency of at least five years (documentation required for new applicants); 4) Have proof of acceptance on the graduate level at a college/university; 5) Have an intent to use this graduate work to teach the arts.

Applicants must submit an application form, samples of work completed within the last 12 months (at least one within the last six months), and a 600-word essay describing experience with and commitment to arts education. Additional required items include: most recent transcript of grades, most recent financial award letter from your college/university, most recent Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education, and three proofs of Rhode Island residency from new applicants (copy of driver's license, U.S. income tax return, voter registration card, apartment lease/mortgage, etc.). Work samples vary by discipline: Visual Arts requires eight images submitted online; Literature requires no more than 10 pages of poetry, 20 pages of prose, or one act of a play; Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theatre require DVDs or professional quality recordings (not to exceed 10 minutes) sent directly to The Rhode Island Foundation; Arts History/Criticism/Museum Directorship requires up to 20 pages of published or unpublished work.