Acra, NY—Wave Farm announced today fifteen grantees for the Fall 2024 round of the Media Arts Assistance Fund (MAAF) for Organizations, a regrant program with the New York State Council on the Arts. MAAF for Organizations grantees: Blank Forms, Squeaky Wheel, F.Y. Eye, Film Forum, Flux Factory, The Flaherty, ISSUE Project Room, Jacob Burns Film Center, Life Stories, Maysles Documentary Center, Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center, Standby Program, UFO--Untitled Filmmaker Org, UnionDocs, and Youth FX.

The Media Arts Assistance Fund (MAAF) supports electronic media and film organizations, as well as individual artists, in all regions of New York State. For organizations, MAAF provides funds to support technical strategies for online development as well as to hire outside consultants to support organizational and professional development. MAAF prioritizes organizations that have missions specific to the media arts or dedicate the majority of their programming to technology as an art form. Multi-disciplinary organizations are considered on a case-by-case basis. All applicants must be current NYSCA grantees. Organizations are eligible to receive a maximum of $2,500 for each application opportunity. The biannual application deadlines are May 1 and October 1.

“Congratulations to all the grantees. We are proud to partner with Wave Farm to offer technical support to these vital organizations, so they can continue to grow and serve their communities,” said Erika Mallin, Executive Director of NYSCA.

Fall 2024 GRANTEES AND PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

Blank Forms (Kings County) - Consultant for the Development and Accessibility of Artist Archives
Blank Forms will use MAAF funding to engage an archival and information specialist who will advise on the next stage of development of their archival services. Blank Forms’ archival services aim to preserve at-risk media and time-based art, and to build the legacy and public appreciation for under-recognized pioneers in those fields.

Squeaky Wheel (Erie County) - Strategic Planning Consultant
Squeaky Wheel will use MAAF funding to work with a professional consultant with experience in nonprofit strategic planning in order to develop a 2-5 year strategic plan for the organization. This process aims to assess the organization’s current resources, programming, and community impact in order to comprehensively continue to meet the evolving needs of the artists, youth, and community members Squeaky Wheel serves.

F.Y. Eye (New York County) - Development Consulting
MAAF funding will be used to support the engagement of a nonprofit development consultant who will work with F.Y. Eye staff to expand their knowledge and skill in fundraising, and will provide support in developing a diversified fundraising plan for the organization. This work will take place in conjunction with strategic planning in 2025.

Film Forum (New York County) - Capacity Interactive Boot Camp 2024
Film Forum will use MAAF funding to support the attendance of two staff members at the annual boot camp hosted by digital marketing and consulting firm Capacity Initiative. Film Forum aims to support their staff’s knowledge of digital marketing tools and resources.

Flux Factory (Queens County) - Website Redesign & Flux Alumni database
MAAF funding will support the engagement of a graphic design and web development team to redesign Flux Factory’s website. This project aims to improve the front-facing aesthetic of the site for the public, improve the Wordpress back-end architecture, and integrate Airtable with Wordpress so that databases may be seamlessly integrated into the site.

The Flaherty (Kings County) - Strategic development of an asynchronous Flaherty Film Seminar platform
MAAF funding will support the engagement of a consultant who will assist in the development of an asynchronous Flaherty Film Seminar platform for individual and educational use. This platform will feature not only films, but also accompanying reading materials and recordings of the conversations and exchanges that take place between artists, elders, and audiences during the annual Flaherty Film Seminar.

ISSUE Project Room (Kings County) - IT Advancement: Experimental Artists & Community Archive
ISSUE Project Room will use MAAF funding to engage an IT consultant to support improvements to their website. This project aims to deepen access to artist resources on their site, which will enable artists to most easily access grant opportunities, creative partnerships, and institutional collaborations. Funding will also support staff training in managing the backend of these improvements.

Jacob Burns Film Center (Westchester County) - 25th Anniversary Strategy
Jacob Burns Film Center will use MAAF funding to support their work with a consulting agency to plan key development goals and strategies for their 25th Anniversary (2026). The 25th Anniversary Plan will dovetail with Jacob Burns Film Center’s existing fundraising focus and provide a prelude to future efforts to raise funds for program development and capital projects.

Life Stories (Westchester County) - Life Stories Learning Collections
MAAF funding will support the growth of the educational section of Life Stories’ website: Life Stories Learning. The consultant will design and implement updates that will make the website more accessible and will increase primary source content.

Maysles Documentary Center (New York County) - Development Consulting, Phase 2
Maysles Documentary Center (MDC) will use MAAF funding to support their engagement with a development consultant. In this phase of the project, the consultant will focus on grassroots funding opportunities and community building within Harlem and the documentary film industry.

Sag Harbor Cinema (Suffolk County) - New Website Development for Greater Accessibility and Functionality
Sag Harbor Cinema will use MAAF funding to support the development of a new website for the organization. Through their engagement of a web developer, the new website will be flexible, dynamic, and easy-to-use. The website will also be mobile-friendly and include enhanced integration with their ticketing system platform.

Standby Program (New York County) - Website Optimization
Standby Program will use MAAF funding to engage a marketing and technology firm to implement updates to the organization’s website. Functionality improvements will include page speed, search rankings, security, restructuring of the donation portal, and mobile compatibility.

UFO--Untitled Filmmaker Org (New York County) - Strategic Fundraising and Board Development Planning
UFO will use MAAF funding to engage a development consultant to aid the organization in generating a long-term fundraising strategy for overall sustainability and supporting the development of UFO’s first Board of Directors. The consultant will advise on establishing and implementing management practices, systems, and an overall strategy that will support and structure UFO’s fundraising efforts.

UnionDocs (Kings County) - Financial Management Consultant
MAAF funding will support a financial management consultant who will evaluate and enhance the current budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting systems at UnionDocs. The consultant will additionally bolster staff financial literacy and strengthen organizational capacity, accountability and transparency.

Youth FX (Albany County) - Youth FX Board Development Advisory
Youth FX will use MAAF funding to engage a consultant to guide the organization in the process of decision-making related to Board Recruitment and building an effective BOD Structure. The consultant will also provide a comprehensive review and refinement of the Youth FX Board Orientation Manual.

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About the New York State Council on the Arts
The mission of the New York State Council on the Arts is to foster and advance the full breadth of New York State’s arts, culture, and creativity for all. To support the ongoing recovery of the arts across New York State, the Council on the Arts will award $162 million in FY2025, serving organizations and artists across all 10 state regions. The Council on the Arts further advances New York's creative culture by convening leaders in the field and providing organizational and professional development opportunities and informational resources. Created by Governor Nelson Rockefeller in 1960 and continued with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, the Council is an agency that is part of the Executive Branch. For more information on NYSCA, please visit www.arts.ny.gov, and follow NYSCA's Facebook page, on X @NYSCArts and Instagram @NYSCouncilontheArts.

About Wave Farm
Wave Farm is an international transmission arts organization driven by experimentation with the electromagnetic spectrum. We cultivate creative practices in radio and support artists and nonprofits in their cultural endeavors.

Based in New York’s Upper Hudson Valley, Wave Farm is a media arts center, media platform, and arts service organization. Wave Farm offers interdisciplinary outdoor installations, residencies and fellowships, and a research library. We operate FM radio station WGXC and host many online radio channels. Wave Farm provides fiscal sponsorship, consultation, and grants to artists and organizations. For more information, please visit https://wavefarm.org

For more information about the The New York State Council on the Arts Regrant Programs with Wave Farm visit https://wavefarm.org/grants-services/nysca-regrants.