Grant-writing workshop planned

If we could be ensured of a regular salary, many of us would be happy to chuck our day jobs and pursue the art we feel most comfortable creating.

That’s the rub, though. Art seldom pays for the materials it takes to produce it, much less provide for the necessities of life – lodging, food, transportation, Skittles, whatever.

Which is why we love organizations such as Artist Trust. Founded in 1987, Artist Trust is, as it describes itself, a “not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting Washington state artists working in all creative disciplines.”

The group manages such support in various ways. One is the distribution of grants and fellowships, including $1,500 for Grants for Artist Projects awards, $7,500 for Artist Trust/Washington State Arts Commission Fellowships and $10,000 for The Twining Humber Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

But to qualify for any of this money, besides having talent and dedication, you have to know how to fill out forms.

That is why Monica Miller, director of programs for Artist Trust, is holding a series of workshops across the state: to help artists/writers figure out how to prepare strong grant applications.

Miller will be in Pullman at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Washington State University’s Fine Arts Auditorium, and she’ll appear at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Gonzaga University’s Jundt Auditorium.

The presentations are free but require preregistration. Call (206) 467-8734, Ext. 10. Or e-mail monica@artisttrust.org.

Screen right

Time to dust off that original screenplay and send it to the 11th-annual Scriptapalooza International Screenplay Competition.

The winner stands to receive both a $10,000 cash award plus an opportunity to have the script viewed by “established production companies and literary representatives.”

The contest offers second- and third-place prizes, plus honorable mention for 10 runners-up.

The range of deadlines begins Jan. 7. Entry fees range from $40 to $50. To download an application or seek out other information, go online at www.scriptapalooza.com. Or call (310) 274-1072, Ext. 206.

Write to the heart

Ray McGinnis, author of “Writing the Sacred: A Psalm-Inspired Path to Appreciating & Writing Sacred Poetry,” will, beginning Thursday, offer a series of writing workshops in Spokane. His schedule is as follows:

•Thursday, 6-6:30 p.m.: Write Way to Wellness, Center for Faith & Healing, Providence Health, Sacred Heath Medical Center. For registration information, call (509) 714-8016.

•Friday, 7-9:30 p.m.: Writing the Sacred, Unitarian Universalist Church, 4340 W. Fort Wright Drive. Call (509) 325-6383.

•Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-noon: Writing the Sacred, Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, 127 E. 12th Ave. Call (509) 838-4277.

Book talk

•Let’s Talk About It! book-discussion series (“Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer,” by Ben Katchor), 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, South Hill Branch, Spokane Public Library, 3324 S. Perry St. Call (509) 444-5385.

•Inland NW Writers Guild, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington. Call (509) 838-0206.

The reader board

•Tom Versteeg, Jan Strever, Laurie Lamon, Christine Nicolai, readings, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Hagan Foundation Center, Spokane Community College. Call (509) 434-5150.

•Sarah Conover (“Harmony: A Treasury of Chinese Wisdom for Children and Parents”), reading, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

•Jerry Mathes (“Fall in the Borderland”), reading, 7 p.m. Wednesday, BookPeople, 521 S. Main St., Moscow, Idaho. Call (208) 882-7957.

•Dede Henley (“The Secret of Sovereignty: Women Choosing Leadership at Work and in Life”), reading, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

•Carol Muzik (“Raising Lucy Coloring Storybook and Video”), signing, 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Possibilities, 211 1/2 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene. Call (208) 665-9166.

•Lilac City Rollergirls Calendar Signing, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

•Boots Reynolds (“Boots N Beans: an Art Book Full of Beans”), signing, 1:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

•Therese Marszalek (“Extraordinary Miracles in the Lives of Ordinary People”), 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Hastings, 1704 W. Wellesley Ave. Call (509) 327-6008.

•Dan Shanahan (“Guidebook to Activities On and Around the Palouse”), signing, noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, BookPeople, Moscow, Idaho.