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FY26 Teaching Artist Directory Guidelines

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APPLICATIONS OPEN: Oct. 20, 2025
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Dec. 19, 2025
ELIGIBILITY SNAPSHOT: Teaching artists experienced in collaborating with schools and communities to conduct arts learning and cultural experiences in, through or/about the arts

STAFF CONTACTS:
Regan Margetts | Arts Learning Specialist (Southern Nevada)
rmargetts@nevadaculture.org 
702-486-3738

Sogand Tabatabaei | Arts Learning Specialist (Northern Nevada)
stabatabaei@nevadaculture.org 
775-687-7103  

Connecting teaching artists with schools and communities throughout Nevada.

A goal of the Nevada Arts Council is to broaden and diversify participation in the arts in schools, organizations, and communities through the engagement of teaching artists in educational and community cultural residencies and programs. The Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artist Directory aims to:

  • Promote lifelong learning in the arts for all Nevadans in all disciplines.
  • Build a network of educators, teaching artists and cultural organizations to create diverse, innovative, and quality arts learning opportunities for all ages.
  • Provide support for formal and informal arts learning programs/projects by artists and arts organizations to reach new communities and new populations.
  • Promote access to learning in and through the arts as part of a well-rounded education for all Nevada’s students.

About the Teaching Artists Directory

The Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artist Directory is an online resource for schools, organizations and communities seeking to engage teaching artists and support them to bring diverse arts education programming across the state. The teaching artists go through a rigorous application and selection process, and are reviewed by a panel of artists, educators, presenters, and community members. Teaching artists are experienced in collaborating with schools and communities to conduct arts learning and cultural experiences in, through or/about the arts. The Nevada Arts Council publishes the Teaching Artists Directory on our website and will reach out to teaching artists with funding, programmatic, and calls for artists. We provide professional development throughout the year for the teaching artists on the directory. Individual teaching artists are also eligible to directly apply for the Arts Learning Express grant twice per fiscal year.

Short-Term Artist Residencies
Teaching artists may choose to do an educational residency within a school, multiple schools, or at another community organization. These residencies should be educational in nature and could result in a culminating event, performance, or presentation. We welcome residencies that include exposure to artforms and folk traditions that are less often seen within the state of Nevada. Other residencies may include collaborative art and/or placemaking projects such as murals within schools or community spaces that involve group participation. The Nevada Arts Council offers the Arts Learning Express Grant to teaching artists on the directory to help fund short-term residencies.

The Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artist Directory application is divided into two tracks: An Education track and a Community track. Artists may apply in one or both tracks. Eligible disciplines include literature, dance, traditional arts, folklife, music, storytelling, theater, design arts, architecture, visual arts, media/film, and multidisciplinary arts.

Note: The Creative Aging track is obtained upon completion of the Creative Aging Training.

Education Track

This track is for artists who conduct arts-based learning experiences in Pre-K-12 settings. Artists must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of their discipline, be able to
implement standard based curriculum practices, understand and develop assessments and evaluations, understand goals and objectives, and demonstrate successful collaborations with sponsors. Artists in this track typically provide hands-on or virtual programming in Pre-K-12 settings (in school, after-school and summer) and provide professional development experiences for teachers. Sample lesson plans must be submitted as part of the application process.

Community Track

This track is for artists who conduct arts-based learning experiences in community settings. Artists must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of their discipline, have experience in engaging participants of varying ages and experiences, and demonstrate successful collaborations with hosting organizations. Artists in this track typically provide programs, workshops, and lecture/demonstrations in community settings, both in-person and virtually. A sample program description must be submitted as part of the application process.

Creative Aging Track

This track is for artists who conduct arts-based learning experiences for older adults. Only teaching artists on the directory can obtain the Creative Aging track upon completion of the Creative Aging Training.

Important: Artists may apply in both Education and Community tracks. Those applying in both tracks must submit appropriate information for each track. Applicants who submit identical information for both tracks will be automatically withdrawn from one of the tracks.


Current Areas of Focus for Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artists:

Arts Integration and STEAM

Teaching artists practicing arts integration or who have developed projects/programs addressing STEAM-science, technology, engineering, arts, and math are encouraged to apply to the directory. Arts integration and STEAM support contemporary skills, learning across the curriculum and whole school improvement. Inclusion in the directory will offer teachers a resource to provide innovative solutions for ensuring a well-rounded education for all Nevada’s students.

Traditional Arts and Folklife Practices

We encourage traditional artists and practitioners to join the Nevada Arts Council directory to share their traditions both within and outside their cultural group. Nevada is home to many diverse traditions. Some were transported here from other regions or countries and have become interwoven with Nevada’s cultural landscape and identity; some flourish on Native American tribal lands; others developed locally with occupational groups. Folklife includes both artistic expressions and traditional knowledge and practices that are passed down from generation to generation, within families and communities, from master to apprentice, grandparent to grandchild, and neighbor to neighbor. Traditions such as foodways, rituals, festivals and celebrations encompass a variety of art forms, as well as customs and beliefs that can be shared through inclusion on the Nevada Arts Council directory.

Creative Aging

The Nevada Arts Council is investing in strengthening the cultural development of communities by the inclusion of arts learning for all age groups, including older adults. Participation in the arts creates opportunities for self-expression, communication, and connections, providing a positive effect on the physical and mental health of a community’s aging population. Teaching artists interested in the creative aging field should consider becoming a Nevada Arts Council roster artist.

Virtual Learning

Teaching artists should include their experience with distance teaching using digital platforms when applying to the directory (Distance teaching experience is not a requirement to apply to the directory).

Therapeutic Artmaking for Healthy Communities

The arts are essential for building thriving and healthy communities. Creating art in group settings is a powerful tool to help alleviate social isolation and enhance mental wellness. Artists are encouraged to develop wellness-focused creative experiences centered around skill development, self-expression, and social interaction, that provide meaningful opportunities for Nevadans of all ages and abilities to engage in the therapeutic aspects of artmaking.

How to Apply

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet all the following requirements:

  • Have U.S. citizenship or legal resident status.
  • A full-time current Nevada resident or residents within border states. 
  • Boarder state residents are not eligible for individual grants but can work with an eligible Nevada-based organization that has received grant funding.
  • Any programs funded by the Nevada Arts Council must take place within Nevada and benefit Nevada residents.
  • Be a teaching artist – A teaching artist is a practicing artist with solid knowledge in one’s discipline, who engages people in learning experiences in, through or about the arts.
  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • Individual artists are welcome to apply.
  • Arts and cultural groups and/or nonprofit arts organizations are eligible.

The strongest applications demonstrate deliberate and thoughtful planning that includes sample programming and addresses the various populations that may be served by the residency.

Our staff welcomes your questions. Before starting the application process, we highly recommend all applicants contact: 

  • Sogand Tabatabaei, Arts Learning Specialist, Northern Nevada Office, 775-687-6680
  • Regan Margetts, Arts Learning Specialist, Southern Nevada Office, 702-486-3738


Online Application

The teaching artist directory application must be completed and submitted via Submittable, the Nevada Arts Council on-line grant system. The system will allow you to complete applications online at your own pace. The application process consists of:

  1. Login registration
  2. An online application with narrative questions
  3. Required support material
  4. A signature page


Submittable

Getting Started

The application is accessible at https://nevadaartscouncil.submittable.com/submit

Online application opens Oct. 20, 2025, 8 a.m. PT
Deadline to submit application is Dec. 19, 2025, 5 p.m. PT

Resources

Before filling out this application, gather the following narratives and support materials to make the process easier: 

  • Unexpired ID and proof of residency
  • Narrative questions, such as: 
    • Brief statement that describes your practice
    • Groups only: Brief group/ organization description 
    • Brief description of workshops, presentations, and/ or activities that you offer
    • Education Track only: Description of any experience with Nevada’s Academic Content Standards for Fine Arts and/ or English Language Arts (if applicable)
  • Application support material such as:
    • Current résumé (for groups only: lead artist résumé + short bios for group members)
    • Two (2) letters of recommendation or evaluation from individuals who have hired you as a teaching artist
    • Artistic work samples created in the last three years
  • Additional uploads such as:
    • Teaching samples, handouts, student work, etc.
    • Community track program description and/or education track lesson plan

Review additional resources for applicants.

If you have questions concerning your application or support material, please contact the arts learning specialists:

Sogand Tabatabaei, stabatabaei@nevadaculture.org
Regan Margetts, rmargetts@nevadaculture.org

How Teaching Artist Directory Applications Are Reviewed

The Nevada Arts Council uses an open panel review process to provide an impartial environment in which applications are evaluated. In general, a combination of out-of-state and in-state artists, arts administrators and educators serve on the teaching artist directory panel to review and score applications. Applications with a score lower than 70 will not be accepted to the directory but are eligible to re-apply for the next year. All applications for the Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artist Directory are reviewed by Nevada Arts Council staff for eligibility and completeness and then scheduled for panel review. Applicants will be notified of the review date, which is open to the public. The review panel will review applications using the following criteria:

Artistic Excellence (40 points)

  • Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of their artistic discipline
  • Quality of artistic work samples
  • Currently practicing professional artist with demonstrated expertise and training in an artform

Teaching Artist Merit (40 points)

  • Demonstrated knowledge of program management, content, and delivery
  • Ability to articulate clear goals and objectives
  • Demonstrated experience teaching in community or school settings

Community and/or Education Track Specialization (20 points)

  • Community Track: Demonstrated experience building relationships with community-based venues
  • Education Track: Ability to develop a complete and comprehensive lesson plan based on Nevada Academic

Standards for the Fine Arts (https://doe.nv.gov/offices/office-of-teaching-and-learning/fine-arts/) or English Language Arts (ELA) (https://doe.nv.gov/offices/office-of-teaching-and-learning/english-language-arts)

Attendance at Review Panels

The Nevada Arts Council strongly encourages applicants to observe panel meetings via the internet (if available) to experience the review process. Applicants are not allotted time to address the panel, nor are applicants required to attend the panel review.

If You Are Accepted For The Teaching Artist Directory

Applicants will be notified in writing of the panel review decision. Approved applicants will receive an electronic form required for inclusion in the official directory. This form must be completed and submitted within 30 days of receipt. Failure to submit the form by the deadline may result in a delay in the creation and publication of the applicant’s directory profile.

Acceptance to the directory is not a guarantee of being hired as a teaching artist or selected for placement in an artist residency. We strongly encourage teaching artists to market themselves to existing and potential sponsors throughout Nevada. Marketing material should include a link to the teaching artist’s directory page.

The Nevada Arts Council may remove an artist from the directory at any time for behavior that could be detrimental or offensive to students, teachers, the community, and/or the arts council. This includes but is not limited to unlawful activities, unprofessional conduct, inappropriate behavior or language, violation of rules in a school /community setting, lack of responsible follow-through, or violation of contracts. Directory artists will be removed from the directory if they fail to fulfill grant requirements, or if they fail to respond to arts council staff requests for information in a timely or accurate manner.

*The Nevada Arts Council does not require teaching artists to carry liability insurance or obtain a background check in order to apply for or be included on the Teaching Artist Directory. However, teaching artists are encouraged to have current liability insurance and a recent background check for prospective hosting organizations or public institutions, which may require one or both. The Nevada Arts Council is not liable for damages or losses from any use of services provided by a teaching artist included on the Teaching Artist Directory.

Current Nevada Arts Council Teaching Artist

Current Nevada Arts Council teaching artists do not have to re-apply for inclusion on the directory. Please contact the arts learning specialists with any changes to your profile including changes to your contact information.