Iowa Arts Council's Volunteer Panelist Program

What is a Volunteer Panelist?

Citizen advice is central to government support of the arts. The Iowa Arts Council relies on volunteer panelists with a broad range of artistic and cultural viewpoints to bring their expertise and experience to application review and programming.

Volunteer panelists are made up of artists, arts professionals, educators, and community members actively involved in the arts. The Iowa Arts Council actively solicits and accepts nominations for panelists as they are selected on a panel-by-panel basis. Panelists are reimbursed for travel and expenses incurred during reviews, but are not compensated for their services.

Panelist Profile Requirements

Nominees must be at least 18 years of age, live in Iowa and have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• An arts discipline
• Arts Education
• Management of nonprofit organizations
• Public Art acquisition procedures
• Community-based arts project

Panel Descriptions

Funding Panels

Major Project Grant

• Supports arts projects for individual artists, schools, organizations, or units of government in the following categories: Artists, Arts in Education, Organizations, Public Art, and Folk & Traditional Art
• Requests up to $10, 000
• Deadline is April 1st, annually

All reviewing and scoring will take place at a 2.5 day retreat at the IAC Office in Des Moines.
Each sub-panel consists of 3 volunteer panelists.
Major Grant Alternates: The IAC chooses 2 alternates that would be called to service if a chosen panelist has to cancel. Alternates are asked to hold open the dates of the retreat.

Mini Project Grant

• Supports a wide variety of arts projects for individual artists, schools, organizations, or units of government
• Requests up to $1,000
• Deadlines are the 1st of every month

All reviewing and scoring will take place at a 1.5 day retreat in at the IAC Office in Des Moines.
The panel consists of 2 Iowa Arts Council staff members and 1 volunteer panelist

Iowa Scholarship for the Arts

• Supports the development of outstanding young artists, enrolled in Iowa educational programs leading to careers in the arts.
• $1,000 Scholarships
• Deadline is February 1st, annually

Applications are sent to the panel for review over a 3 week period. The panel will convene for 1 day at the IAC Office in Des Moines to interview the top applicants. 
The panel consists of 3 volunteer panelists.

Review Panels

Performing Artist Roster

• Recognize and support high quality Performing Artists
• Deadlines are November 1st and June 1st, annually

Applications are sent to the panel for review over a 3 week period. The panel will convene for 1 day at the IAC Office in Des Moines to audition each of the applicants.
The panel consists of 3 volunteer panelists.

Teaching Artist Roster

• Recognize and support high quality Teaching Artists
• Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Applications are sent to the panel for review. The panel will send recommendations back to the IAC. Travel to the IAC Office is not required.
The panel consists of 3 volunteer panelists.

Nomination Instructions

If you would like to become a volunteer panelist, or if you would like to nominate someone else, please:

1. Fill out the Volunteer Panelist Nomination Form
2. Submit the form electronically to veronica.ohern@iowa.gov or hardcopy to Veronica O’Hern, Iowa Arts Council, 600 East Locust, Des Moines, IA 50319.

* Nomination does not guarantee that one will be selected to serve on a panel. Nominees will be added to the Iowa Arts Council’s panelist pool and will be contacted should a fitting opportunity arise.