Welcome!
Maine Cultural Access Portal is the new grants and opportunities management system for the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine State Library
Tips on using the Submittable platform:
- You will need to create a free Submittable account or sign in with Google or Facebook credentials to submit to these forms.
- You can save a draft of your work if you would like to finish filling out the form at a later date. There is an autosave feature, but you can also manually save your draft by clicking the button at the bottom of the form.
- Submittable works best on Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. Internet Explorer is not supported. Please make sure you are using a supported browser.
- We will follow up with you about your submission by email. Please be sure to safelist notification emails from Submittable and check the email you used to sign up for your Submittable Account regularly.
Technical Questions?
Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.
GUIDELINES:
Find grant guidelines at https://mainearts.maine.gov/Pages/Funding/Craft-Apprenticeships
or download PDF at https://mainearts.maine.gov/CMSContent/arts_grants/FY2026/CAP/2026 CAP Guidelines.pdf
CAP APPLICATION PREP LIST 2026
View and print this pdf with a list of the application questions. We recommend that you pre-write your answers so that you can quickly paste them into the application and have a back-up copy of your text, however, you can type directly into the form.
PDF Link: mainecap.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/CAP-Application-Prep-List-2026-1.pdf
Note: Please review the guidelines and prep list carefully before applying. Doing so will ensure you fully understand the criteria that reviewers will use when evaluating your application.
SUBMITTABLE PLATFORM TECHNICAL QUESTIONS?
Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.
GRANT ASSISTANCE
Our goal is for all potential applicants to have the resources they need to submit a competitive application. If you have questions about the application process, please contact us. We are always happy to help!
Lizz Brown, Programs Manager
717.372.1541
ACCESSIBILITY
If you require an alternate format, need assistance to access the guidelines or application, please contact Eli Cabañas, accessibility coordinator by eli.cabanas@maine.gov or at 207.287.6746.
It is the policy of the Maine Arts Commission not to discriminate on the basis of disability, and the Commission is dedicated to making our programs accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and assist individuals with disabilities in connecting them with resources for access to the arts. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.
Five-year appointment begins July 2026
The Maine Arts Commission invites poets across the state to apply for appointment as the next Maine State Poet Laureate. The selected poet will serve a five-year term beginning July 1, 2026, and concluding June 30, 2031.
Established by statute in 1995, the Poet Laureate program honors a distinguished Maine poet and promotes the art of poetry throughout the state. The laureate is charged with advancing public appreciation for poetry through community engagement, events, and projects, as well as supporting the Commission’s administration of the national Poetry Out Loud program.
The position includes a contracted honorarium of $5,000 per year for five years, administered annually by the Maine Arts Commission. The honorarium is provided in lieu of mileage reimbursement. Administrative support is provided by the Maine Arts Commission Program Director and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance.
Application Guidelines
Eligible applicants must be full-time Maine residents with a distinguished body of poetic work. Applications must be submitted no later than December 5, 2025 and include:
- A CV or résumé
- 8–10 pages of poetry (published or unpublished)
- A 250 word statement outlining a vision for the public role of Poet Laureate, including any specific project proposals
Past Poet Laureate Projects
Former Maine Poets Laureate have developed projects that have reached thousands of Mainers across the state:
- Julia Bouwsma’s Write ME: a statewide epistolary poetry initiative featuring poets in all 16 counties, more than 20 free public workshops, and a pen-pal exchange connecting 300 poets during the winters of 2023–24 and 2024–25.
- Poems from Here: launched by Stuart Kestenbaum in partnership with Maine Public and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, this ongoing series features weekly broadcasts of poems by Maine poets.
- Wesley McNair’s Take Heart: A Conversation in Poetry: a weekly newspaper column produced in collaboration with the Maine State Library and the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, along with several statewide poetry projects.
Since the inception of the position, Maine’s poet laureates have included:
Kate Barnes (1996 – 1999)
Baron Wormser (2000 – 2005)
Betsy Sholl (2006 – 2011)
Wesley McNair (2011 – 2016)
Stuart Kestenbaum (2016 – 2021)
Julia Bouwsma (2021 – 2026)
SUBMITTABLE PLATFORM TECHNICAL QUESTIONS?
Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.
GRANT ASSISTANCE
Our goal is for all potential applicants to have the resources they need to submit a competitive application. If you have questions about the application process, please contact us. We are always happy to help!
Khristina Kurasz, Program Director
Office: 207-287-2713 | Cell: 207-479-8229
ACCESSIBILITY
If you require an alternate format, need assistance to access the guidelines or application, please contact Eli Cabañas, accessibility coordinator at eli.cabanas@maine.gov or 207.287.6746.
It is the policy of the Maine Arts Commission not to discriminate on the basis of disability, and the Commission is dedicated to making our programs accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and assist individuals with disabilities in connecting them with resources for access to the arts. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.
GUIDELINES:
Download Call For Artwork guidelines at https://mainearts.maine.gov/CMSContent/arts_public/Open Call for Direct Purchase - Blaine House.pdf
SUBMITTABLE PLATFORM TECHNICAL QUESTIONS?
Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.
PROGRAM ASSISTANCE
Our goal is for all potential applicants to have the resources they need to submit a competitive proposal. If you have questions about the application process, please contact us. We are always happy to help!
Danielle Moriarty, Program Director
207-287-6719
ACCESSIBILITY
If you require an alternate format, need assistance to access the guidelines or application, please contact Eli Cabañas, accessibility coordinator by eli.cabanas@maine.gov or at 207.287.6746.
It is the policy of the Maine Arts Commission not to discriminate on the basis of disability, and the Commission is dedicated to making our programs accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and assist individuals with disabilities in connecting them with resources for access to the arts. All programs funded by the Maine Arts Commission must also be accessible.