“The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, in coordination with the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, invites Boston artists to apply to Boston AIR to become an artist in residence within a City of Boston department or agency.”
Oh, did I mention 3 Boston artists will receive $26,000? Let’s discuss..
Boston AIR Stage One: Request for Qualifications
A cohort of ten artists will be invited to study and expand their own civic and social practice, alongside a parallel cohort of City employees who will be exposed to examples of artistic practices which incorporate art and artists into government work. Artists will receive $1,000 stipends for capacity development and support as they create proposals to work with a City department or agency. Both the artist and City cohorts will attend master workshops and lectures by guest artists and have opportunities to exchange ideas and co-design proposals.
Boston AIR Stage Two: Request for Proposals
Three artists will be awarded $20,000 stipends each for six-month-long residencies within a City of Boston department or agency to develop and test ways that creative approaches can meaningfully impact the work of the public sector.
The City of Boston cohort includes representatives from the following departments (not a final list) the Office of Women’s Advancement, Veterans Services, Elderly Affairs, Mayor’s Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Neighborhood Development, Boston Transportation Department, Department of Public Works, Parks and Recreation Department, the Education Cabinet, the Office of Arts and Culture, and the Mayor’s Office.
Eligibility
All Boston area residents are eligible to apply; however, seasoned artists with firsthand knowledge of cultures and communities in the City of Boston are preferred. Selected artists should be prepared to attend four (total) weekday, lunch-time workshops, scheduled during the months of October, November, and December. At the first meeting in October, artists are expected to give a short (six minute) presentation on their practice. Selected artists will also be invited to attend lectures by thought leaders.
Budget and Scope of Work for Project Design and Implementation
$1,000 – fee awarded to ten artists for participation in trainings and proposal development
$20,000 – fee awarded to three selected artists for project design, implementation, and oversight to be paid in scheduled installments
$5,000 – project budget available for materials and services for each of the three selected projects
Deadline: Sunday September 27, 2015
Learn more here.
Apply here.
If I were you..
I would apply. The RFQ is only one page that asks for basic contact info and this one question: “Describe your interest in working within city government.”
You probably want to tie-in something that addresses this bit from the eligibility portion of the application: “All Boston area residents are eligible to apply; however, seasoned artists with firsthand knowledge of cultures and communities in the City of Boston are preferred.”
I hope <250 words about your firsthand knowledge of Boston along with the correct spelling of your home address nets you at least 1k.
And then your seasoned self can buy me a coffee. ♥
