Acadia National Park Artist-in-Residence Open Call for 2018

Acadia National Park Artist-in-Residence Open Call for 2018

Art and artists have played a key role in the history of Maine's Down East Region and the founding of Acadia National Park. The Artist-in-Residence program is dedicated to creating new ways for visitors to experience the park. In exchange for a two-week immersive experience, artists lead one outreach presentation with the public and donate within one year one work of art that depicts a fresh and innovative new perspective of Acadia for park visitors. Artists travel to and take part in the program at their own expense at the invitation of the park superintendent. An online application process is open to all, but is highly selective based upon prior professional achievement and broader program goals to foster innovation, diversity, and relevance with new audiences.

Three categories of applicants are considered: Visual Artists, Writers, and At-Large Participants working in such forms as music composition, performing arts, indigenous arts, and emerging technologies. Applications are reviewed by appointed juries including park staff, community members, past program participants, and subject matter experts. The total number of residencies, their timing on the calendar, and the variety of specific park locations where they are hosted may vary significantly from one year to the next. During peak visitation (typically June through August), the quantity and complexity of artist residencies tend to be limited due to scarce park housing and staff capacity. Artists are encouraged to express preferences for dates and locations necessary to achieve their specific residency goals. Final selections are determined by a combination of jury rankings and whether program managers are able to accommodate preferred residency dates and locations of top applicants.

Wheel-chair accessible housing is available. Each artist may be accompanied by only one adult companion at any given time. Pets and smoking are not allowed. Local transportation is not provided. A $25 non-refundable application fee benefits program operational costs, such as artist housing and the display of art maintained in the program collection. Donated artworks are cataloged online and displayed in public gallery spaces within the park and beyond. For visual artists, size is limited to 48 inches on any side for two-dimensional pieces and a footprint of roughly 18 inches square for three-dimensional pieces intended for indoor display. Finished works must be donated with frames or cases appropriate for secure public display, transportation, and storage. Artists retain copyright ownership of donated pieces but are asked to grant permission for limited ongoing use to the park and its partner Eastern National for promotion, outreach, and development of program-themed sales items in park bookstores, with proceeds benefiting program operational costs.

Application requirements include a professional resume, brief description of objectives and expectations with preferred dates and locations, brief description of intended approach to create a work showing a fresh perspective of Acadia, and brief description of intended public presentation including AV and infrastructure needs. Writers and poets may upload a single PDF file of no more than 1,500 words. Work samples may include up to 14 images (JPEG or JPG only, no larger than 5 MB and 1200 pixels on the longest side), up to three audio files under 10 MB, and up to three video files under 100 MB. For questions, contact [email protected] or 207-288-8807.