Alaska State Council on the Arts: Mikelnguut Elitnaurviat Bethel Artist Residency

The Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA) on behalf of the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) is requesting qualifications for an Artist Residency to teach and commission exterior artwork for the Mikelnguut Elitnaurviat Elementary School (ME School) in Bethel, Alaska. This call is for teaching artists residing in Alaska only.

The total art budget is $26,000 USD for one exterior art piece and includes travel, accommodations, per diem, artwork creation and materials, residency fee, shipping, insurance, and installation. The budget must cover three artist visits: a site/visit preliminary meeting, a teaching/instruction residency (2 weeks), and artwork installation. These visits should be coordinated with the school and principal and should not occur during larger community events such as the Camai Festival held every March. The timeline will be worked out with the selected artist so the artwork can be installed before May 1, 2015. Artist contract will be issued prior to June 15, 2014.

Artwork must be installed at the front of the school and must be durable and of high quality, designed to withstand high winds (up to 70mph or more), large volumes of snow, and abrasion from blowing sand and silt. The installed artwork must be permanent and designed to last the life of the building. Artwork of only durable media will be considered. Routine maintenance and display considerations must be minimal, and replacement features must be commercially available in Alaska. The selected artist will work with students (Pre-K through Grade 2, over 85% Yupik Eskimo, 15% Korean, Albanian, Hispanic, African American, and Somalian) to arrive at a theme inspired by the students, their school, and their community.

Preference will be given to Alaska artists with Teaching Artist Certification and portfolios demonstrating capability to produce a public art piece. Non-certified teaching artists may apply if portfolios demonstrate capability and successful collaboration on community-based past projects. Applications must include: a letter of interest (no more than two pages), 10 digital images of past work, a current resume (no more than two pages), and names, titles, and phone numbers for three professional references. Submitted applications will be judged competitively, and up to five finalists may be selected for interviews with the art committee.