PlatteForum 2020/2021 Resident Artist Application

PlatteForum is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and award-winning arts, youth-development, and artist-in-residence program in Denver. The organization teams under-resourced youth with professional artists in intensive, structured, and long-term creative learning environments. As an artist community, PlatteForum supports the creation and presentation of new art and ideas by contemporary artists and generates dialogue about the role of the artist in society.

Residencies at PlatteForum are competitive with over 100 applications and only four to five slots awarded each year. Residencies are typically 6-8 weeks in duration, with timeslots following the approximate schedule: Residency A (Jan-March 2021), Residency B (March-May 2021), Residency C (June-July 2021), and Residency D (June/July 2021). The program is open to artists in all genres and disciplines, including established professional artists, emerging artists, and graduate students. Local, national, and international artists are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be able to speak and understand English. There is a three-year waiting period for former residents.

Selection criteria include artistic excellence, innovative ideas for engagement and collaboration with the public, and diversity of ideas, genres, and methodologies. A key component of the residency is the artist's ability to share their creative process with the community. Each resident artist leads creative workshops with under-resourced, high school-aged youth (4-6 hours per week) and participates in a lecture program paired with another speaker on a socially relevant topic (paid an additional $250). PlatteForum requires resident artists to include a social practice component during their residency involving collaborative, community-driven work that engages with social issues.

PlatteForum provides a $250/week stipend, staff support, program administration, workshop support, youth workshop supplies, opening event, press releases, and invitations. The facility is over 4,000 square feet with a dedicated open studio (2,000 square feet), staff offices, kitchen, and restrooms. Guest housing is provided for out-of-town artists, a full kitchen is available, and computer, wireless internet, and wireless printers are accessible throughout the facility. Studios, grounds, and all public and private areas are accessible to people with limited mobility and wheelchairs. There are no residency fees.

Application materials required: Artist Statement (1,000 character limit), Community Engagement Statement (1,000 character limit), Resume/CV, and 8-10 work sample images (5MB per image). Audio or video samples must be submitted as links only and listed in the resume/CV, limited to less than 2 minutes long. Artists will be notified of acceptance no later than June 1st, 2020. The entry fee is $35 (non-refundable). Accepted artists agree to allow PlatteForum to run a national/international criminal and sex offender background check prior to residency start.