Providence Park-ist In Residence

The City of Providence invites professional artists to live in residence on Park grounds to create fresh new ways for visitors to experience two of Providence's most unique and underutilized parks. Selected artists and their families will be supported through housing and the possibility of partnering with City staff and programs. This innovative opportunity is designed in collaboration between the Providence Parks Department and the Providence Department of Art, Culture + Tourism through its ACT Public Art Program.

Awarded artists will receive a two-year residency at one of three available Parks-owned properties: Esek Hopkins Homestead (71 Admiral Street) or Wanskuck House (229 Woodard Road). Artists will enter into a lease agreement at a fixed monthly rent of $600 plus utilities and agree to be property caretakers. Esek Hopkins Homestead is a 2-story historic home with 3,492 sq.ft. of livable space including three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and ample studio space, with wheelchair-accessible housing available. Wanskuck House is a 1,258 sq.ft. cottage-style home with two bedrooms, one bath, and small studio space on 22 acres of park land. Spouses, adult companions, and children may accompany residents; accompanying adults must complete paperwork to become formal park volunteers contributing 5 hours of work weekly to receive free housing. Smoking is not allowed in any Park housing.

In exchange for subsidized housing, artists-in-residence must host twelve public exhibitions or performances to engage with park visitors throughout their residency. Artists will have a modest budget of $150 per event with an expected audience of 15 or more participants. Artists are required to submit a schedule of activities at six-month intervals and register events with the Department of Art, Culture + Tourism. Artists are expected to regularly blog about their experience with a minimum of 12 posts. Within one year of the residency's close, artists must donate either a finished site-specific work or the rights to writings depicting a new perspective of Providence Parks drawn from their experience living at the site. These permanent works will become part of the Parks permanent collection and be archived on the Parks and ACT websites. The City reserves the right to display or present donated work seasonally in public spaces within the park, surrounding communities, and beyond. Artists will present before the Art in City Life Commission one year into the residency to present their work to date.

Applicants must be 21 years or older and hold a current Rhode Island home or studio address. This call is open to artists working across all media, interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary arts practices, traditional and indigenous art forms, and intercultural modalities. Individual artists and artist collaboratives of no more than three may apply. Applicants must have demonstrated experience with a portfolio consisting of at least three successful public art installations, gallery exhibitions, public performances, or publications, and must demonstrate experience with social practice including at least one successful arts-based program such as instruction, fabrication of public art, or production of a performance. Providence residents and artists and cultural workers are preferred. Preference will be given to artists demonstrating cultural competency and previous experience working in intercultural modalities. Multilingual applicants are preferred. People of Color, Women, LGBTQ+ artists, and artists who are parenting or caretaking for dependents are highly encouraged to apply.

Qualified artists must submit an Artist Statement, Resume/CV, and three to five examples of relevant projects by September 30, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. MDT through Call for Entry. Work samples may include 1-10 images, 0-6 audio files, and 0-6 video files. Artists will be selected through a competitive, two-tiered process. The Art Selection Panel will review complete applications and limit the selection pool to no more than five artists. The five shortlisted artists will be invited to an in-person interview and asked to develop a brief project presentation detailing their proposed engagement with the site, grounds, and park visitors. The Department of Art, Culture + Tourism will inform the commissioned artist in residence no later than November 15, 2019. Awarded artists may move into their residence by December 1st.