Applying for the Monhegan Artists Residency
The Monhegan Artists’ Residency program is offering three residencies in 2013. The dates are as follows:
Saturday, June 1 to Friday, July 5th
Saturday, July 6 to Friday, July 20th (For Maine art teachers K-12 only)
Saturday, August 31 to Friday, October 4th
The deadline for application submissions is a postmarked date of Friday, March 15th
Applications are reviewed by a jury of three art professionals. The 2013 jurors are:
- Suzette McAvoy, Director, Center for Maine Contemporary Art
- Virginia Sassman Rose, Director, Rose Contemporary Gallery
- Charles Melcher, photographer and Associate Professor of Graphic Design at the Maine College of Art
Applicants will be notified by April 8th, 2013
There is a non-refundable application fee of $25.00 to be sent with your application packet.
The residency award includes lodging, studio space, and stipend of $100 per week to cover food and other basic expenses.
Eligibility
The Monhegan Artists’ residency program is open to emerging Maine artists who are in the process of developing a clear and original artistic vision. Please note that the 2-week residency in July is limited to Maine art teachers only.
Applicants must be visual artists, defined as anyone engaged in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, new media or photography whose work is appropriate for the available studio space (e.g., there is no photography darkroom available).
The residency is designed for artists of any age: those who are in the critical early stages of their career; those at a significant turning point at mid-career; and/or those who have not had a significant exhibition in a major gallery or museum nor had a work placed in a major public collection. It is also for artists who might not otherwise be able to afford an extended stay on Monhegan.
Artists must be at least 21 years of age and legal residents of the State of Maine (proof of residency may be required).
Students enrolled in a degree program at the time of the residency are not eligible.
Criteria for selection include:
- Quality of work is the primary criterion, in addition to which are the following:
- Convincing evidence that the applicant is committed in purpose and practice, though not yet achieving wide recognition for her/his work
- Clarity of artistic vision as articulated in the artist’s statement and in the work itself
- Convincing evidence that the applicant is moving forward with her/his art and of how the residency would advance his/her career
- Appropriate adherence to the application guidelines
While Monhegan Island’s natural, rugged beauty has for over a century been a Mecca for landscape artists, this residency program welcomes and encourages applicants working in any genre or subject matter, style (abstraction, new media, conceptual art, etc.), or medium.
Rules and Responsibilities for Residents during and after the Residency
There is no requirement to produce a body of work, although the residency should be viewed as an outstanding opportunity for artistic development.
Art materials are not generally available on the island and daily necessities tend to be more expensive than on the mainland, so the resident artist should plan ahead and bring any specialized supplies. We can put you in touch with a recent alumni Resident for suggestions and guidance on what to bring.
No guests (family or friends) may stay in the studio or apartment during the residency.
No pets are allowed.
The lodging and studio with all their contents must be properly maintained and left in the same condition as at the beginning of the residency.
Sale of artwork during the residency period is prohibited, although a one day informal studio exhibition at the end of the residency is permissible.
Following the residency, alumni Artist Fellows are encouraged to stay in touch with MARC and to provide current contact and biographical information and digital images of current work for the Monhegan Residency Fellows page on the website, which can also be a hotlink to an alumni resident’s own website. We also urge artists to update us about new developments in their careers (exhibitions, awards, commissions, new gallery associations, etc.) so that we can keep track of their progress and document successful outcomes of the residency program for our donors and the public. Please submit updates only electronically by emailing us at board@monheganartistsresidency.org
The Monhegan Museum maintains its own reference files on the Monhegan Artists’ Residency program, and each year, we share information about recent Artist Fellows with the Museum. Artist Fellows can also send information directly to the Museum by postal mail to Monhegan Museum, Monhegan, Maine 04852 or electronically to museum@monheganmuseum.org .
