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INTRODUCING:
THE VIRTUAL WATERFRONT ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAM

In response to the economic stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and in an effort to support creatives and makers, Friends of Waterfront Seattle (Friends) and the City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront & Civic Projects (OWCP) are together launching Future Forward: Artist-In-Residency, a rapid response plan to provide immediate virtual opportunities for local artists, creatives, and makers that will support the long-term health of the future waterfront park. The partnership will make available $100,000 for temporary installations on the waterfront in 2020.

First, Friends is launching a Request For Proposal for a 90-day Artist Residency Program for an artist, group of artists, or arts collaborative to virtually develop art opportunities and lead a process to activate the waterfront with temporary art installations. The residency artist fee is $10,000 and submissions are due Friday, May 29. The residency is intended to engage artists at the forefront of creative solutions and will guide a broader call for artist submissions for late Summer/Fall 2020 art installations, activities, and activations.

The 90-day virtual residency seeks an artist or artistic collaboration to lead a process that incorporates elements of the Seattle Waterfront Art Plan as inspiration and direction to provide leadership for creating and implementing immediate opportunities for temporary arts and cultural activation. This Artist-in-Residence pilot is created to be scalable over time and continue throughout the life of the park to allow artist-led projects to be a cornerstone of Friends’ waterfront park programming and ensure participation of a range of artists, especially those representing communities of color.

The selected residency will work with the partners to develop a program to award $100,000 in funding made available for this program by Friends and OWCP projects, in support of #SeattleTogether initiative, a partnership among the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Office of Arts & Culture, Office of Economic Development, Seattle Public Library, and the Mayor’s Innovation and Performance Team coming together to build a city-wide COVID-19 community response plan.

This broader call is funded by a partnership between Friends and the City with matched funds provided in part by 1% for Art funds generated by the OWCP’s construction of the waterfront. Deadline for the broader call will be established mid-summer 2020.

In light of recent impacts from both the spread of COVID-19 and the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” mandate by Gov. Inslee, Friends recognizes the importance of participating in economic recovery for the arts community while leading strategies supporting the long-term health of Seattle’s future Waterfront Park. The residency program will embrace a process for employing a creative waterfront arts program that is artist-driven and audience-minded, inclusive and welcoming of a diversity of thought and approaches, and responsive and adaptable to changing public gathering norms. The program brings to life the significance that the arts play in our daily lives as well as in our ability to be “in community.”

https://www.friendsofwaterfrontseattle.org/event/artist-program/

Opportunity Website

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OnlineResidenciesResidency