Your SPACES Cycle 2 Questions Answered
Snowed in? In case you missed our Cycle 2 Q&A Session, you can take your snow day and listen to the recording here.
With one week to go before Statements of Intent are due, we've also scheduled a follow-up Q&A for this Thursday at 4 p.m. You can sign up here.
And here are our answers to a few of the questions from last week's Q&A session.
How can the stipend be used — is this for material costs, cost of living, project budget...all of the above?
The stipend is 100% for you, the artist. No project costs are taken from the stipend.
How much and how often during the residency is payment made? Will taxes be deducted from the $15,000 honorarium or is that the responsibility of the artists?
The stipend is split into three pieces, paid at the beginning, middle, and end of the residency. You will receive a 1099 for tax purposes, so paying taxes is your responsibility.
How are artists supported in budgeting out material costs? For example in NYC there is a warehouse full of free materials available to non-for-profits who qualify. Does something like this exist for your organization in Philly?
We support artists in budgeting for the project by consulting during the planning phase and throughout the project, helping you to find additional resources and connections for donations when needed. If you are developing your project and a piece of equipment or other expense becomes crucial, we will help you obtain it — we’re committed to supplying the material needs of any project.
What exactly is a creatively renovated row home? What is the approximate square footage- rooms and floors? Is it furnished?
We have several residences used by artists in residence and you’ll be matched with one according to your needs. Each row home is two stories tall and roughly 600 square feet in area. Expect a kitchen, living room, and bedroom/private living space, as well as a small backyard and basement. The homes are furnished.
Can I bring family or a pet to live with me?
You're allowed to bring children, a partner, or a pet, but before you bring either we highly recommend you actually tour The Village and the neighborhood that surrounds it. This is an area showing the effects of decades of disinvestment, with high crime rates and no public schools in walking distance. It is also a loving environment full of kids to play with and new neighbors to meet, but you need to decide whether or not it's right for your family.
Is the studio space provided in the row home or is it at a separate location? Is there a communal space where artists can gather with community members to develop projects? Will the artists have access to any equipment like computers, art supplies &/or studio equipment, construction tools, cameras?
The Village has a variety of facilities — art classrooms, art parks, a half-acre working farm, a storefront, a ceramics studio, a recording studio — that can be used to create your project, but are not specifically dedicated to SPACES. You’ll work with Village staff to create the space that you need, or perhaps activate some space we haven’t even thought of yet! If you’re selected to continue to the finalist round, you’ll be given a guide that more clearly details these resources.Again, while we already have a wide variety of tools and materials available to you, we’re also dedicated to ensuring you have the materials you need to accomplish your project.
What is the actual vicinity of Village of Arts and Humanities? Is it a block, several blocks?
The “Village Heart,” or the area where we concentrate the majority of our programming, is three square blocks. Village-created murals and sculptures stretch many more blocks than that throughout the neighborhood.
How many applicants submitted proposals last year? From that pool how many were chosen for round 2? Can we expect the same number of applicants to be chosen for round 2 this year?
Last year we received about 80 applications and 4 were chosen as finalists. This year we’ve structured our process differently, but we expect more applications and to choose roughly 10 artists to continue onto the finalist round.
I am applying as a individual artist, not part of a team or collective. How important is having my own website in applying for a residency? I have Internet presence (blogging, art collective member) but no website showcasing my own accomplishments and work.
It is not important. It is important that we’re able to see samples of your work; many artists use a website to show us these samples; but as long as you can attach the samples of your work or links to your work elsewhere, it’s not essential that you have one.
Is there priority given to locally based artists? I noticed the previous visiting artists were based in Philadelphia.
There is no preference for artists from Philly. In Cycle 1, two of our amazing residents did hail from Philly but our third group of artists in residence came from Richmond, Virginia! Cycle 1 round was open to artists on the East Coast, and Cycle 2 is open to artists from anywhere in the U.S. We hope that artists from around the US apply and bring their perspectives to our city. Also, we ask that SPACES artists live full-time in the artist residence, which may even be easier for artists who are truly moving to Philadelphia for this project.
Wondering about international artists…are artists from Canada able to be considered? I know Canadians have a six-month duration where visas are not required to stay in the States. Is there any thought around this?
That’s a good question. As of now, the SPACES team isn't equipped to support the additional complexities of supporting an international visiting artist, which is why we’ve made the call for U.S. citizens only. However, if you are from Canada and do not face visa issues for any reason, you’re welcome to apply and add that information to your application.
We're also very aware of the incredible wealth of talent outside our borders, and strongly considering an international round in the future.
In your opinion what traits constitute an ideal candidate for your program?
As our application states, we’re looking for someone excited about immersing themselves in our neighborhood and with strong experience facilitating groups of people and mentoring others — as well as a great artist.
