Artists who are interested in (or already) making socially-engaged art are invited to partcipate in a set of professional development activities designed to develop or deepen a public art practice. A roster of activists, arts professionals, curators, funders, and change agents will offer strategies for creating and sustaining work that overlaps both the art and social justice sectors.

Through a series of "public art potlucks" artists in the Create Change program are able to form peer networks, receive mentorship and technical assistance from a wide range of artists and art professionals, as well as learn new skill sets ranging from oral history collection to sustaining a career in community-based art making.

Up to fifteen (15) Create Change Professional Development Fellows will be selected to partcipate in bi-weekly discussions and workshops designed to help them deepen their approach to having a socially-engaged creative practice and develop a project proposal for a social engaged public art project that can be mounted after they have completed the Fellowship. This opportunity is open to artists at all stages of their careers.

Fee
$150. Merit based scholarships are available.

Benefits

• Access to a rich network of local and national peers, activists, arts professionals, curators, funders, and change agents. For a list of past speakers, click here.
• Opportunity to form a peer network with other area artists on a bi-weekly basis
• A peer learning process for workshopping creative vision, sharing strategies, and exchanging ideas

Eligibility
To participate in this program, artists should:

• Have a demonstrated creative practice
• Be interested in (or already) making socially-engaged art
• Live in the Greater New York Metropolitan Area (including Jersey City and Newark)
• Not be enrolled as a full-time student at any point during the program

Selection Criteria
Strong candidates have:

• Familiarity or interest in local issues impacting their neighborhoods
• Interest/Ability to actively engage non-artists in all aspects of their creative process
• Capacity for critical thinking and analysis
• Demonstrated record of artistic excellence in their work samples and resume
• Deep respect for their neighbors, and desire to collaborate with a broad public

Criteria Used to Evaluate Applications:
Artistic Merit

• Has the applicant demonstrated a record of artistic excellence in their work samples and professional experience?

Relevance to Artists

• Would participation in this program significantly strengthen this artist’s practice and network?

Artist's Commitment to/Interest in Socially-Engaged Art-making

• Does this applicant seem to have a deep respect for their neighbors, and ultimate desire to collaborate with a broad public?
• Has this applicant expressed an interest in local issues impacting their neighborhood or community?

March 23, 2012
Applications submitted by 11:59pm EST

April 13, 2012
Interviews for short listed candidates

May 2, 2012
Final Notifications sent

May 18 - Oct 31, 2012
Create Change Public Artists Residency and Professional Development Fellowship

Orientation will be held May 18, 2012. Workshops take place every other Saturday, 10am-2pm starting May 19, 2012

"I had just moved to New York City, and this program was an incredible opportunity to get to know a range of amazing, socially-engaged artists in this community - fellow artists in the program and the incredible workshop leaders. The workshops were thoughtfully curated, a great mix of practical and theoretical from a range of interesting organizations and individuals. The course participants were an incredible resource, all professional in their pursuit of making artwork that is meaningful and beautiful, making a real impact in their communities. There was a delicious space created between the participants of this program, where we were supportive of each other.

I am leaving this program fired up and ready to jump into a big project, with a background of knowledge and research, and a supportive community of colleagues and mentors who I met from this program. I am excited to create a project inside of a community setting like a laundromat, and continue to develop myself within this Laundromat Project community of which I've become a part."

"Too many positive thoughts are running through my mind at break neck speed. The whole experience from beginning to end was truly a pleasure. I didn't realize the power of what we had created until the evening of the potluck. It was a beautiful evening to commemorate an amazing cohort and experiences."