Artist in Residence Program
Announcing the first and only U.S. Mosaic Arts Residency
The CMS Artist in Residence Program supports a broad range of artists working in communities outside of the Chicago area. CMS Resident Artists will bring new resources, perspectives, and professional connections to the diverse audiences that the school serves. This includes first-time mosaic students, emerging artists, and professional and established artists. This may bring opportunities for creating mosaic work with public programming as well as educational opportunities; our Residence Program will strive to increase public awareness and appreciation of mosaic art and its role in contemporary art practices.
CMS Artist Residence receive housing and studio space to create and expand their art practice. While in residence, artists will become an important part of our community through shared art practices, new conversations, and connections between members of our community.
Throughout the year, we will welcome mid-career and established artists from around the world to take advantage of this one-of-a-kind experience at CMS. Resident Artists will enjoy 24-access to the studio and receive support from our faculty and staff. The duration, focus, and activities of each residency will be based on the needs and priorities of each individual artist.
Eligibility
The CMS Artist in Residence Program is committed to serving:
- Mid-career and established artists.
- Artists with a strong exhibition record and public speaking or teaching experience.
- Artists who are able to fully commit 1-12 weeks to a project.
- Artists with enough mosaic experience to work independently in the studio, with only light technical support from staff.
- Artists whose current artistic practice or proposed residency project uses mosaic within a contemporary art practice.
- Artists who show true interest in engaging with The Chicago Mosaic School community.
- Artists who are able to provide or coordinate their own travel, and local transportation during the residency.
CMS encourages applications from artists from all backgrounds, including underrepresented groups that include (but are not limited to) artists of color, LGBTQIA+ artists, women artists, and artists with disabilities. Additional information will be provided about the studio and using the equipment.
Expectations
- Residents are expected to make full and regular use of CMS studio. Resident artists receive 24-hour access, use of tools and equipment, and shared workspace, but no private studio.
- Residents will receive a thorough orientation to CMS facilities and light technical support from faculty/staff. However, residents should be knowledgeable enough to generally work independently in their studio processes required for their project. Please address any need for specific or additional assistance in advance.
- Resident Artists may be required to present some form of public presentation or demonstration customized around the skills and interests of the artist and the CMS community.
- CMS may ask to retain a piece of a finished artwork produced through the residency. Sales of these artworks will provide the critical funding to sustain this program.
Important Details
Application Fee: $35
Rolling Submission: OPEN
Duration: One to 12 weeks
Selection Process
CMS Residency applications will be reviewed by a jury that includes staff, and an outside arts professional. Decisions will be based on the quality of the proposal and the strength of the portfolio, including technical proficiency in mosaics and conceptual rigor. In addition, we seek established artists who are capable of working independently and bringing a new and unique prospective to our community. Staff will conduct in-person or virtual studio visits with all finalists to assess technical skills and elaborate on public presentation and programming opportunities.
To apply click “add to cart” below and fill out the pop-up form to submit the following materials. All documents should be PDFs. This should include:
- Letter of interest (one page): Please address the general scope of your study. project or proposal and what space and materials you will require, an overview of your experience in mosaic art, programming preferences or ideas, ideal length of the residency, restrictions around dates, and anything else you like us to consider that is not covered by other parts of the application.
- Proposal Summary (one page): Proposals should be well-defined and present a clear overview of the goals and and scope of work that you will produce, and how it will benefit from a residency at CMS .
- Digital Portfolio of 7-10 Images: Images must not exceed 1MB each and should be titled with your name and a file number. Work should be recent and include mosaic works when possible.
- Image List: For each work, include the file name, title, medium, year of completion, and dimensions.
- Artist Statement
- Current Resume or CV
Any questions regarding the residency or application process please email us at Info@ChicagoMosaicSchool.org.
Everyone’s safety is important to us. Participation in this program requires being onsite at CMS and that per our Covid-19 Policy, all artists accepted into the program will be required to provide staff with proof of vaccination and a negative Covid 19 test.
