The Emerging Artist Residency is celebrating its 10th year

To commemorate this year, Centrum is working with a community of advisors and alumni to curate a cohort from the past ten years of nominated artists.  There will not be an open call for the program in 2023. In the meantime, we are working on revising our application processes to increase equity and reduce labor required by our community of artists. The open call for the residency will resume for 2024 and will be announced in mid 2023.

Who the program is for:

• Artists seeking time, community, and space to rest, re-focus, and further develop their practices

• Visual artists, including performance, movement, writing, and sound artists who have visual/installation components to their work. (Portfolios consisting primarily of writing samples should apply to our Emerging Writers Residency)

• Artists residing in the Pacific Northwest, defined as Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and British Columbia

• Artists who have some exhibition, academic, or prior experience sharing artwork, but who are still “emerging” into a full-time career or still working towards regional or national visibility

• Artists pushing the definitions of art, revisiting traditional practices through contemporary lenses, and/or relating to contemporary issues and ideas

When it happens:

• October

What it provides:

• Stipend is $1500

• Lodging & Studio space

• Studio visits with 2-3 visiting curators/artists

• A minimum of two gatherings with fellow artists

• Time to conduct self-directed projects

• Access to 400+ acres of forest and beach with historical bunkers and cabins in Fort Worden State Park

• Opportunities to share work with local community via Open Studios or appropriate virtual event.

What artists provide:

• Travel costs*

• Meals and Supplies

• Video & audio interviews for Centrum’s podcast and supporting archives

*with the exception of Canadian J-1 visa costs, which Centrum covers

Program Background:

Now in its 10th year, the Emerging Artist Residency was created in order to highlight and support the burgeoning artists of the diverse Pacific Northwest, particularly those who work in experimental, under-recognized, and innovative modes. Over the years, guest jurors representing major arts institutions and community-rooted art practices have shaped the program into one that brings together artists who bring forward relevant topics, inspiring ways of approaching art, and people who are on the cusp of leveling up their practices and visibility. The program also aims to bring equity to historically under-supported identities and backgrounds, and has done so through the help of a broad network of nominators. Artists from this program have gone on to form lasting relationships across state and country borders, exhibitions in museums and galleries, and recognitions that blossomed from the supportive network of the guest curators, alumnx, and cohorts. Above all, artists cite the residency as a unique opportunity to focus on their practice outside of many of the pressures of work, school, or expectation-based constraints.