Call for Applications – SLOW Relations + Practices: Emerging BIPOC Artist Residency Program

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

Centre A invites self-identifying emerging Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Artists based in Metro Vancouver to apply for our Open Call for SLOW Relations + Practices, an eight-week program from June 1 to July 27, 2024, including a four-week paid studio and research residency, followed by a four-week exhibition at our gallery space of new works created during the residency.

SLOW Relations + Practices is part of Centre A’s 25th Anniversary programming that examines the organization’s rich history as the only public gallery in Canada that focuses on Asian and Asian diasporic perspectives. The program is a new and revised iteration of Makiko Hara’s project of the same name at Centre A in 2010. For the early iteration of the project, led by Hara and initiated by a working group of diverse, local cultural producers, it addresses the pressing issue of time-slow and hurriedness.

During the one-month residency period, three chosen artists will be able to utilize Centre A’s gallery space as a shared studio, participate in group critiques, create collective works, share knowledge with the 2024 Art Writing Mentorship participants, and engage with the public through a series of open studios. Centre A will also facilitate and connect artists with arts and culture workers within the Vancouver area. 

Participants will have access to their shared studio space at Centre A from Wednesdays to Saturdays, 12 – 6pm, as well as our Reading Room and a list of digital media equipment, including projectors, monitors, media players, mixer, speakers, and more. The studio space has gallery lighting fixtures and no natural light. We do not provide accommodation.

At the start of the program, we will work with each participant regarding their accessibility needs, and provide support needed for successful applicants to eliminate any barrier to participate in the program, such as audio transcription and ASL interpretation.

PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY:

The program is open to emerging BIPOC artists residing in Metro Vancouver. We encourage all members of underrepresented and marginalized groups to apply, including but not limited to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, and/or disability.

An emerging artist is defined as an artist who works in any discipline within the visual and performing arts, who are in the early stages of their professional career, and are committed to the development of their craft and practice.

The applicant must be able to commit to the entirety of the program’s duration (8 weeks, including the month-long exhibition following the residency). This includes planned weekly events such as group sessions, public open studios, gallery visits and other programming:

• Friday, June 7: gallery visits with Art Writing Mentorship cohort 
• Friday, June 14: Chinatown studio visits with Art Writing Mentorship cohort
• Saturday, June 15: residency artist open studio day
• Saturday, June 22: gallery visits
• Wednesday, June 26 – Friday, June 28: group exhibition installation
• Monday, July 29 – Wednesday, July 31: group exhibition deinstallation

BENEFITS:

• Hands-on experience working with BIPOC artist peers
• Daytime access to a shared studio space at Centre A located in Vancouver’s Chinatown, within walking distance of numerous galleries and arts organizations
• Networking opportunities with established local artists, curators and arts and culture workers
• Opportunity to work with Centre A’s Artistic Director and Programming team to realize a month-long group exhibition at Centre A
• Curatorial, administration and marketing support, including event assets such as social media promotion, postcards and exhibition photos
• An artist fee of $1000 and material reimbursement of $250 for each artist upon successful completion of the program, and standard CARFAC fee for the group exhibition ($1190/artist) and any additional public programming

PROGRAM DETAILS:

Location: Centre A, 205-268 Keefer St., Vancouver, BC. See more accessibility details below in the “About Centre A” section

Duration: 8 weeks, June 1 – July 27, 2024

Commitment: Participants are expected to attend weekly programming (approx. 3-5 hours each week), and utilize the studio space on a weekly basis during the residency period

Remuneration: Upon successful completion of the program, each participant will receive an artist fee of $1000, a material reimbursement of $250 and an exhibition fee of $1190 per CARFAC schedule.

HOW TO APPLY:

Deadline to submit: May 13, 11:59 PM PST

During a time of urgent global and ecological catastrophes, the SLOW Relations + Practices residency welcomes applications from emerging BIPOC artists based in Metro Vancouver in response to the following questions: 

• What is the renewed condition of artistic practices and production? 
• How do we incorporate slowness as a methodology of care in the current condition? 
• How can slowness create time and space for meaningful interactions and collaborative learning? 

Please submit the documents below in a single PDF file by email to [email protected] with “Residency Application” in the subject line. Please make sure your PDF file is under 10MB.

Your application should include: 

• A project proposal (500 words maximum) outlining what you intend to create during the residency in relation to your background and artistic interests;
• A curriculum vitae (3 pages maximum);
• Contact details for one reference;
• Any access needs;
• 5-10 images or videos of past work (videos should be included as URL links, please ensure the link is publicly accessible) ;
• An image list corresponding to the images, including title, year, material, size, any collaborators, and a brief description of the work (100 words max. each).

A total of three applicants will be chosen for the program. Successful applicants can expect to hear back by May 20, 2024. Due to the large volume of applications, we are unable to provide individual feedback at this time. 

ABOUT CENTRE A:

Established in 1999, Centre A is the only public art gallery in Canada dedicated to contemporary Asian and Asian diasporic perspectives. We are committed to providing a platform for engaging diverse communities through public access to the arts, creating mentorship opportunities for emerging artists and arts professionals, and stimulating critical dialogue through provocative exhibitions and innovative public programs that complicate understandings of migrant experiences and diasporic communities. In addition to our exhibition space, we house a reading room with a collection of books on transnational Asian art, including the Finlayson Collection of Rare Asian Art Books.

Centre A is located in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, on the second floor of the Sun Wah Centre Mall. The gallery is located on the second floor of a wheelchair-accessible building which has an elevator. Bathrooms are gendered with accessible stalls. Please contact us at [email protected] if there are any questions.

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This program is funded by the BC Multiculturalism & Anti-Racism Grant.