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RESIDENCY HIGHLIGHT Why apply to an artist residency? For many artists, the residence experience provides the opportunity to focus uninterruptedly on new work, for others it presents a chance to get away from normal environs and routines, and for still others it’s the occasion to meet and connect with other artists. Regardless, some hope of rejuvenation spurs most artists that seek out residencies. At the Atlantic Center for the Arts, commonly referred to as “ACA” by attendees, the opportunity to work closely with an established artist is often the initial impetus for applicants. Situated on a 69-acre ecological preserve on the central east coast of Florida, near the town of New Smyrna, ACA serves as an interdisciplinary artists’ community and center for arts education. It’s quite clear, however, that ACA goes about things a little differently than many other artist residency programs around the country. Since 1982, its inaugural year as a residency program, Atlantic Center for the Arts has brought together internationally acclaimed artists, or “Master Artists”, with emerging and mid-career artists, referred to as “Associate Artists” to create an atmosphere conducive to intellectual exchange and creative development but with shifting parameters. Over 260 Master Artists and over 1,700 Associate Artists from around the world have participated in over 90 residencies since ACA opened its doors. The roll call of Master Artists is diverse and impressive. Just this year the list of artists scheduled to attend includes such renowned artists as composer John Zorn, novelist Jim Crace, and visual artist Carolee Schneeman. And, while a list of Associate Artists is not made publicly available, I did get the chance to talk with three Washington State artists that have attended ACA in the last couple of years and get their first hand impressions of this unusual residency program. But first there’s just a little more explaining of how the residency works. For each three-week session, Master artists from three different disciplines are each invited to choose six to ten Associate Artists respectively to work during the length of the residency. The selection process is determined by each Master Artist and can vary significantly, but consistently includes a work sample from applicants and some sort of written statement of intent. While artists from the U.S. and abroad can apply to be Associate Artists, those selected have to cover transportation costs to and from ACA as well as a $850 residency fee upon acceptance (financial aid is considered on a case-by-case basis for accepted artists). Once there, Associate Artists receive free room and board, including three meals per day, five days per week, and studio space. They are, however, responsible for weekend meals and supplies. The facilities available include a painting studio, sculpture studio, Macintosh digital imaging studio, dance studio, music/recording studio, black box theater and library. The sessions include master classes and individual critiques as well as opportunities for collaboration across disciplines with artists working in different disciplines and with other Master Artists. And, of course, there’s private studio time. In 2000, sculptor and installation artist Jenny Heishman was invited to work with Master Artists Jennifer Pastor and Charles Ray (who worked as a Master team). Impressed with the focused nature of peer dialogue at ACA, Heishman noted that “the particular artists invited really determine the dynamic of the residency and the interaction while I was there was amazing, returning again and again to the work.” While there are no prescribed routines during the residency period, Associate Artists generally meet with Master Artists for some amount of time every day during the week. In Heishman’s case, access was optimal. “Both Jennifer and Charles were very available and generous with their time.” One of the biggest impacts on Heishman was the opportunity to simply hang out with accomplished and admired artists and learn about how their daily lives relate to their work. “They have a playful and exploratory approach to everyday things. From that, I took away that you don’t need permission to pursue an idea, a feeling a lot of artists struggle with. This was really inspiring.” Following her residency, Heishman undertook a solo show, Airspace at Soil Gallery in Seattle, directly based on work developed at ACA. When Susan Robb attended ACA last year to work with Master Artist Steven Pippin-along with seven other sculptors and one photographer-the affirmation of her working process was highlighted. “Everyone in the group was obsessive in their approach, so it felt like a relief to see everyone else as immersed in their particular materials and strange obsessions as yourself.” Using some of her time to research international art opportunities and trends (ACA has a research library and cable-speed internet access), Robb had the opportunity to directly ask questions and gain insight from Pippin, an artist working on projects around the world. “It was eye-opening to get a sense of where success takes you, what it looks like,” says Robb. “As a result, I did feel recharged but also felt that I had to seriously get to work when I came home. It was inspiring how the other Associate Artists took their work so seriously.” As a side note, Robb also strongly recommends the amazing thrift stores nearby. For Jesse Paul Miller, applying to attend ACA to work with interdisciplinary artist Zoe Leonard this past winter was “a tribute to having a gut feeling about someone’s work. I really identify with her work, its variety, so I applied. As it turns out, it was the first residency I’ve attended.” Writing in his application that he was seeking “to find nature,” Miller did pretty much just that through audio field recordings and video footage taken throughout the coastal area. Accompanying people to parks, wildlife reserves, springs, the beach, and to the local downtown, Miller amassed the raw material for an upcoming installation, Searching for a Quiet Place: Turnbull Bay, opening December 12 at Jack Straw’s New Media Gallery in Seattle. “It’s a collage in the end, importing impressions of a place with an idiosyncratic eye and ear, a sort of filtering through a place,” offers Miller. “ACA had great facilities-I was able to use their digital camera and microphones for instance-but it was the overall interaction with other artists that was as important. Interaction isn’t enforced, it just occurs and fresh input was the main goal of the residency for me.” With little or no prompting, these three Washington artists readily attest to the vibrancy of the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the lasting impact of their residency experience. For more information on the application process, residency details, and upcoming Master Artists and residency dates, visit http://www.atlanticcenterforthearts.org/. |