The Guest Artist-in-Residence program is open to any artist whose primary medium is clay. Since 1992 the Clay Studio’s Guest Artist-in-Residence program has hosted artists from over thirty five countries including Anquilla, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, The Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Sweden, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Wales, and the United States. View a list of current, upcoming and past Guest Artists-in-Residence. The Guest Artist-in-Residence Program provides:
- a 12 x 12 ft. studio on The Clay Studio’s third floor
- an apartment across the street
- a materials and firing stipend of up to $200
- and a $500 a month living stipend.
Residencies vary from 4 to 8 weeks, but both shorter and longer residencies have occurred to accommodate an artist’s schedule or to allow for a larger project. Some technical assistance is provided, but this program is designed for artists to work independently.
Artist Requirements
Each artist is required to leave one work for the permanent collection, present an evening slide lecture for The Clay Studio community, and accompany the Claymobile outreach program and/or offer demonstrations in the Studio’s classes. These obligations usually amount to no more than four hours each week. When appropriate, workshops are offered by the artists for an additional honorarium. Artists may be requested to present slide lectures to nearby university ceramics programs (honoraria are arranged by the universities). The artist is responsible for his/her own travel to and from The Clay Studio.
Interaction with The Clay Studio Community
The program has very little structure by design. The artists are provided with keys and may choose to work when they find it most advantageous. They are expected to be open to the questions of Clay Studio students and artists, while The Clay Studio community has been requested not to become too obtrusive. The central location of the guest artist studio has been described as a “fish bowl” but in the past, artists have enjoyed ample contact with people working at all levels in ceramics. This also facilitates quick socialization for the guest artists.
Works Created During the Residency
Aside from the piece selected for the permanent collection, works created during the residency are the property of the artist. Artists are encouraged, however, to leave a small group of pieces for the annual group show entitled “Made at the Clay Studio”, held in June or July of each year. The Studio retains 50% of any works it sells for the artists. Unsold works included in the exhibition may be left at the Studio for a maximum of one year and are fully insured by The Clay Studio. After one year, the work shall become the property of The Clay Studio or will be returned to the artist at their expense. All other work created over the course of the residency shall be shipped to the artist at their own expense. Shipping arrangements must be made prior to the end of the residency.
Application Process
No slides will be accepted for review, ONLY DIGITAL IMAGES. A complete application must include the following:
- a completed application. Download an application [PDF, 49K]
- a resume in hard copy
- artist statement in hard copy
- a project description (describe as fully as possible what you plan on doing over the course of your Residency) in hard copy
- a disc with 10 digital image .jpeg files at 72 dpi, with the image’s longest dimension not exceeding 700 pixels. Each image file should be labeled as follows: imagenumberyourfirstinitialandlastname.jpeg, Example: 1jdoe.jpeg, 2jdoe.jpeg, ect.
- a corresponding image list in hard copy that includes the following: image number, title, medium, size, and date.
NO DISCS WILL BE RETURNED AND NOTIFICATION WILL BE MADE VIA EMAIL. There is no application fee.
Selection Process
Artists are either identified and invited outright by the Artistic Director, chosen from participating artists in the Studio’s international exhibitions, or they may apply using the application form and providing visuals of their work for consideration. (Artists may apply for residencies up to three years in advance.) Many guest artists have been suggested by artists (both within and from outside The Clay Studio) as well as board members. The selection process is based not only on the quality of work, but also on obtaining as wide a geographic spread as possible, maintaining a balance between genders, and an admittedly subjective judgment as to the compatibility of the artist to the very independent structure of the program. The program is also intended to include artists from a variety of stages of career development, from fully accomplished, recognizable names to more emerging younger artists. Please call Artistic Director Jeff Guido at 215.925.3453 x18 or email [email protected] if you have any further questions about a residency at The Clay Studio. Download an application [PDF, 49K]
