OPEN CALL: 2023 Gene Zwozdesky Artist in Residence Program at MacEwan University

The Faculty of Fine Arts and Communication and the Ukrainian Resource and Development Centre of MacEwan University are announcing a call for applications for the 2023 Gene Zwozdesky Artist in Residence Program. The program will honour the life of the Ukrainian community leader and arts champion Gene Zwozdesky. With the purpose of inspiring meaningful conversations through interdisciplinarity and diverse media, the Program will broaden MacEwan University’s and the wider community’s experience and advance Ukrainian arts. Funding has been generously provided by the Ukrainian Foundation for College Education (UFCE) and the Faculty of Fine Arts and Communications.

The residency will be awarded for a period of up to four months, starting in September 2023. The residency period will be mutually decided by the artist and the committee. The discipline for 2023 is Visual Arts.

Application deadline: April 30, 2023.

Eligibility criteria:
–The residency is open to international artists, including emerging, mid-career, or established professionals.
–Any artist who holds Canadian / Ukrainian or Ukrainian citizenship, or identifies as having Ukrainian citizenship, history, or heritage are invited to apply.
–”We will accept applications from collectives; however, the grant amount is fixed.
–This year’s applications are restricted to those based in Visual Arts.

The artist in residence will receive the following:
–A grant in the amount of 15,000 USD, plus the cost of travel and accommodation, to serve as the Gene Zwozdesky Artist in Residence at MacEwan University. Support for securing accommodation is available.
–Access to studio space and facilities, including a professional woodshop, looms, clay, mold-making/ casting studio, 3D printers, professional photography and video studios, editing suites, and recording studios. Audio / Visual support, including video/sound/ recording/ projection equipment.
–Research support via the John L.Haar Library on campus
–Support for networking with local artist-run centers, galleries, museums, and faculty

Expectations of the artist in residence:
–Conduct a lecture, workshop, or other public event for students and the wider community.
–Create or develop an art project.
–Engage with students and enhance MacEwan curriculum by providing additional opportunities and supports to the Studio Arts Department.
–Engage with Edmonton and the Ukrainian Canadian community.

How to apply:
The application materials are submitted via email and should include the following:
–Short biography (250 words)
–Project description (250-500 words)
–Two references
–Artist Statement (250-500 words)
–Curriculum Vitae
–Portfolio or documentation of previous artistic work. Guidelines for portfolio are listed below

Portfolio:
To support your application, please share ten to fifteen images of your work. You may also include audio/visual files and up to five direct links to external websites (Vimeo/ youtube/ personal website etc.) Do not forget to share passwords to preview files when required. Attach a descriptive list of your support material; include creation date, medium, location, etc. Video or audio files should be under ten minutes long, and all files should be less than two GB in size.

The choice of artist will be made by a selection committee made up of university and community stakeholders. We will only contact successful candidates. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide feedback on applications. For further inquiries, please contact: URDC@macewan.ca.

MacEwan University is located in Amiskwacîwâskahikan, Treaty Six Territory, Metis Region Four. This land is the traditional gathering place for many Indigenous people. We honour and respect the history, languages, ceremonies and culture of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit who call this territory home.”