2018 Van Lier Fellowships in Visual Arts Practice and Visual Arts Curation

Description The Asian American Arts Alliance is pleased to administer, with support from the New York Community Trust, the 2018 Van Lier Fellowships. This year, in its final iteration of a three-part cycle of fellowships, the Alliance will be recognizing individuals working in the categories of Visual Arts Practice and Visual Arts Curation. The Alliance’s mission is to strengthen Asian American arts and cultural groups through resource sharing, promotion, and community building. In line with these efforts, it is the aim of the Alliance’s Van Lier Fellowships to develop early-career individual Asian American artists living in New York City. Created by the will of Sally Van Lier, the Trust carries out Edward and Sally Van Liers’ legacy of arts appreciation by supporting arts groups and training programs to provide education, training, or other support. The Alliance will grant eight-month Fellowships to one early-career Asian American visual artist and one early-career Asian American visual arts curator, age 30 or younger, whose work shows outstanding promise. Applicants must indicate how professional and fiscal support will distinctly benefit their creative development. Each Van Lier Fellow will receive an unrestricted cash stipend of $12,000 and an eight-month Fellowship tailored in response to the unique needs of their practice. The

     

 Fellowship includes artistic mentorship with an established mid-career visual arts professional/curator, career coaching, and a range of technical support. The Alliance will be administering an open application process. The Fellowship In addition to the cash stipend of $12,000, each Fellow will participate in an eight-month Fellowship beginning in July 2018 and ending in March 2019. The Fellowship is structured in three phases, with each phase led by a different facilitator.

• Phase 1: Career Coaching July 2018 - September 2018 The selected Fellows will each receive three coaching sessions from an esteemed career coach. These sessions will cover core value strengthening and goal setting/vision planning. These workshops are meant to offer personal and professional development tools for the Fellows to empower themselves as leaders of their vision, craft, and field.

• Phase 2: Artistic Mentorship

September 2018 - December 2018 The selected Fellows will each receive artistic mentorship from a mid-career visual arts professional. The mentorship will include one-on-one meetings with the appointed mentors and potential assistantships. Mentors will be chosen by Alliance staff based on field recommendations, with consideration given to each Fellow’s interests and preferences. Mentors will be announced in early fall.

• Phase 3: Alliance Arts Exchange

January 2019 – March 2019 The selected Fellows will work with the Alliance’s Manager of Public Programs on on a public presentation to share about their Fellowship experiences in March 2019.

Eligibility The applicant MUST: ● Be 30 years of age or younger (born July 15, 1988 or later) ● Not be currently enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in a degree-granting

program during the fellowship period (July 2018 – March 2019) ● Be a resident of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, or Staten

Island) ● Be available to participate in the fellowship orientation and career coaching

sessions in summer 2018 (exact dates TBD)

     

 ● All applicants must attend at least one of two Alliance panel events in

February/March 2018 focusing on visual arts practice and visual arts curation: --Wednesday, February 28: Case Studies: Socially Engaged Arts --Tuesday, March 6: Case Studies: Behind-the-Scenes with Curators (For more information on these events, please visit: http://aaartsalliance.org/van-lier-2018)

Selection Criteria

• Artistic Merit: Clarity of voice, creative drive, and unique positioning based upon body of work and work samples submitted. Demonstrated ability to innovate within their practice.

• Community Impact: Articulation of interest to make a significant impact on the Asian American arts community. This can be within the cultural community, within the field of visual arts, or society-at-large. Direct narrative addressing this criteria is recommended.

• Potential for Growth: Extent to which the Fellowship will have a positive impact on the applicant’s goals and career.

• Financial Need: Demonstrated need for financial support based upon applicant’s explanation of annual income and expenses. Finalists may be asked to provide further financial documentation.

Current Alliance staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible. Immediate family of staff, board members and review panelists are not eligible. Application Components Visual Arts Practice: ● Online Application ● Letter of Recommendation (from an educator or art professional with direct

knowledge and experience of the applicant and their work) ● Resume or CV ● A 750-word (maximum) statement identifying the applicant’s approach to visual

arts practice, innovation within their medium, the applicant’s stage in their professional and artistic development (what skills or professional development opportunities are you seeking and why?), and how the Fellowship will enable them to move to the next stage of artistic achievement.

● A 250-word (maximum) statement articulating how the applicant hopes to make an impact on the Asian American artistic community (within the cultural community, the field of visual arts, or as a part of society-at-large) through their work.

     

 ● A 500-word (maximum) statement describing the applicant’s annual income and

expenses and how the funds would be utilized if chosen as a Fellow. ● Up to 10 work sample images/videos, formatted in tiff or jpeg format (for videos,

mp4, mov, or m4v). For each image/video, please include a brief description, title, date, dimensions, and presenting/exhibition location (if applicable). Samples should show breadth and ability of the artist. The strongest applicants will be able to demonstrate clarity of voice, creative drive, and unique positioning through the samples.

Visual Arts Curation: ● Online Application ● Letter of Recommendation (from an educator or professional with direct

knowledge and experience of the applicant and their work) ● Resume or CV ● A chronological list of curated shows, exhibitions, etc. (including collaborators,

organizational hosts, and artists if applicable, for each). ● A 750-word (maximum) statement identifying the applicant’s approach to visual

arts curation, innovation within the field, the applicant’s stage of professional and artistic development (what skills or professional development opportunities are you seeking and why?), and how the Fellowship will enable them to move to the next stage of artistic achievement.

● A 250-word (maximum) statement articulating how the applicant hopes to make an impact on the Asian American artistic community (within the cultural community, the field of visual arts, or as a part of society-at-large) through their work.

● A 500-word (maximum) statement describing the applicant’s annual income and expenses and how the funds would be utilized if chosen as a Fellow.

● Up to 3 curatorial projects (past, current, or upcoming) that best represent the curator’s artistic point of view (limit: 15 images/videos per project). Images should be formatted in tiff or jpeg format (for videos, mp4, mov, or m4v). In addition, please provide the following information for each of the projects: a) title of project, b) date, c) presenting/exhibition location, d) participating artists, and e) a curatorial statement. Additional supporting materials, such as wall texts and brochures are recommended, but optional. Samples should show breadth and ability of the curator. The strongest applicants will be able to demonstrate clarity of voice, creative drive, and unique positioning through the samples.

The Selection Process January 17, 2018 Public announcement of open call March 15, 2018 Submissions close by 11:59pm EST April, 2018 Panel review period May 2018 Fellows announced

     

  Deadline Applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, March 15 2018. Notification The Fellows will be announced in May 2018. Frequently Asked Questions Who were the Van Liers? Throughout their lives, Sally Van Lier and her husband Edward were avid visitors to the City’s museums, concert halls, and theaters, and introduced many young people to the arts. Sally was a performer with the New York Theater in the 1920s and appeared in the original production of Showboat. To learn more, visit here. What categories fall under “Visual Arts Practice”?

• Crafts/Sculpture • Mixed Media • Digital/Electronic Arts • Printmaking/Drawing/Book Arts • Painting • Photography

How do you define “outstanding promise”? The ideal applicant is an early-career visual artist or curator who shows both extraordinary clarity of artistic voice and innovation in their practice and will realize greater achievement with additional professional development and fiscal support. Do I have to be a member of the Asian American Arts Alliance in order to apply? No, you do not have to be an Alliance member in order to apply. What does a good work sample look like? Good work samples are of high quality resolution, and demonstrate clearly how the applicant meets the criteria outlined for each award. I curate with a collective. Can I apply with my group? You may only apply as an individual. The fellowship will not be given to groups. However, coproduced credits will be acceptable as examples of accomplishment. If I am both a visual artist and a curator, in which category can I apply in? Should I apply for both?

     

 You may only apply in one category. You will be judged based upon the criteria outlined in the category for the one to which you apply. How are the Van Lier Visual Arts Fellows selected? The Fellows will be selected through an open call and jury process. Submitted applications will be reviewed by a jury composed of professionals in the visual arts. Current board and staff members of the Alliance will not participate in the review process. When will the 2018 Van Lier Fellows be announced? The Fellows will be announced in May 2018. What if I have more questions? You are welcome to inquire further by contacting Ariel Estrada, Manager of Communications and Community Engagement, at aestrada@aaartsalliance.org Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the Van Lier Fellowships Information Session for 2018 Van Lier Fellowship Applicants on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 from 6:30-8:00pm. The Alliance hopes that this workshop will not only serve applicants the nuts and bolts of a strong Van Lier Fellowship application, but also provide enriching suggestions for other fellowship opportunities. This 1.5-hour session will include background and logistics of the awards process and pointers on preparing a strong application. Space is limited, so we encourage early RSVPs. You may RSVP at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/information-session-2018-van-lier-fellowships-in-visual-arts-practice-and-curation-tickets-41972754639