Submission Guidelines - Visiting Artist Program
Deadline: September 15

THE PROGRAM:
The Visiting Artist Residency Program offered by Open Studio, Canada’s leading printmaking centre, provides professional artists with the opportunity to realize a creative project in print media using methods that range from traditional to experimental approaches, regardless of the artists’ familiarity with or experience in print media. Although technical skills are not taught during the residency, artists’ with and without print experience are encouraged to apply. 

Once your application has been selected, and prior to scheduled residency dates, a meeting or teleconference is planned between the Open Studio Technical Director and the Visiting Artist to discuss the planned project. Recognizing that project proposals may change with time or based on the advanced technical input provided by the Technical Director, we will do our best to accommodate necessary changes from the original proposal, keeping in mind program limitations. Once the project details have been finalized and agreed to by both the Technical Director and the Visiting Artist, a skilled collaborative printer or printer’s assistant is subcontracted, as deemed appropriate.

The role of the collaborative printer is to print projects for those artists who lack the technical skill to print for themselves. Artists who do possess the necessary technical skills to realize their project may request the support of a printer’s assistant, based on project requirements. Neither the collaborative printers nor printer’s assistants are in the studio on a full time basis; the Technical Director will coordinate a mutually agreeable schedule. Unlike some residencies, Visiting Artists are not expected to be in the studio on a full-time basis during the residency period; the actual time spent by the Visiting Artist will vary, taking into consideration specific project needs. Please consult the BENEFITS section below for further details.

In order for us to get a better idea of what kind of support you may require, please click here to download an application form to be completed and returned with your project proposal.

BENEFITS INCLUDE:

• A two-person Visiting Artist exhibition in the Open Studio Gallery.
• CARFAC Artist Exhibition Fee based on two-person show.
• Artist Lecture with $150 Honorarium.
• Up to $300 materials budget. Materials fees beyond this budget will be the responsibility of the artist.
• Up to two months free access to Open Studio facilities, subject to project requirements.
• Up to 50 hours of support from a collaborative printer or printer’s assistant, as deemed appropriate. Printers’ fees beyond this budget will be the responsibility of the artist.
  *Please note that while Open Studio does not provide financial support for travel or accommodation, we are happy to supply artists accepted to the program with a letter of support to be used for funding applications.

TO APPLY:
*Email applications are not accepted.*

Please submit:

• Submission form. Click here to download.
• Artist Statement - 250 words max.
• A Proposal for a new project involving print media on a separate sheet from your Artist Statement - 250 words max.
• A curriculum vitae with current address, telephone number and email address.
• Twelve (12) images – please follow guidelines below.
• A corresponding image list indicating: number, date, title, medium and dimensions (specify inches/cm).
• Preferred dates: Projects are scheduled between September and April, starting a minimum of one year following the application deadline. Every effort will be made to accommodate your preferred dates, keeping in mind studio programming and assistance requirements.
• All text documents (proposal, CV, image list) must be submitted with the application as printed documents and saved on your disc as PDFs.
• A self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like your application materials returned. Please use only stamps, and not prepaid, dated postage meter tapes. If submitting from outside Canada, please include International Postage Reply Coupons, available at your local Post Office. Submissions that do not include postage will not be returned.
• Please do not send any additional materials beyond what is requested here; additional materials such as catelogues and press clippings will not be seen by the jury.

Important: If digital support material submitted with your application does not follow the guidelines below, your application may be considered incomplete and may be withdrawn from the competition.

Digital images must be submitted on a CD or DVD. Image files must be:

• MAC-compatible
• in .jpg or .pdf file format
• a maximum of 1 MB file size each
• a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, and
• RGB or greyscale colour mode files only (no CMYK).

File names must be in the following format:
01initialsyeartitle.jpg (image number, applicant’s initials, year of the work, title of the work). Image numbers must correspond to the ones on your image list.

Annual Deadline for Submissions: Submissions must be received by Open Studio by 5:00 pm on September 15. Where September 15 falls on a weekend, the deadline will be the following Monday.

Projects will be scheduled to take place between the months of September and April, starting a minimum of one year following the application deadline.

Mail Application to:
The Visiting Artist Committee
c/o OPEN STUDIO
401 Richmond Street West, Suite 104
Toronto, Ontario Canada
M5V 3A8
phone/fax: (416) 504-8238
E-mail: office@openstudio.on.ca

Email applications are not accepted

NOTIFICATION:
Submissions will be juried* and notification sent out approximately eight weeks from the deadline. Submissions not selected will be returned in the self-addressed, stamped envelopes provided. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the competition. No telephone or email inquiries, please.

Applications from skilled printmakers not accepted for the Visiting Artist Residency will automatically be considered for the Guest Renter program unless you specifically ask not to be considered.

* The Visiting Artist and Guest Renter Selection Committee is comprised of 5 peer jurors as follows:
1. Chair of Open Studio's Programming Committee
2. A member of Open Studio's Programming Committee
3. An Open Studio Artist (member or renter)
4. An artist/curator/writer/arts administrator from the larger visual arts community OR an Open Studio Artist (member or renter)
5. A past Open Studio Visiting Artist
—Open Studio’s Technical Director attends this meeting as a technical resource but does not vote.

For eligibility requirements, please click here.

Past visiting artists include:

Diyan Achjadi, Stephen Andrews, Rebecca Baird, Hollis Baptiste, Nadine Bariteau, Tine Bech, Shary Boyle, Bill Burns, Sheila Butler, Michael Caines, Lyn Carter, Kai Chan, Trudie Cheng, Hannah Claus, Pete Dako, Sarindar Dhaliwal, Reid Diamond, Erik Edson, Caitlin Erskine-Smith, Sadko Hadzihasanovic, Catherine Heard, Karen Henderson, Barbara Lounder, Kate McQuillen, Michael Morris, Suzanne Nacha, Benny Nemerofsky Ramsay, Minh Nguyen, Sarah Nind, Paul P., Ed Pien, Endi Poskovic, Ben Reeves, Ted Rettig, Liliana Rodriquez, Judith Schwarz, John Scott, Meredith Setser, Andrew Sneddon, Greg Staats, Leesa Streifler, Jennie Suddick, Ho Tam, Monica Tap, Jeannie Thib, Patrick Traer, Joy Walker, Scott Waters, Colette Whiten, Paul Wong, Johannes Zits.