Call for applications: Creative Fusion residency program in Cleveland

Creative Fusion is an urban-based artist residency and Fellowship initiative of the Cleveland Foundation, the United States' oldest community foundation. It provides support for local cultural institutions to host international artists who have been awarded Fellowships though the Creative Fusion program's selection process. The award includes a four month residency in Cleveland, which provides the visiting artist-Fellow with opportunities to undertake innovative work in his/her discipline while making strong connections and exchanges with local artists, diverse young persons and with the greater Cleveland community.

Twelve artists are in residency annually each hosted by a local cultural institution during two four-month residency periods which take place in Spring (March-June) and Fall (August-November). The program is focused on artists from non-western European countries who can bring a contemporary view of their culture through their art making process to the Greater Cleveland community. Artistic excellence, the desire to be part of an engaged residency program with a focus on working with young persons and dialoging and creative exchange with local artists will be key criteria for selection.

1422 Euclid Avenue, Suite 1300
Cleveland , Ohio 44115
United States

Email: kcerveny@clevefdn.org

Web site: http://www.clevelandfoundation.org/CreativeFusion.html

Art, prose and music under the stars June 21 at "Brush Creek Presents"

Enjoy an outdoor summer evening while soaking up arts and culture at the next Brush Creek Presents. On Thursday, June 21 from 8:30- 10:00pm, Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts will host another evening of presentations by their current artists-in-residence. Please join us on the lawn at Grand Encampment Museum located at 807 Barnett Ave. Bring your blanket or camp chair.

Month of June presenters include Kari Besharse, who is a composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music, a guitarist, an educator, a sci-fi nut, and an outdoors enthusiast. Her works, which incorporate sounds from acoustic instruments, found objects, the natural world, and synthesis, are often generated from a group of sonic objects or material archetypes that undergo processes of rupture, degradation, alternation, expansion, and distortion. Kari is currently a lecturer at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Christina Askounis grew up in a military family and has lived in diverse places. She now lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she teaches creative writing at Duke University.In 2007, her fantasy novel, The Dream of the Stone, originally published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1993, was reissued in simultaneous hardcover and trade paperback by Simon and Schuster. Publishers Weekly called it “a first-rate fantasy in the tradition of Madeline L’Engle and Charles Williams . . . well-paced, full of magic, mystery and invention,” and Madeline L’Engle described it as “a fantasy with a depth and richness seldom found in a novel for young readers.”She is now working on finishing her second novel, and will be reading passages during Brush Creek Presents.

Christopher Zuarʼs music has been performed by many jazz orchestras, including The New England Conservatory Jazz Composerʼs Workshop Orchestra among others.Feeling at home writing both contemporary jazz and classical, Zuarʼs music has been hailed as “...clever, intuitive, engaging, accessible and ultimately beautiful.” In 2012, Zuar won a prestigious ASCAP Young Jazz Composers award for his piece Remembrance.Zuar holds a BM in Jazz Composition from the New England Conservatory in Boston. He is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Jazz Composition at the Manhattan School of Music.

Lynne Huffer is a nonfiction writer and teacher. She is currently Professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Emory University, and is the author of four books: Are the Lips a Grave? (forthcoming); Mad for Foucault (2010); Maternal Pasts, Feminist Futures (1998); and Another Colette (1992). Her creative nonfiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Cadillac Cicatrix, Dos Passos Review, Eleven Eleven, Passager, The Rambler, RioGrande Review, Southern California Review, Sou'wester, and Talking River Review. She is currently working on a memoir, Sleeping Sickness and Other Queer Histories. Lynn is currently collaborating with visual artist Jennifer Yorke to create a pop-up book based on her memoir.

Jennifer Yorke is an artist who makes collages, drawings, prints, photographs and books. Jennifer’s work examines the slippage between the public and private self, and is held in collections at the Auckland Gallery of Art, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Huntsville Museum of Art and other institutions. She graduated from Carleton College cum laude and with Distinction (honors), and holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, which she attended through a Graduate Trustee Fellowship. Yorke lives in Chicago with her husband Rob and dogs Fabio and Leonard.

Heidi Jensen is an Associate Professor of Art at Ball State University in Indiana. Her work explores modes of drawing and probes issues regarding narrative, biology and function. Recent exhibitions include Drawing Now Paris with La GalerieParticuliere; Brush, a solo exhibition at the Kimura Gallery, University of Alaska in Anchorage; and Drawing Resurfaced at the Purdue University Galleries in Indiana. Heidi is a fellow of several residency programs including the Millay Colony for the Arts in New York State, La Napoule Foundation in France, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and now Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts.

Nancy Gail Ring has received numerous awards for her fine art, such as the Vermont Studio Center Artist’s Fellowship Award in Painting, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation/NEA Fellowship Award in Works on Paper, and a New York Foundation for the Arts Artists’ Fellowship Award in Drawing. Nancy is also the author of a critically acclaimed memoir, Walking On Walnuts, filled with thirteen of her drawings, (national media, regional bestseller.) Nancy earned her MFA in Painting from The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pa., where she was nominated for the Robert Motherwell Foundation Dedalus Award in Painting, and her BFA from Syracuse University School of Visual and Performing Arts. A transplanted Manhattanite, she lives in northern New Jersey with her fourteen-year-old son.

Brush Creek Presents is afree and informal, monthly community outreach program that features visual presentations, readings and music by the current artists-in-residence. Light snacks are provided, courtesy of Brush Creek Ranch.

The Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts offers dedicated individuals a supportive environment in which to further their creative development. While at Brush Creek, visual artists, writers, musicians and composers have the opportunity to experience unfettered time to allow for thoughtful reflection and meditation on the creative process in a setting that preserves the agricultural and historical integrity of the land.For more information please visit http://www.brushcreekarts.org/ or call Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts at (307)710-7312.

Graphics: 1. “Shunt”, a drawing by Heidi Jensen; 2. “Alchemy” a painting by Nancy Gail Ring

Verismo Trio hits the road for spring residency and performance tour

Thrilling audiences throughout the Rocky Mountain region with dynamic performances, the "Verismo Trio," in conjunction with the UW Fine Arts Outreach and the UW Department of Music, will launch its spring residency and performance tour on Wednesday, April 25, at various locations around the state.

"Verismo Trio" is composed of UW Music Department faculty members Theresa Bogard (piano), Nicole Riner (flute) and Scott Turpen (saxophone). The group performs regularly throughout the state. Verismo also is featured on the Wyoming Arts Council artist roster.

The spring tour will take the trio to Buffalo High School, Cody middle and high schools, and Northwest College in Powell for residency activities where the UW musicians will work with students in master classes.

The group will perform a free public concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the Northwest College auditorium.

For more information, contact Janelle Fletcher-Kilmer, fine arts outreach director, at (307) 766-5139, or email Janelle@uwyo.edu .

Photo: "Verismo Trio," in conjunction with the University of Wyoming Fine Arts Outreach and the UW Department of Music, will launch its spring residency and performance tour Wednesday, April 25, in various locations around the state.

Call for applications: Brush Creek Arts Foundation residency program

Next postmark deadline is March 15, 2012.

Brush Creek Ranch is now offering competitive professional development opportunities for artists, writers and musicians of all backgrounds, levels of experience, and working in all media and genres. Selected residents will receive housing, most meals and exclusive studio. Residents are responsible for all necessary supplies and their own travel expenses. Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts provides a shuttle service both to and from Laramie Regional Airport and Brush Creek Ranch. Come utilize the time and space in the breathtaking views of historic Wyoming. Please visit www.brushcreekarts.org for information regarding guidelines and application. Thanks for the interest and please pass along to artists, writers and musicians who could benefit from this amazing experience.

Call for applicants: Signal Fire Arts in Oregon

Signal Fire is pleased to announce our 2012 programs and Call for Applicants. We are now accepting applications from all creative disciplines for the 4th annual Outpost Residency and the 2012 Overture Backpacking Retreat. Applications are due March 15, 2012.

Signal Fire was formed in 2008 by activist Amy Harwood and artist Ryan Pierce in response to the urban demand on working artists. We bring artists to the farthest stretches of our remaining wild and open places, crafting experiences that instill self-reliance and catalyze new creative energy. We utilize public lands to advocate for the access to— and protection of— these places in order to enrich and sustain society.

This year’s Outpost Residency will host eight artists for two separate one-week sessions in Eastern Oregon’s remote and breathtaking Wallowa Mountains. The selected artists will live and work in studio-size canvas wall tents. Signal Fire organizers provide food, lead optional hikes, and have wilderness medical training. Applications are due March 15th and will be reviewed by a guest jury comprised of writer Matthew Stadler, musician M. William Helfrich (mbilly), visual artists Anna Gray and Ryan Wilson Paulsen, and filmmaker Julie Perini. The residency period is July 14-20 and July 22-28, and is free to selected applicants.

From June 30- July 6, Signal Fire offers Overture, a backpacking retreat in Mt Hood National Forest near Portland, Oregon. This will be out third guided backpacking retreat, returning to the same ancient forests and pristine waters from last year’s popular Love Triangle Hike. This trip is offered at-cost to participants. Free applications to both Outpost and Overture can be found on our website.

Next autumn Signal Fire will also be organizing Afloat, a canoe trip on Utah’s Green River. This program is by invitation only, as a trial run for open-application river trips in coming years.

The growing list of Signal Fire residents includes a wide spectrum of visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, curators, performers, and creative agitators. We are committed to keeping our programming low cost or free.

Contact: Ryan Pierce, 415-690-0949, ryan@signalfirearts.org

"Jentel Presents" at SAGE Space Feb. 7 in Sheridan

From a Jentel Foundation press release:

Jentel Artist Residency Program is pleased to present this month’s residents in an event open to the public. 

“Jentel Presents” will take place Tuesday, February 7, 2012 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at SAGE Space, in the Historic Train Depot on 5^th and Broadway, across from The Sheridan Inn. This month’s presenters include a mixed media artist, an oil painter, a fiction writer, a watercolorist, a novelist and a mixed media artist. “Jentel Presents” is a community outreach program that features visual presentations and readings by the visual artists and writers at the residency.

Presenters include:

Renee Adams, Thorp, WA; A mixed media artist, Renee is an artist member of PUNCH Gallery in Seattle. Making her home in the bucolic hamlet of Thorp, she creates mixed media sculptures influenced by her enduring interest in flora and fauna, her travels to distant lands (like the Galapagos and Antarctica), and the roughly 60,000 honeybees that live in her backyard.

Malcolm Christhilf, Springboro, PA; An oil painter, Malcolm has worked as a mate on a skip-jack, an arborist, a landscaper, a janitor, a clammer and a candlestick maker, but he has always been a painter of pictures.

Kathleen Connor, Rochester, NY; A fiction writer and avid Facebook enthusiast, she’s always thinking about her next status update. Popular topics include teaching English in South Korea, dancing to Justin Timberlake with her dog, Mandu and writing fiction in gorgeous Wyoming.

Justin Gibbens, Thorp, WA; Working in watercolor and ink, Justin is a master draftsman, trained in both scientific illustration and traditional Chinese painting; a skill set that he employs in his subversive zoological drawings. He has worked in the Antarctic, studied in China and visited the Galapagos Islands. Justin has shown nationally and internationally.

Ilana Sichel, Ann Arbor, MI; A novelist, Ilana has lived in D.C., Boston, NYC, and Jerusalem, Ilana Sichel currently lives in Michigan, where she is writing a novel that begins in 1930s Jerusalem.

Liz Tran, Seattle, WA; A mixed media artist whose first job was in her father’s wooden drift boat building business and strangely enough, the progression from boat builder to artist felt quite natural.

For anyone looking for a stimulating evening, come join the crowd at the SAGE Space, at the Historic Train Depot, 5^th and Broadway.  There is no admission charge for “Jentel Presents” and refreshments are available.

The Jentel Foundation offers dedicated individuals a supportive environment in which to further their creative development. While at Jentel, visual artists and writers have the opportunity to experience unfettered time to allow for thoughtful reflection and meditation on the creative process in a setting that preserves the agricultural and historical integrity of the land.

The Jentel Artist Residency Program accepts applications twice a year from visual artists in all media and writers in all genres for a one-month residency. A residency includes a comfortable accommodation; common living, dining and recreation areas; a private workspace and a stipend to help defray expenses during the program.  For more information please visit http://www.jentelarts.org/ or call Jentel at (307)737-2311.

Help wanted: Ucross Foundation

The Ucross Foundation, an artist residency program in northern Wyoming, is looking for a development director and a paid intern. Here are the details:

Development Director

The Ucross Foundation is a 30-year old nonprofit organization that operates an internationally known artists-in-residence program in northeastern Wyoming, supporting approximately 90 artists each year.  Located on an historic 20,000-acre working cattle ranch, the Foundation also works to preserve the health of its land and waters, and serves as a model of sound ecological values, through a variety of conservation initiatives including the planting of trees and the creation of a new community park.  The Foundation serves as a community resource in rural Wyoming through its art gallery, conference space and community events such as artist lectures and an annual Independence Day celebration. FMI: www.ucrossfoundation.org

We are currently seeking to hire a hands-on professional Development Director whose responsibilities will include:

Working closely with the Founder and Executive Director, identifying, cultivating, and soliciting major individual, corporate and foundation donors
Securing significant gifts, developing and writing grant proposals and overseeing grant agreements
Responsible for day to day management of all fundraising activities
Developing positive, respectful and fruitful relationships with donors, both locally and nationally
Organizing receptions and other special events in Wyoming and nationally
Supervising gift fulfillment process, database management and other systems to support development program
Communicating the Foundation’s activities to funders in a timely manner
Providing timely and accurate reports on fundraising performance, working closely with bookkeeper

Qualifications Needed:

       Recent experience in nonprofit work with demonstrated success in fundraising and partnership development;
             knowledge of arts nonprofit work
BA degree fine arts, nonprofit management
Exceptional interpersonal, writing and oral skills
Ability and willingness to maintain an active travel schedule
Passion for the work, mission and values of the Ucross Foundation
Experience with establishing planned giving programs is desirable
Demonstrated success with proposal development and grant writing
Strong computer skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint (Access database experience a plus)
Demonstrated ability to interact with high capacity donors
Outstanding initiative and responsibility a must
Superior organizational abilities with attention to detail, meeting deadlines, managing multiple tasks concurrently
Ability to work both independently and part of a team
Friendly, outgoing and positive attitude with a healthy sense of perspective and humor

To apply, send resume, letter of interest and two references to sdynak@ucross.org. No phone calls please.

2012 Internship (Paid)

An internship at Ucross Foundation is intended to develop the abilities of and give experience to an intern within the Residency Program and the general office of the Ucross Foundation working environment.  An intern will be hired under the same conditions and rules as other temporary employees without regard to race, creed, color or gender.

Main duties:

Assistance to the Residency Manager with Resident needs, including but not limited to town trips, airport pickups and returns, scheduling, attending orientation sessions, Selection Committee meeting arrangements, assisting with Fall 2012 invitation mailing, and other duties.

General office assistance may include newsletter writing and proofreading, bulk mailing assistance, attendance at staff meetings, art gallery reception work and helping out at public events including July 3 community fireworks event.  

Qualifications Needed:  BA degree in Fine Arts, Communications or other related degree.  Excellent computer skills, Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word. Due to our rural location, the intern will need his/her own personal transportation.

Personal characteristics sought: Responsible, mature, excellent interpersonal skills, flexible, appreciative of details, friendly, respectful of other people and of professional boundaries, resourceful, sense of humor, team player.  Ability to live comfortably in remote rural location.

Dates of employment: flexible, generally six to eight months. Position open as of February 1, 2012.

Work requirements: 35 hours per week

Benefits: Monthly stipend and housing.

Deadline:  January 31, 2012

To apply, send letter of interest, resume and two references to Sharon Dynak at sdynak@ucross.org.  No phone inquiries, please. www.ucrossfoundation.org

Next "Jentel Presents" Dec. 6 at SAGE Space in Sheridan

Jentel Artist Residency Program is pleased to present this month’s residents in an event open to the public.  “Jentel Presents” will take place Tuesday, December 6, 2011 from 5:30-7 p.m. at SAGE Space, in the Historic Train Depot on Fifth and Broadway, across from The Sheridan Inn.   This month’s presenters include a painter, a creative non-fiction writer, a photographer, a printmaker, a fiction writer and a multi media artist. “Jentel Presents” is a community outreach program that features visual presentations and readings by the visual artists and writers at the residency.

Presenters include: Zach Bucek, Los Angeles, CA; A painter/sculptor, Zach is an artist living and working in Los Angeles. His location provides an indeterminate space where much of its inspiration must be sought out beneath its superficial veneer of transformation.  Mark Hoyer, Davis, CA; A creative nonfiction writer, Mark writes about places – those he has inhabited and those that have inhabited him. He lives in the Sacramento valley in northern California. Dan Larkin, Rochester, NY; A photographer, Dan hails from Rochester, NY, home of Kodak. Due to his fair skin and red hair, Dan is convinced he has a distinctive sensitivity to nuances of light and color, hence his predilection for photography. Michelle C. Moode (Wilson), Los Angeles, CA; A printmaker, Michelle walks far and fast, digs in the dirt and drinks many cups of tea. She thinks about time and space. She is still looking for home. April Sopkin, Brooklyn; A fiction writer, April once sold marionettes at a mall kiosk. The youngest of four kids, she knows well the value of doing one’s own thing. Jennifer Yorke, Chicago; A multi media artist, Jennifer makes collages, drawings, prints, photographs and books. She lives and gardens in Chicago with her husband Rob and dogs Fabio and Leonard.

There is no admission charge for “Jentel Presents” and refreshments are available.

The Jentel Foundation offers dedicated individuals a supportive environment in which to further their creative development. While at Jentel, visual artists and writers have the opportunity to experience unfettered time to allow for thoughtful reflection and meditation on the creative process in a setting that preserves the agricultural and historical integrity of the land.

The Jentel Artist Residency Program accepts applications twice a year from visual artists in all media and writers in all genres for a one-month residency. A residency includes a comfortable accommodation; common living, dining and recreation areas; a private workspace and a stipend to help defray expenses during the program.  For more information please visit www.jentelarts.org or call Jentel at (307)737-2311.

Call for applications: Penland School of Crafts

October 28 deadline: Penland School of Crafts, founded in 1929 in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, offers a Resident Artist Program which invites artists working in traditional and nontraditional studio crafts to live and work at the school for three years. There are three openings in the program for 2012, to be filled by artists working in books/paper, clay, glass, metals, photography, printmaking, iron, textiles, wood, sculpture, or mixed-media. Studios are available beginning February 2012. Eligible applicants must have a clear objective for their residency and be willing to live and work as part of a close-knit community. Penland Resident Artists pay $187.50 per month for unfurnished housing and studio space, plus $150 to $200 per month for utilities, depending on the season. Apply with a portfolio of 15-20 images, the primary basis for selection, as well as a personal statement, résumé, and two letters of recommendation. A $25 processing fee is required to apply. Applicants with no prior connection to the school are strongly encouraged to visit or take a class before applying for the program. For more information and submission guidelines click here.

Casper photographer selected as new Artist-in-Residence at Zion National Park

Photographers shooting at Zion's West Temple in winter.

Zion National Park is pleased to announce Chuck Kimmerle as the new Artist-in-Residence. Chuck, a photographer from Casper,will spend a month in the park creating art that is relevant both to his style and the surroundings.

Chuck Kimmerle is best known for his quiet and unassuming photographs of the northern plains, which have been published in numerous magazines and catalogs as well as exhibited nationally. His most recent exhibition, “The Unapologetic Landscape,” has been touring for more than year.

The Artist-in-Residence program offers professional artists the opportunity to live and work in the majestic splendor of Zion National Park. The works completed under this program will contribute to the public understanding and appreciation of Zion National Park.  It is the park’s hope that works produced during this time will characterize Zion for present and future generations and offer park visitors and the general public the opportunity to see America’s heritage through the creative vision of contributing artists.

On Monday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m., Chuck will present a lecture at the Zion Lodge about his experience as Artist-in-Residence in Zion National Park. He will also give a presentation for Art Insights, the Southern Utah University Department of Art and Design’s weekly lecture series, on Thursday, November 3 at 7:00 p.m.

More information can be found at www.nps.gov/zion, and interested artists can contact the Artist in Residence Coordinator at Zion_Artist_in_Residence@nps.gov.

Application deadline extended: Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts

The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch, an exclusive, independent guest ranch set amid century-old working cattle ranch in south central Wyoming, announced today the launch of the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts. Offering writers, visual and performing artists, musicians and composers alike the time and space for artistic exploration through immersion in the extraordinary beauty of the West, the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts is a unique retreat where artists can grow their craft. The pilot program, which will consist of non-juried artists, will run from August to December, 2011. Application deadline for the official program has been extended to October 15, 2011 with juried residencies beginning in January 2012.

The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch is an exclusive, independent guest ranch outside of Saratoga in south central Wyoming's North Platte River Valley. Sitting on 13,000 acres and bordering a million acres of federal wild lands, Brush Creek Ranch's Grand Lodge and collection of new and renovated historic guest cabins and quarters are open to destination weddings, private corporate events and select group and family retreats. Offering an unsurpassed, all-inclusive adventure experience, The Lodge and Spa at Brush Creek Ranch provides a genuine Western spirit of hospitality and a vast array of outdoor activities that, coupled with an inspiring landscape and a dedication to sustainable ranching, come together to create a new icon in luxury Western destinations. The Foundation was created to give artists the opportunity to be inspired by the Ranch’s authentic surroundings.

“There is nowhere quite like Brush Creek Ranch when it comes to true Western beauty,” explained Beth White, owner of Brush Creek Ranch. “The idea for sharing this incredible landscape with aspiring and established artists for inspiration has been a dream of our family’s since the beginning of this journey, and we are so proud to finally open its doors to the world.”

Chosen by a blind jury based on work samples, awarded artists will receive housing, performance or studio space, all meals, travel to and from Laramie airport and access to general facilities.  The artists’ housing features eight individual residences with private bath, closet and work space. Shared facilities include kitchen, library, family room, and laundry facility. Meals include continental breakfast in the dining room, boxed lunch delivered to studios and dinner prepared by the Ranch’s chef communally shared in dining room.

The eight studio spaces are located in restored ranch buildings that combine comfort and refinement. Of the eight spaces, four are visual art studios that are equipped with large transom windows for abundant natural light and full spectrum daylight track lighting for late work. Two of the spaces are quiet studios reserved for writers and the remaining two studios are for composers, one of which was converted from an historic schoolhouse and contains a beautiful Steinway piano.

The Foundation will be lead by director, Kate Christensen. Christensen holds a Masters of Fine Arts, 2D studies with an emphasis in printmaking from Bowling Green State University. She has participated in over 30 exhibitions and exchanges over the last ten years, the most recent of which was in Wyoming.

“I am thrilled to be a part of this unique program and have no doubt that Brush Creek Ranch will provide an unmatched location for creative motivation,” said Christensen. “Wyoming is my home and I find endless inspiration here – I know that other artists will fall in love with the incomparable beauty of Wyoming and Brush Creek Ranch as well.”

The Foundation offers two- to four-week residencies, based on the season. No stipends or fellowships/awards are available at this time. Artists are responsible for their own supplies. There will be ample opportunity on-Ranch for artists who want to share their work, especially during the summer months. For more information and how to apply visit www.brushcreekarts.org.

World-renowned Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company begins UW residency

The widely acclaimed Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (BTJ/AZ) and company founder Bill T. Jones are the University of Wyoming's Department of Theatre and Dance's 2011-2012 Eminent Artists-in-Residence.

The Eminent Artist-in-Residence endowed professorship, established by the Wyoming State Legislature and funded by the Excellence in Higher Education Endowment, rotates among the departments of Art, Music and Theatre and Dance annually.

"When we were thinking about who our next eminent artist should be, we sat down as a dance faculty and tossed out names. I said I would give anything to bring in Bill T. Jones and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company," says UW dance faculty member Margaret Wilson, who has been working to bring the company to Wyoming.

"We really thought it was a long shot when we asked, but within four hours of us contacting the company, Bob Bursey, the producing director, had responded to us and was excited to come to work in Wyoming," says Wilson.

Widely recognized as one of the nation's most influential dance artists, Jones is a ground-breaking, multi-talented artist, choreographer, dancer, theater director, writer and tireless arts advocate. Named "An Irreplaceable Dance Treasure" by the Dance Heritage Coalition in 2000, Jones has received major honors for his vast body of work, ranging from a 1994 Macarthur "Genius" Award to 2010 Kennedy Center Honors to Tony Awards for his choreography on Broadway.

Now in its 29th year, BTJ/AZ was born out of 11-year collaboration between Jones and Zane (1948-1988). They redefined the duet form and foreshadowed issues of identity, form and social commentary that changed the face of American dance. The company emerged onto the international scene in 1983 with the world premiere of "Intuitive Momentum," which featured legendary drummer Max Roach, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Since then, the 10-member company has performed worldwide in more than 200 cities in 30 countries.

"This is really the most important dance company in the world right now, and Bill T. Jones is arguably the most important choreographer of our time," Wilson says. "His body of work ranges from historical reflection to political statement and exemplifies beautiful development of an artistic idea. His work is provocative and satisfying."

BTJ/AZ begins its program at UW in this month with a 12-week residency of two BTJ/AZ teaching artists, Catherine Cabeen and Nicole Smith. They will teach classes, lead workshops and help to set several BTJ/AZ repertory pieces for a concert later in the semester.

The BTJ/AZ Company will present the acclaimed dance work "Serenade/The Proposition" at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct.5, in the UW Arts & Sciences auditorium.

"The work is a reflection on Abraham Lincoln's legacy and the nature of history that draws from the Civil War era to examine how we talk to each other and to ourselves about the past," Wilson says.

A special screening of the new PBS American Masters documentary, "A Good Man," will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, on the UW Fine Arts main stage. "A Good Man" follows Jones and his company for two tumultuous years as they create their most ambitious work to date, "Fondly Do We Hope ... Fervently Do We Pray," an original dance-theater piece honoring Lincoln's bicentennial.

Jones will be in residency at UW Oct. 26-29, to work with students and to teach master classes. He will give the Eminent-Artist-in-Residence keynote speech at 4:10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, in the UW Fine Arts concert hall.

The company's residency will culminate Nov. 15-20 with "Continuous Momentum: The Works of Bill T. Jones." Performed by UW students, the concert will feature four pieces from the BTJ/AZ repertory: "D-man in the Waters," "Continuous Replay," "Duet," and "Power/ful." A tour of the repertory concert is scheduled for Dec. 9-13, with performances tentatively scheduled in Torrington, Gillette, Sheridan, Lander, Riverton, Powell and Rock Springs.

"To do something this intense and long-ranging with our students, was very intriguing to the company and is a tremendous opportunity for us. It really is a dream residency and everything we could have hoped for," says Wilson.

Photo:  Widely recognized as one of the nation's most influential dance artists, Bill T. Jones will be in residency this fall at the University of Wyoming. (Theatre and Dance)

Call for applications: Zion National Park artist residency program

Zion National Park in Utah is now accepting applications for four-week residencies during its upcoming residency season. Applicants can indicate which of the four designated sessions they would prefer: October 17-November 13, 2011; February 6-March 4, 2012; April 2-April 29, 2012; and October 15-November 11, 2012. While in residence, artists live in the park, either in a house or on a campsite, and are encouraged to create artwork that responds to the park’s natural beauty and furthers the cause of conservation. Upon completion of the residency, artists must donate, at the park’s choosing, one original work from, and representative of, their residency. Click here for more information on the program, and here for the application, which includes complete guidelines.

Call for applications: Brush Creek Arts Foundation

Located on the historic Brush Creek Ranch, a 13,000-acre working cattle ranch and luxury lodge at the base of the Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyoming's Brush Creek Arts Foundation offers writers, visual and performing artists, musicians and composers from all backgrounds and levels of experience an unique opportunity of time and space to create.

Selected artists will receive housing, meals, exclusive studio access and use of the library, lounge and kitchen, which are all nestled in a meadow along the riparian corridor of Brush Creek. Seasonally based, two-week and four-week residencies will be offered beginning January 2012. A blind jury will choose residents based on work samples provided with application.

Applications for 2012 Winter/Spring Sessions are due September 15th. Click here for our Quick Facts (.pdf), Application Guidelines (.pdf), and Application form (.pdf) documents. For general inquires about the Brush Creek Arts Foundation or other program details, please email katie.christensen@brushcreekranch.com.

Call for applications: Bard Fiction Prize

The Bard Fiction Prize, established in 2001 by Bard College, is given annually to an emerging writer who is an American citizen and under the age of 40 at the time of application. The prize includes a $30,000 cash award and appointment as writer-in-residence at the College for one semester, during which the winner is asked to give at least one public lecture and meet informally with students but is not expected to teach traditional courses. Eligible writers should apply with a cover letter explaining the project they plan to work on while at Bard, a CV, and three copies of the published book (manuscripts are not accepted) that they feel best represents their work. For more information, click here. 

Jentel Presents July 5 at SAGE Space in Sheridan

Jentel Artist Residency Program is pleased to present this month’s residents in an event open to the public.  “Jentel Presents” will take place Tuesday, July 5, 2011 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm at SAGE Space, in the Historic Train Depot on 5^th and Broadway, across from The Sheridan Inn.   This month’s presenters include a sculptor, an installation artist, a painter/performance artist, a fiction writer, a creative non-fiction writer and a printmaker. “Jentel Presents” is a community outreach program that features visual presentations and readings by the visual artists and writers at the residency.

Presenters include: Elissa Cox, West Union, IA; A sculptor, Elissa has seen the world and lived in many cities but has decided to live in a small community in Iowa. Where she can create and imagine her sculptures. Rebecca Cummins, Seattle, An optical sculptor/photographer, Rebecca is the oldest of 7, she is from Lehigh, Iowa (pop. 497). She now lives in beautiful, drooly Seattle after 16 years in Australia. She can yodel a little. John Gonzalez, Boston; A painter/performance artist, John believes creativity is the last subjective refuge within a systematic and standardized world. As an artist, it is his job to reframe and repurpose these systems. John Lee, Menlo Park, CA; A fiction writer, John likes outdoor sports, second running cinemas, afternoon ball games, coffee shops with character, Japanese noodles, short stories, long drives, spicy food, chamber music, the novels of William Maxwell and Kazuo Ishiguro, any wearable cotton, English breakfast tea, fresh baked cookies, pale lagers, fall afternoons and girls in hats. Gail Schilling,  Concord, NH; A creative non-fiction writer, Gail, a single mother,  supported her four kids by skinning antelope, singing at funerals, teaching – and writing. As an empty nester, she wandered France alone – still writing. Sarah Smelser, Bloomington, IL; A printmaker, Sarah enjoys picking the yarn more than wearing the sweater, chopping the ingredients more than eating the meal, taking the walk more than reaching the destination.

For anyone looking for a stimulating evening, come join the crowd at the SAGE Space, at the Historic Train Depot, 5^th and Broadway.  There is no admission charge for “Jentel Presents” and refreshments are available.

The Jentel Foundation offers dedicated individuals a supportive environment in which to further their creative development. While at Jentel, visual artists and writers have the opportunity to experience unfettered time to allow for thoughtful reflection and meditation on the creative process in a setting that preserves the agricultural and historical integrity of the land.

The Jentel Artist Residency Program accepts applications twice a year from visual artists in all media and writers in all genres for a one-month residency. A residency includes a comfortable accommodation; common living, dining and recreation areas; a private workspace and a stipend to help defray expenses during the program.  For more information please visit www.jentelarts.org or call Jentel at (307)737-2311.

Call for applications: Vermont Studio Center

This announcement comes from the Vermont Studio Center in John son, Vermont:

The Vermont Studio Center is an international residency program open to all artists and writers.

Year-round, VSC hosts 50 artists and writers per month, each of whom receives an individual studio, private room, and all meals. Residencies last from 2-12 weeks and provide uninterrupted time to work, a community of creative peers, and a beautiful village setting in northern Vermont.

In addition, VSC's program includes a roster of Visiting Artists and Writers (2 painters, 2 sculptors and 2 writers per month) who offer slide talks/readings and individual studio visits/conferences.

Awards Available for the June 15 Deadline:

Vermont Studio Center Fellowships
Sixteen fellowships for a 4-week residency are open to all artists and writers based on merit, as represented in the portfolio or manuscript.

Anderson/Frankel Fellowship for Chicago area/SAIC alumni
One fellowship sponsored by the Marshall Frankel Foundation and Davis Anderson, this award is open to all Chicago-area artists, including faculty and alumni of the Art Institute of Chicago, for one 4-week VSC residency.

Civil Society Institute Fellowship
One award for a 4-week residency open to an east coast minority artist with demonstrable financial need; preference will be given to artists from New Haven, Jersey City, and Baltimore. The $25 application fee is waived for eligible CSI applicants. Award includes a $500 travel stipend.

Cave Canem Fellowship
This annual fellowship provides one 4-week residency to a poet who is a Cave Canem fellow.  Home for the many voices of African American poetry, Cave Canem is committed to cultivating the artistic and professional growth of African American poets. The $25 application fee is waived for applicants.

Pollock Krasner
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation/VSC Fellowship Program for visual artists of outstanding talent will support two 4-week residencies for domestic artists.

Henry David Thoreau Fellowship
This fellowship supports a poet whose work is a living extension of the literary tradition embodied in the work of Henry David Thoreau, for a 4-week residency.

Zoland Translation Fellowship
Offered in conjunction with Zoland Poetry, this 4-week residency fellowship is open to translators. Applicants should submit 3 copies of the original poems/translations, along with a description of English-language rights, author bio, and translator CV.

Website: http://www.vermontstudiocenter.org

Call for applications: PlatteForum in Denver

2011-2012 Creative Residency
Application deadline May 20, 2011
Apply Now

PlatteForum selects artists annually from applicants of all artistic genres. The six-week residency gives artists the time, support and space to advance their work.  PlatteForum inspires them to take risks and explore new possibilities. Each resident dedicates time to groups of youth in Learning Labs or intensive workshops that build upon the ideas and forms of the resident artist. The Creative Resident also mentors ArtLab, PlatteForum’s internship program participants. The Creative Residency culminates in a performance or exhibition of the artist’s work presented in tandem with the youths’ work at our studio.

PlatteForum is a member of the  Alliance of Artist Communities, an international organization that advances creativity.  In short, they are research-and-development labs for the arts. While there are many ways to support and experience the arts – books and paintings, performances and poetry, movies, museums, and music – artists’ communities support individuals in the creation of new art and ideas.

Joshua Wiener, one of the 2011 WAC visual arts fellowship judges and workshop leaders, conducted a PlatteForum residency in 2009. Read more about it, and his presentation "Elevating Nature: The Germination of Ideas," by going to http://www.platteforum.org/residency.php?residency=Joshua%20Wiener&program_id=5

"Jentel Presents" April 5 in SAGE Space at the Sheridan Historic Train Depot

Jentel Artist Residency Program is pleased to present this month's residents in an event open to the public.

"Jentel Presents" will take place Tuesday, April 5, 2011, from 5:30-7 p.m. at SAGE Space, in the Historic Train Depot on 5th and Broadway, across from The Sheridan Inn in Sheridan. This month's presenters include a fiction writer, an oil painter, a sculptor, a videographer/sculptor, a novelist, and an installation artist.

"Jentel Presents" is a community outreach program that features visual presentations and readings by the visual artists and writers at the residency.

Ucross Fellows Retrospective Exhibition reception Feb. 19 in Big Red Barn Gallery

The opening reception for the Ucross Fellows Retrospective Exhibition will be held on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2-4 p.m., at the Ucross Foundation Art Gallery, 30 Big Red Lane, Ucross.

The exhibit features the work of more than 40 artists representing 27 years of visual arts residencies.

FMI: 307-737-2291