The Artpace International Artist-In-Residence Program happens under the radar three times each year at Artpace’s downtown museum. Artpace Deputy Director Mary Heathcott explains how it works.
"What the residency program is is that the artists move into Artpace -- they actually live here on site," Heathcott said. "Each year we invite nine artists, three come at a time, spring, summer and fall. Each artist creates a new artworks, which then goes on exhibit at Artpace for two months."
As Heathcott details, Artpace appoints a guest curator for the project, who then selects the artists to come to San Antonio.
"One artist from somewhere in the world, one artist from the U.S., and one Texas artist," she said. "And they’re given a studio space, a support staff, an endless supply of materials, anything that they want in order to create an exhibition. Anything and everything that we can give them in order that they can create significant new artworks."
Why this story is actually on the arts radar is that the National Endowment for the Arts finds it significant, and worth their investment.
"Artpace received an Artworks grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for its international residency program for the 2014 year," Heathcott said.
That means the program with a long and prolific track record can continue. The residency program debuted in 1990, and has been responsible for creating quite a number of artworks.
"We’ve welcomed more than 190 artists through the residency program," Heathcott said.
The artists will be welcomed to San Antonio with a potluck dinner at the end of January, to which everyone is invited.
"It’s a casual event that allows people to get to know them on a one-on-one basis, and allows them to forge friendships in our community at the beginning of their residency," Heathcott said.
A combination of art sophistication and hometown friendliness.
- Learn more about the international resident program at: www.artpace.org
