At Creature Comforts, we believe that investing in individual artists is critical for building a community’s capacity for creative problem-solving. Artists are changemakers positioned to catalyze communities toward a better vision of the future. When communities do not maintain the infrastructure artists need to develop and thrive, communities can miss the value that these changemakers bring to the table.
This residency program aims to support the need expressed by Athens’ creative community for artist-focused professional development. Artists-in-Residence (AiRs) will build on their continuing creative leadership development through the following activities:
Founded in 2020, the AiR Program has thus far hosted two local emerging artists as AiRs with project focuses on creative waste reduction/reuse and equitable access for marginalized local creatives, respectively. AiRs worked alongside specially designated Project Teams to develop or contribute to projects in their chosen community contexts (external or internal to Creature Comforts).
Artists will also have opportunities to participate in formal and informal leadership training sessions throughout the year, shadow the curation and installation of art exhibitions in the CCBC Gallery, and assist with coordinating the DIY Fair in August.
We hope that after participating in this program, artists will:
Artist benefits & compensation:
Interested in being Creature Comforts’ next Artist-in-Residence (AiR)? Let us know! Start by carefully reviewing the full details of this opportunity in the Request for Qualifications. Then, click here to apply online by March 13, 2022!
A Request for Qualifications will be published in February 2022 and applications will be reviewed by an advisory committee comprised of past AiRs, local collaborators, and Creature Comforts staff led by Madeline Blankenship. The committee will invite finalists to participate in brief panel interviews with members of the advisory committee.
Please direct any questions related to Get Artistic to [email protected], and residency program facilitator Madeline Blankenship will reply as quickly as possible.
Beyond Get Artistic, our local partners offer a variety of resources to support the Athens
creative community. Below you’ll find current resources and opportunities.
ACC Economic Development Department | Envision Athens | Athens Creatives Directory
Athens Downtown Development Authority | List of Resources for Artists Affected by COVID-19