Artist In Residency Call

Application Deadline: November 20, 2011

Notification: December 10, 2011

VALISE Artist Collective and Gallery is offering an artist in residency on Vashon Island, one month of work space and living accommodation with a small stipend and a second month offering a public opening, artist talk and exhibition. The month of January offers the time, space and support to create or complete a body of work. The artist(s) will work in the main street gallery as a studio in public view through the gallery front window. During February the artist(s) will exhibit the work at VALISE Gallery. An important part of this project is community involvement. The artist(s) will welcome the public into the gallery on Saturdays and one weekday while the work is being created, and conduct at least one community event once the exhibition is installed.

Your work at VALISE will be supported by the collective. As needed, we will assist you with ideas, expertise in constructing installations, curating and hanging, and public relations and media outreach. We will also provide accommodations and a small stipend.

We are looking for art and artists not often shown on Vashon Island. These could include video, performance, sound art, collaborative art projects executed by young artists, emerging or non-visual artists. Do not, however, be constrained by these ideas. We are less interested in limitations. If you do not fit into these categories, but have an amazing idea, we are very interested.

Early January - VALISE will host a community dinner at the gallery on first Friday to introduce and welcome the artist(s) and present the project(s).

January - The artist(s) will work in the gallery space in public view.  The gallery will be, at a minimum, open on Saturdays and one weekday and the artist in residence available in order to engage the community in the artist’s process.

February, Exhibition Opening and Artist Reception First Friday - Every First Friday, VALISE hosts an artist’s reception and opening. The events are very well attended, often by hundreds of art lovers and a highly engaged public.

February - The gallery will be open and staffed by collective members during gallery hours all month showing the artist’s work.  With the help of collective members, the artist(s) will conduct at least one community event (for example, an artist talk, demonstration, or workshop).

In 2009, a collective of artists opened a gallery space on Vashon Island, called VALISE. A valise is a traveling bag, a suitcase that hints of mystery and adventure. What’s inside? Where has it been?  Where is it going?  The bag is curiously anonymous, nostalgic, and worthy of a closer inspection. VALISE stands for Vashon Artists Linked In Social Engagement. We chose these words for their humorous, ironic, and activist bent. The gallery is dedicated to presenting subjects and media that are daring, unexpected and emergent. We want to stir our audiences. We want to challenge members to initiate fresh work. We want to share the venue with the community and tempt new ideas. Collective members show about half the time, and artists from outside the Vashon Autonomous Zone show the other half. The goal of the VALISE gallery is to be an important and accessible art venue for the community.

The VALISE 4W Community program hosts free activities during, or close to, the fourth week (4W) of the month. Past events have included artist talks, community discussions, performances, workshops, readings, and hands-on art projects for adults and children. VALISE events are an opportunity for all ages to engage with artists to learn, gain inspiration, or play with new mediums or concepts.

VALISE is located at 17633 Vashon Highway SW, on Vashon Island, just a quick ferry ride from West Seattle, Washington. VALISE is open on First Fridays 6-9pm, as well as each Saturday 11-5pm or by appointment.

The gallery in located on the main street of Vashon in the commercial corridor.  The space is approximately 800 square feet- retail front/gallery connected to an intimate back gallery space.

We are offering simple accommodations on Vashon Island, such as a small cabin on a local farm or a room in a 100-year old farmhouse.  To support your work, we also are offering a $300 stipend. There is no food or travel accommodation.

Vashon Island is a rural paradise nestled in the waters of Puget Sound between Seattle and Tacoma. Accessible only by ferry, the island lifestyle is slower paced, friendly and diverse, a veritable haven for those looking to get away from hectic city life.

The island is 48 square miles, stretching 12 miles north to south. Country roads wind through thick evergreen forests and sunny pastoral settings displaying glorious vistas of the Sound and surrounding mountains. Outdoor enthusiasts are drawn to the island to enjoy the beautiful scenery for bicycling, kayaking, hiking and beach combing.

There is an eclectic mix of approximately 11,000 people that call Vashon home. It is a small, tight knit and diverse community. The island is home to many painters, potters, jewelers, musicians and writers, as well as Washington's oldest community arts center, the Blue Heron.

Send us your proposal with ideas and images. Tell us how you would spend your time at VALISE. Why would this be a great opportunity for you? How would you share your art and artistic process with the community? Include your artist statement, resume, and images (10 to 20) of your prior work and/or images that relate to your proposal. Email questions and applications to info@valisegallery.org  or Artist Residency, P.O. Box 596, Vashon, WA 98070. The deadline is November 20.