Community MFA Salon Series
For over 30 years Louise Bourgeois hosted ‘The Sunday Salon’ at her Chelsea apartment in NYC. Open to anyone, artists could bring their work, wait their turn, and then get feedback. Bourgeois was not interested in networking or art-world insiders, the Salon instead was about stimulating discussion, connection and above all making better work. Bushwick South’s Community MFA Salon Series is modelled on Bourgeois’ Salons and aims to:
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Create a community for artists to share their work, give and receive critical feedback
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Participate in stimulating discussion
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Build artists' skills in a safe and stimulating environment
STRUCTURE AND DATES
The Salon Series is comprised of 6 in-person meetings of 3 hours each. The sessions will be held on the 3rd Friday of each month from 6.30-9.30 pm commencing 20 January 2023 (all dates listed below). We will hold two separate groups of 6 sessions each.
Each session will be hosted by a professional artist/academic who will provide critical feedback and discussion on up to 4 artists’ work per session. While all participants will have the opportunity to present their work at some point during the program, participants will not present every session.
In the spirit of community, all successful applicants are required to commit to attending each of the 6 dates of either session 1 or 2 (whether or not their work is discussed) and contribute to the discussion.
Applications open on 4 November 2022
Applications close on 30 November 2022 at midnight
Successful applicants to be notified on 12 December 2022
SESSION 1
20 Jan
17 Feb
17 Mar
21 Apr
19 May
16 Jun
________
SESSION 2
21 Jul
18 Aug
15 Sep
20 Oct
17 Nov
15 Dec
EXHIBITION
all applicants from both sessions will be invited to exhibit their work (full details to be confirmed).
WHO SHOULD APPLY / ELIGIBILITY
This program is for emerging, mid-career or established artists working in any medium or genre including sound, performance, and new media with a current art practice. Applicants working on a specific project/body of work will likely receive the most benefit. All applicants should:
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have recent work to present to the group
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want to be an active participant in a community
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be willing to talk about their own work and the work of others
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be willing to commit to attending all 6 sessions in person
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demonstrate excellence and commitment to their artistic practice
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be over 18 years old
While any artist is welcome to apply priority will be given to applicants demonstrating a connection to the Northern Beaches. All artists must be able to attend the sessions in person at our studios in Brookvale, Sydney. First Nations and emerging artists are strongly encouraged to apply.
The program is not suitable for high school students.
FEES
This is a free program. This project is presented with the generous support of the Northern Beaches Council Arts and Creativity Grants.
Food and beverages will be provided for free at each session from local breweries and cafes.
We ask each participant to pay a $50 refundable deposit before the first session. This will be refunded at the conclusion of the 6 series if the participant has attended each session. Why are we doing this? We have found that when programs are free, participants are less likely to attend.
HOW TO APPLY
Complete and submit this form no later than midnight on 30 November 2022. All applications will be reviewed and assessed based on the following criteria.
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Strength of the artist’s practice and potential for artistic growth and professional development.
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Quality of work and originality of ideas
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Value of a program to the development of the artist/s and ability to contribute to the community.
Priority will be given to applicants demonstrating a connection to the Northern Beaches
SPACES ARE STRICTLY LIMITED. A shortlist of applicants will be offered a place in the program. We will arrange a short zoom interview with all shortlisted applicants the week of 5 December.
WHO WE ARE
The project team comprises Dr Amber Boardman and Lisa Woolfe.
Amber's 20-year history of exhibiting her work internationally includes shows in arts institutions in New York, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Miami, Atlanta & Australia. She holds a PhD in Fine Art and has been an invited speaker at universities, art galleries and museums. She is a sessional lecturer in painting at UNSW.
Lisa is a practising artist with 10 years experience exhibiting across Australia. She has extensive experience in project managing a wide variety of arts programs and curating exhibitions.
Session hosts will be selected based on relevance to the final participants’ practice areas and work.
Ts AND Cs
Bushwick South expects participants to respect fellow artists, artwork and property. Discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age, race, sex, gender, sexuality, marital status, physical or intellectual disability, or religion will not be tolerated. Participants deemed to be exhibiting inappropriate or disruptive behaviour may be removed, suspended or expelled from the program.
Work health and safety
If you have an existing medical condition, allergy or disability or any access and accessibility requirements please get in touch with us to discuss these.
Privacy
The contact information you supply will not be disclosed without your express consent, except where required by law.
Acknowledgement
Bushwick South acknowledges the Cammeraygal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional owners of the land and waters we gather.
This project is presented with the support of the Northern Beaches Council.
CONTACT
