THIS CALL HAS CLOSED.

Activated: 01/18/2024 Deadline: 02/21/2024

Call Summary Contemporary at Blue Star seeks applications from artists living and working in Bexar County for three-month residencies in Berlin, Germany. In 2013 Contemporary began sending San Antonio artists to Berlin and we are excited to embark on the 10th cycle of the program. In partnership with Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Contemporary awards four artists annually the opportunity to live and conduct their studio practice in one of the world's most significant art centers, Berlin, Germany. This opportunity is only available to Bexar County artists. Applications are juried by a diverse panel which changes every year.

Budget Description 4 selected artists will be awarded one of four residency slots at Künstlerhaus Bethanien as a grantee of Contemporary at Blue Star. Each artist also receives a $2,000 stipend to aid with travel to residency and living costs. Contemporary offers artists exclusive access to the Künstlerhaus Bethanien’s renowned international residency program. Contemporary covers costs of all program fees associated with residency: studio and living space, inclusion in the internationally-distributed BE magazine, curatorial visits, workshop access, etc. Each selected artist will participate in a public program following the completion of the residency. More information about the Künstlerhaus Bethanien can be found at www.bethanien.de/en/ . The four residency cycles are July 15 – October 8; October 15- January 8; January 15 – April 8; April 15 – July 8. APPLICANTS MUST BE ABLE TO ATTEND DURING ANY OF THESE TIME PERIODS. Artists should not apply if they are not flexible and their schedule does not allow them the possibility of attend during any of these time periods and for the duration of the residency. Resident artists will also travel to Darmstadt, Germany (a sister city of San Antonio) to meet with fellow artists and cultural leaders and visit cultural institutions. An additional stipend is provided for this trip. Since 2019, the City of San Antonio’s Global Engagment Office began providing additional support for each selected Berlin Residency Program artist to travel to Darmstadt. Artists reside in individual live-work spaces at KB and have shared bathroom and shower facilities on each floor and shared laundry. For questions about building accessibility please contact KB.

Eligibility • Must currently reside in Bexar County and conduct a significant portion of your artistic practice/outreach in San Antonio. • Artist must have established residency for 12 months prior to application period. • Must have at least five years of relevant work experience and/or specialized arts training, such as a degree or certificate, or intensive period of time developing their skill and knowledge base. • Demonstrate a clear investment of time and resources into your artistic practice and/or derive a portion of individual earned income from your artistic practice or areas related to the field. • Have a professional portfolio that includes publicly displayed and possibly published works. • Must be able to attend during any of the residency cycle dates. • Students are not eligible to apply. • Artist collaborative teams/collectives not eligible to apply.

Application Requirements

Resume: 3 page(s) maximum Work examples: 20 Artist Statement: 600 word maximum Letter of Interest: 1200 word maximum A letter of interest expressing why you believe you should be chosen for the Berlin Residency at Künstlerhaus Bethanien. Why should we send you to Berlin? How do you think the experience will influence your practice? This letter is NOT a proposal for a specific project, but should clearly articulate how you plan to benefit from the opportunity. References: 1

Artists are NOT allowed to apply in teams.

Additional Requirements

Recommendation letter PDF Form

Selection Information

Selection Process Four artists will be selected by a jury to participate in Contemporary at Blue Star's Berlin Residency Program, based on their complete application. The runner-up artist will be notified in case they need to be called on as an alternate resident in the event one of the top four residents cannot attend. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Each invited juror brings a different base of knowledge and experience as Contemporary strives for a diversity of viewpoints. Jurors include artists, curators, and others with relevant knowledge and experience who can provide valuable insights. Past jurors have included - Mary Heathcott, Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray, David Rubin, Meredith Dean, Mary Mikel Stump, Chris Davila, Felix Padron, Maritza Vazquez, Anne Wallace, Suzanne Weaver, Rich Aste, Ricky Armendariz, Rene Barilleaux, William Rudolph, Anjali Gupta, Paula Owen, Kathy Armstrong, Anna Stothart, Sue Graze, Angelika Jensen, Julia Barbosa Landois, Chris Erck, Carrie Brown, Monica Del Arenal, Erin Murphy, Risa Puleo, Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Jacqueline Chao, Lana S. Meador, Ryan Takaba, Asmaa Walton, Leslie Moody Castro and others.

Selection Criteria The jury scores application materials which are assigned the the following weighted values: 20% - Letter of interest 40% - Portfolio of work – (20 images) 20% - Artist statement and CV (resume) 20% - Recommendation letter

Timeline Application deadline February 18, 2024 Juror Review February 19-26, 2024 Awardee Notification February 28, 2024 Public announcement of awardees March 1, 2024 Week of March 4 Resident Scheduling Meeting Residency appointments from July 15, 2024-July 8 2025

Additional Resources

https://contemporarysa.org/events/berlin-residency-program-2024-2025-cycle/

Contact Information

Jacqueline Saragoza McGilvray Curator and Exhibitions Director 116 Blue Star San Antonio TX 78204 United States jack@contemporarysa.org (210) 227-6960

Submission Instructions