The Application Process
Applications are accepted for individual artists who want a solo studio or groups of up to four (4) artists that wish to share a studio. Each application is scored as a single applicant, be it an individual application or a group application. The application is in three (3) phases and is worth a total of 100 points.
Download the 2022 Information Packet and Map
*Updated 4/13/2022
Applications closed on April 19, 2022.
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Summary
- Phase I considers artistic merit and is judged blind, with jurors only viewing the art. Jurors will be looking for deliberately crafted artwork with an authentic and original point of view that reflects an awareness of current trends and aesthetics in the larger art It is worth a maximum 50 points. Applicants need 33 points to advance.
- Phase II is non-blind and considers applicants’ Jurors will look for artists who can explain their art and who want to engage and interact with the public through their work. They will review applicants’ career highlights and how they have marketed themselves or their work. It is worth a maximum of 25 points. Applicants need a combined 50 points from Phases I and II to advance.
- Phase III gives the jurors an opportunity to meet and interact with the applicants. This is the first time jurors are seeing the work in-person to review it for quality. Jurors consider the applicants’ ability to communicate about their artwork, with an eye toward their desire to positively engage with the It is worth a maximum of 25 points. Presentations will be open to the public.
The Art Center juries for studios; therefore, if applying as a group, a studio is granted to the group application, not to an individual artist within a group.
Group applications receive one (1) score for the totality of the application, not for individual artists in the group.
An artist may apply only once per annual application, not in multiple applications.
After Resident Artists accept their new leases, they may temporarily take on an Artist Pro Tem to sublease, but cannot, but cannot add new co-leaseholders to their studios, or change studios, until completing the following year’s annual jury. It will re-set the jury cycle for the entire group.
Transparency
Torpedo Factory Art Center is committed to a transparent application process. Applicants and spectators are encouraged to attend the In-Person Application Presentations for Phase III, in which artists present their applications to jurors. Check torpedofactory.org/events to confirm times. Applicants will receive written feedback from the jurors on the application at the conclusion of the process.
Equity Statement
Torpedo Factory Art Center holds the notion of working toward a world where we are all embraced for who we are and are able to thrive to reach our highest potential. Removing barriers to full participation and belonging in life and culture. Equity means promoting just and fair inclusion throughout our city, and creating the conditions in which everyone can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.
Torpedo Factory Art Center values a diverse community of artists that reflects representation from different social, economic, and cultural backgrounds, as well as different artistic media, styles, and forms of expression. Torpedo Factory Art Center values artists of all stages of their career, regardless of their formal arts training.
Therefore, when reviewing applicants’ backgrounds in Phase II, jurors consider the career level of the applicant(s). Applicants’ background should match their career level or exceed their career level. We strive to eliminate potential barriers in this application, giving everyone an equitable chance to compete. If you find ways to improve this process, please contact [email protected].
For reasonable translation or disability accommodations, or to access the application without the $45 fee, contact: 703.746.4570, Virginia Relay 711, or [email protected].
The application shall ask for applicants’ gender identity, disability status, language, ethnicity and/or race, and age. This information shall not be shared with the Jurors and will hold no bearing on the scores.
Phase I
Online Application | Maximum of 50 points | Due April 19, 2022, by 11:59 p.m.
Phase I considers artistic merit and is judged blind. Names are not to be included on any Phase I material, including file names and images, or it forfeits the whole application. Fees are nonrefundable.
Jurors will be looking for deliberately crafted artwork with an authentic and original point of view that reflects an awareness of current trends and aesthetics in the broader art world.
Applicants Shall Include
- A total of eight (8) images or video of artwork produced in the past two (2) years for each artist applying as part of the application. A maximum of four (4) artists may apply for one studio. Therefore, there may be 8 – 32 images pending on how many artists apply.Best practice is for images to be high-resolution (300 DPI). Default maximum file size is 400mb per upload, and the default maximum total application size is 800mb.Here are some helpful resources on best practices for photographing your artwork:
- An image list explaining title, media, size, and date. For group applications, it should also denote that it is connected to the first, second, third, or fourth artist, without using names.
Scoring System
The panel of art professional jurors shall score Phase I on the applicant’s artistic merit in the following criteria. They are scored on a scale of 1 – 10, higher scores are better.
- Artwork reflects an understanding of, and personal place within, the current art scene, aesthetically and conceptually, as well as a desire to contribute to it.
- Artwork clearly reflects and expresses the artist’s conceptual ideas and reveals something about the world, communicating unique perspectives, inviting the viewer to question, discover, and explore.
- Artworks reflect a strong understanding of presentation, technical skill, and mastery of chosen mediums.
- Artist shows commitment to and displays clear ability to produce a comprehensive body of work showing an authentic relationship to the work.
- Artist produces original concepts and artwork expanding the use of media and and technique.
Applicants need at least 33 points to advance to Phase II.
Phase II
Online Application | Maximum 25 Points | Due April 19, 2022, by 11:59 p.m.
Phase II is completed by applicants at the same time as Phase I and considers applicants’ backgrounds. Phase II is non-blind and only reviewed by jurors after applicants pass Phase I.
Jurors will look for artists who can and want to engage and interact with the public through their work. They will review applicants’ career highlights and how they have marketed themselves or their work.
Applicants Shall Include
- A self-selection of their career level for each applicant based on one of the following categories:
- Beginning Artist: Are currently creating an elemental yet functional body of
- Emerging Artist: Have completed at least one (1) year as an artist and are currently creating an independent elemental yet functional body of work. Have been juried, selected, curated, or hired to take part in a local/regional performance, teaching opportunity, residency, exhibition, publication, or
- Mid-Career Artist: Have sustained a professional practice and created an independent body of work that demonstrates artistic exploration and development for over a minimum of five (5) Have been juried, selected, curated, or hired to take part in at least two of the following within the past ten (10) years: performances, teaching opportunities, residencies, exhibitions, publications, or otherwise outside of the Torpedo Factory Art Center building.
- Established Artist: Have created several independent bodies of work over a minimum of seven (7) years and have been juried, selected, curated, or hired within the past ten (10 years to take part in at least two of the following, one being outside the Greater Washington, D.C. area: performances, teaching opportunities, residencies, exhibitions, publications, or otherwise, including one (1) solo exhibition regionally or nationally outside of the Torpedo Factory Art Center
- Short written statements:
- Artist Statement. There should be one statement from each artist on the application. An Artist Statement provides context for your work. What are your goals? What influences you? What themes or subject matter do you focus on and why? (Fewer than 200 words.)
Here are some helpful resources for writing an artist statement: - Process Statement detailing how the art is made. There should be one statement from each artist on the application. (Fewer than 200 words.)
- Engagement Statement about how the Applicant(s) will engage with the public and utilize the publicly accessible studio (Fewer than 300 words.) There should be one statement for the whole application, not for individual artists.
- Artist Statement. There should be one statement from each artist on the application. An Artist Statement provides context for your work. What are your goals? What influences you? What themes or subject matter do you focus on and why? (Fewer than 200 words.)
- Resume or CV for each artist applying to show that they align with their career level. An Artist’s Resume or CV should focus on things related to their art, for example if they attended an art school, exhibitions (group and solo), residencies they may have had, membership, awards, presentations, publications they may be highlighted in or have written, and relevant teaching experience.Here are some helpful resources for writing an artist’s resume or CV:
- Active social media and/or website links for each artist applying to show self-marketing ability. (For Incumbent Artists, the website should be something other than the artists’ profiles on torpedofactory.org.)
Scoring System
The panel of art professional jurors shall score Phase II, reviewing the applicant’s background ability to express artistic statements and career progression in the following criteria. They are scored on a scale of 1 – 5, higher scores are better.
- Public Interaction
- Applicant(s) clearly expresses their creative process and conceptual ideas as demonstrated in their Artist Statement.
- Applicant(s) clearly expresses their art making process as demonstrated in their Process Statement.
- Applicant(s) will use studio to engage the public and create artwork that will be engaging to the public, not as a gallery, as demonstrated in their Engagement Statement.
- Career: Applicant(s) demonstrates that they match and understand their career level as stated above, establishing that they are on a path of advancement in their career as described in their Resume(s) or CV(s).
- Marketing ability: Applicant(s) demonstrates the ability to market themselves or be marketed.
Applicants need at least 50 points from Phase I and II to advance.
Phase III
In-Person Presentations | Maximum of 25 Points | Held on June 15 or 18, 2022
Phase III is non-blind and considers the applicants’ ability to speak about and present their artwork. This phase provides jurors with an in-person view of their artwork to review for quality.
Jurors consider the applicants’ ability to communicate about their artwork, with an eye toward their desire to positively engage with the public.
Presentations will be held June 15, between 7 – 10 p.m. or June 18, between 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Torpedo Factory Art Center in room 325, though times may be subject to change with notice to applicants. Presentations are open to the public.
Applicants Shall Offer
- A five (5) minute presentation (per application) of artwork via slides and two (2) actual artworks per artist presented to the jurors and open audience.
- Applicants need to provide a PC-ready flash drive with artwork displayed in a PowerPoint or PDF slides for the presentation.
- Applicant(s) shall select a time slot for their presentation after passing Phase I and Phase II successfully.
- Presentations shall be open for the public to attend.
- Applicant(s) shall be able to expand upon notions found in their Artist Statement and Process Statement.
- Jurors may take additional time to ask questions of the applicant(s) or to better view the artwork.
Scoring System
The panel of art professional jurors shall score Phase III on the applicant’s ability to present their artwork, and viewing of in-person artwork, using the following system.
- Applicants’ ability to express artistic information in an accessible and understandable way. (Scored on a scale of 1 – 5, higher score is better.)
- Applicant(s) demonstrates a strong interest in being at Torpedo Factory Art Center and expresses a positive working attitude, professionalism, an interest in working within a community of artists, and a desire to engage with the public. (Scored on a scale of 1 – 5, higher score is better.)
- Applicants’ in-person artwork matches the quality of artwork displayed as digital files. (Scored on a scale of 1 – 5, higher score is better.)
- Applicants’ in-person artwork displays a level of craft and mastery of media to express the artists’ intentions. (Scored on a scale of 1 – 10, higher score is better.)
Download the 2022 Information Packet and Map
*Updated 4/13/2022