The Process

No studios were added or removed during this process. All studios were granted to eligible artists.

The Art Center juries for studios; therefore, applications were accepted for individual artists who want a studio or groups of up to four (4) artists that wish to share a studio. This provided artists the ability to choose their own studio mates if desired, and plan accordingly. Each application was scored as a single applicant, be it an individual application or a group application. The application is in three (3) phases and was worth a total of 100 points.

65% of an application’s score was based on artwork. The remaining 35% of the application was scored on time honored professional artist skills including artist statements, process statements, and artist talks, as well as the artists interest in engaging with the public and working within a community.

• Phase I considered artistic merit and was judged blind, with jurors only viewing the art. Jurors looked 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 world. It was worth a maximum 50 points. Applicants needed 33 points to advance.
• Phase II was non-blind and considered applicants’ backgrounds. Jurors looked for artists who could explain their art and who wanted to engage and interact with the public through their work. They reviewed applicants’ career highlights and how they have marketed themselves or their work. It was worth a maximum of 25 points. Applicants needed a combined 50 points from Phases I and II to advance.
• Phase III gave the jurors an opportunity to meet and interact with the applicants. This was the first-time jurors saw their artwork 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 public. It was worth a maximum of 25 points. Presentations were open to the public.

The applicants that scored the highest were offered one of the limited studios available. If an application completed all three phases and scored a minimum of 70 points but did not score high enough to get a studio, they were offered an Artist Pro Tem position.

The application was based on industry best practices as they relate to current art spaces and artist communities. The application was developed after a series of four (4) Art Center artists forums (discussions with artists) and one (1) community forum held in 2018, as well as a survey with experts in the field and a survey of other arts institutions. The results and analysis of the forums and surveys were shared with Art Center artists. The Art Center is also a member of the Artist Communities Alliance, which provided support in application development. Since 2018, and every year thereafter, the Art Center staff has administered applications for studio leases with outside expert jurors. Over that time, the application has been refined based on experience and feedback.

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