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Kresge Arts in Detroit

Kresge Arts in Detroit represents one facet of The Kresge Foundation's Detroit Program, a comprehensive community-development effort to strengthen the long-term economic, social and cultural fabric of the city and surrounding region.

The goals of the program are to:

  • Enrich the quality of life for metropolitan Detroiters by helping artists provide a broad spectrum of cultural experiences
  • Celebrate and reflect the richness and diversity of our community in all its aspects
  • Heighten the profile of arts and artists in our community
  • Strengthen the artistic careers of artists

Kresge Artist Fellowships

Guidelines

Kresge Arts in Detroit provides significant financial support for Kresge Artist Fellowships annually, each consisting of a $25,000 award and customized professional practice opportunities for emerging and established metropolitan Detroit artists in the literary, performing and visual arts.

The Kresge Artist Fellowships are given to artists whose commitment to innovation and artistic achievement are evident in the quality of their work. The fellowships recognize creative vision and commitment to excellence within a wide range of artistic disciplines, including artists who have been classically and academically trained, self-taught artists and artists whose art forms have been passed down through cultural and traditional heritage. Kresge Arts in Detroit is committed to supporting artists from diverse cultural backgrounds at all stages of their professional careers. The fellows are selected through an open, competitive process as judged by independent fellowship panels.

Kresge Arts in Detroit has awarded 48 fellowships since 2009. In 2012, 12 fellowships will be awarded in the literary arts and 12 fellowships will be awarded in the performing arts.

Selection Criteria

The Kresge Artist Fellowships of $25,000 each are unrestricted and given annually to artists who have:

  • A demonstrated track record of artistic achievement  and high-quality work (the main determinant in the selection of a fellow)
  • The potential to grow and advance in their artistic career and during the fellowship period
  • The potential to reflect, enhance or impact communities within metropolitan Detroit, as defined by the artist

Artists who collaborate with other artists, and who have an on-going demonstrated history of collaborative work, ARE permitted to apply under one collaborative application.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Fellowship applications are accepted from artists who:

  • Are current legal residents of the metropolitan Detroit tri-county area (Macomb, Oakland or Wayne counties) in Michigan, have resided in the area for the past two years and are expected to retain residence in one of the three counties during the fellowship period
  • Work in one or more of the disciplines reviewed each year
  • Are at least 18 years old

Who Cannot Apply?

Fellowship applications are NOT accepted from artists who:

  • Are working toward any degree, arts or non-arts related at the time of application or planning to work toward a degree during the course of the fellowship, with the exception of ABD (all but dissertation) status Ph.D. candidates
  • Are residents of Michigan, outside of Macomb, Oakland or Wayne counties
  • Have received a Kresge Artist Fellowship within the last four years
  • Have received a Kresge Eminent Artist Award
  • Are current panelists or their immediate family members
  • Are current members of the Advisory Council or their immediate family members
  • Are staff or immediate family members of the staff of The Kresge Foundation, ArtServe Michigan (Staff of ArtServe Michigan NOT associated with Kresge Arts in Detroit office ARE eligible to apply) and the Kresge Arts in Detroit office at the College for Creative Studies (Faculty and staff of the College for Creative Studies NOT associated with the Kresge Arts in Detroit office ARE eligible to apply)

ARTS CATEGORIES

The Kresge Artist Fellowships are given each year to artists in the literary, performing and visual arts. In 2011, 12 fellowships were awarded in the visual arts. In 2012, 12 fellowships will be awarded in the literary arts, and 12 fellowships will be awarded in the performing arts. The 2013 Kresge Artist Fellowship application will be available November 1, 2012. Following are the disciplines reviewed in each arts category:

LITERARY ARTS
Arts criticism in all categories (including literary, performing and visual), creative non-fiction, fiction, playwriting, poetry and interdisciplinary work within the above arts disciplines.

PERFORMING ARTS
Choreography, dance, music (composers and performers in all genres – blues, classical, country, electronic, folk, gospel, hip-hop, jazz, opera, rap, rock, etc.), performance art, spoken word, sound art and interdisciplinary work within the above arts disciplines.

VISUAL ARTS
Art and technology, book arts, ceramics, collage, drawing, fiber, glass, installation, metalwork, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, video art and interdisciplinary work that includes at least one of these arts disciplines.

Please note: Applicants may submit one application per category (literary, performing and visual arts); however, they may only receive funding in one category per two-year cycle.

 Selection Process

The Kresge Artist Fellowship applications are reviewed by independent fellowship panels. Panelists are experienced and well-respected national, regional and local artists and arts professionals and are selected according to the categories of arts disciplines being reviewed. The Kresge Arts in Detroit Advisory Council nominates panelists who have knowledge of the art forms, a balance of artistic perspectives and an understanding of the local artistic environment. Panelists represent the diversity of artistic styles within the disciplines, as well as diversity of age, ethnicity, gender and geography.

The Kresge Artist Fellowship panelists remain anonymous during the selection process. The names of the Kresge Artist Fellowship panelists are revealed once the Kresge Artist Fellowships are announced.

Terms of the Fellowship

The fellowship period is 12 months and begins immediately upon an orientation provided for the awarded fellows. Upon notification of a fellowship award, artists must first verify their legal residence in metropolitan Detroit (Macomb, Oakland or Wayne counties) by submitting residency documentation for the past two years. Acceptable documents include tax forms, phone bills, utility bills, bank statements, etc. Funds are given in one payment at the beginning of the fellowship period. Most recent tax laws state that fellowships are taxable income; fellows are encouraged to consult a tax advisor.

Use of Fellowship Funds
The purpose of the fellowship is to enable the artist to devote time and resources to whatever is necessary to deepen their art form, to experiment and to advance their artistic career. Fellowship funding may cover any aspect of the artist’s life, such as, but not limited to, informal study, exploration of new artistic directions, overhead costs, travel as it directly relates to the artistic career, living and other expenses.

Professional Practice
In an effort to provide further support and services to the fellows, ArtServe Michigan, working in collaboration with The Kresge Foundation and the Kresge Arts in Detroit office, designs and delivers a customized series of professional practice and engagement opportunities for the fellows. Fellows may participate in a range of artistic and professional practice activities created to specifically respond to and support their needs and expectations. Professional practice activities focus on providing artists at any stage of their career with the skills, resources, knowledge and connections they need to continue to establish and fulfill their artistic and professional ambitions. Please see Professional Practice Opportunities for more information.

Progress Reports
Fellows must provide a brief mid-term and final progress report to the Kresge Arts in Detroit office during the fellowship period.

ART X DETROIT

Art X Detroit is a bi-annual public presentation of works created and performed by the awarded Kresge Artist Fellows and Kresge Eminent Artists. The Kresge Foundation is in the very early stages of planning the next Art X Detroit event, tentatively scheduled for the spring of 2013. It will feature awarded artists selected in 2011 and 2012.

Please note: The guidelines for the Kresge Artist Fellowships are subject to change.

 

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