The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is offering an amazing opportunity for artists who want to showcase their creativity inside of the nationally-recognized museum. The MOSH’s Creation Station is looking for a new piece of interactive, mural-sized, 3D artwork to put on display to share with the community. The winning artist will receive $7,500 including materials, and their art will be promoted across social media platforms and be shared in a press release. Below are more details about this opportunity including a program description, expectations, proposals, and compensation/recognition details.
Program Description
As part of the program, an Artist in Residence will design a public project to share his/her work with the local community and contribute an original work for the benefit of the museum.
In June 2019, MOSH opened its first maker space, Creation Station. The space features a variety of daily visitor maker activities and provides a workshop training space for budding makers. MOSH’s 2019 Artist in Residence created an original, interactive, mixed media sculpture aimed at both showcasing and inspiring maker creativity. This piece is being installed in Creation Station in summer, 2020.
The 2020 Artist in Residence will be expected to produce an original work of wall-mounted art for Creation Station. This work of art, tentatively titled The Wonder Wall, will serve as an interactive and aesthetic canvas for guests, especially children, to create their own artworks. The Wonder Wall is expected to occupy one entire wall of the maker space, measuring 22.5’L x 9.5’H. This mural-sized, 3D artwork will need to:
- accommodate removable, vertically mounted maker panels (e.g., building brick, magnetic surface, etc.)
- incorporate Creation Station’s visual aesthetic of industrial/steampunk
- encourage and inspire creativity, ingenuity and innovation through its design
- engage people’s sense of wonder and stimulate their imagination
- draw on principles of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
- appeal to multiple senses
- be easily maintained, with any replacement parts being readily available
- be able to be easily dismantled and reinstalled
- expect to have a shelf life of at least ten years
- be completed by May 31, 2021
Interested parties should contact MOSH curator Paul Bourcier (904-396-6674 x 216; pbourcier@themosh.org) to arrange an appointment to see Creation Station and discuss dimensions and spatial context.
Expectations
The Artist in Residence will be expected to:
- Consult regularly with a group of selected MOSH staff. Although much of the work, aside from final assembly and installation, would be done outside of the Museum, the residency is a collaborative process.
- Provide elevations, a materials list and a fabrication plan
- Order all materials and fabricate necessary elements of The Wonder Wall
- Oversee the installation of The Wonder Wall in Creation Station
- Provide all necessary materials for an artist statement to be shared online and in-gallery
- Organize and present at least one family-oriented maker workshop
Proposals
Proposals will be accepted from individual artists working alone or artists who lead a team of collaborators. Artists are encouraged to make an appointment to see the installation space.
Proposals should include the following elements:
- A letter of Intent from the artist(s), including contact information
- A conceptual design for the work of art
- A narrative description of the work of art, including materials and technologies to be used
- A portfolio of completed works; these may be still images and videos and/or links to still images and videos online
Proposals should be submitted no later than September 15, 2020. Selection will be made by October 2, 2020. The artist should expect periodic meetings to discuss and review progress.
Compensation and Recognition
MOSH will provide the winning artist with a total award of $7,500, including materials. The allocation of funds between materials and labor is the responsibility of the artist.
- An Artist Statement and brief bio will accompany the artwork and be on public view in Creation Station.
- MOSH will issue a press release and newsletter article about the artist’s work.
- MOSH will promote the artwork on social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
- The artist will be featured for a year on the Local Art page of MOSH’s web site.