Artists in Residence is Now Launched

Over the past several months, a new program has been taking form in North Shore Collinwood. Northeast Shores and the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture (CPAC) have been working to develop Artists in Residence, a two-year program that aims to make our neighborhood an even better place for artists to live and work.

Last week, the organizations launched the Artists in Residence grants program. Over the next two years, the program will provide $100,000 in funding to artists who live or work in the North Shore Collinwood neighborhood to support their community arts projects. The partners involved in the project will distribute this grant money in three rounds, with $30,000 available in the first round. The program asks artists to submit their ideas for arts projects that would address one of five priorities identified by neighborhood residents, workers and visitors – telling the story of neighborhood residents; raising the visibility of neighborhood assets; addressing public safety; combating vacancy; or providing opportunities for neighborhood youth. If you are a resident of North Shore Collinwood or work at least 15 hours a week in the neighborhood, you are eligible to compete for a grant of up to $7,500.

Applications for the first round of funding are due March 16th. You can learn more about the grant program at http://www.cpacbiz.org/ftp_file/11-12/Summer2012Guidelines.pdf and access the application form at http://www.cpacbiz.org/ftp_file/11-12/Summer2012ApplicationForm.pdf. Northeast Shores and CPAC will also be holding grant workshops with additional information about the application. The first workshop takes place at the Slovenian Workmen’s Home, 15335 Waterloo Road, Saturday, January 28, from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. A second workshop will also take place Thursday, February 9, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Workshops are free and open to the public, but you must register at http://artistsinresidencegrants.eventbrite.com/ or http://artistsinresidencegrants2.eventbrite.com/.

Grant funding is just one part of the larger Artists in Residence initiative. Northeast Shores and CPAC are also in the process of launching several other program features, including a new low-interest loan program designed specifically for North Shore Collinwood artists. These loans will support artists who want to create arts-specific space in the neighborhood that’s not always easy to get a residential mortgage to cover. Examples might include conversion of a garage into a recording studio or purchasing equipment to do home-based printmaking. Details about this new offering will be available in early February.

Artists in Residence has been made possible through the investment of several national foundations, including Leveraging Investments in Creativity, the Kresge Foundation and the Ford Foundation, and through additional generous support from a Charter One Growing Communities Grant and funding from the George Gund Foundation.

If you have any questions or would like any more information about the Artists in Residence program, please contact Seth Beattie at 216.481.7660 or sbeattie@northeastshores.org