The Artists Alliance Residency 2016

At Artists Alliance we offer a range of opportunities for visual artists, one of these being an artist in residence programme. Our residency is distinctive in that it offers an artist the gift of time. The selected artist is free to make work, research or just experiment within the timeframe of six weeks without the pressure of having to complete a body of work or produce an exhibition at the end of the residency. This is a particularly appealing prospect for visual artists, who are often juggling other aspects of life, a day job, family and other commitments. Spending time experimenting and furthering their practice is a rare opportunity.

The residency will be open to all New Zealand artists, and the selected artist will be carefully chosen by a panel of industry professionals. The successful artist will work within a reconfigured office and studio space in the Artists Alliance base in Ponsonby, Auckland for a highly concentrated six week period from September 5, to October 16 2016. The secure studio space will be available solely to the artist, day and night for the full period of the residency.

This residency will be the fourth of its kind at Artists Alliance, previous resident artists were Jessica Pearless, Tiffany Rewa Newrick and Corrina Hoseason. Each approached the residency in a unique way and all three felt the focused time spent on their practice had been extremely valuable.

In order to truly offer an artist the time to focus on their practice Artists Alliance strongly believes there needs to be a stipend available to the resident artist to use how they wish for the period of the residency. This will allow them the ability to possibly take leave from a part time job, pay for childcare if they are a parent, or allow an artist outside of Auckland to apply without fear of being financially burdened.
The artist will also be plugged in to the Artists Alliance network of staff, with their collective knowledge and skills available throughout the residency. In the past staff have aided the resident artists in producing small catalogues, printing, photographing and documenting the residency and the works created, offering access to resources and contacts, or just a friendly chat over a coffee!

The studio is also in close proximity to other artists' studios, and arts organisations which creates a wider community which can be accessed by the resident artist if it interests them to do so.
The residency will include a budget to pay a writer to produce a piece on the resident artist and their practice. This will be arranged in consultation with the artist.

Lastly, the final week of the residency period coincides with Artweek Auckland and the resident artist may wish to take part in the festival in the form of an open studio, artist talk or other event with support from the Artists Alliance staff. Being part of Artweek Auckland is a valuable experience and an opportunity to engage with the local community.
The Artists Alliance Team

We would like to ask for your support for this programme which cannot run without extra funds raised. We are asking for $5000, this will go towards an artist stipend, a writer's fee in order to publish an article on the resident artist, event costs relating to the Artweek Auckland event and a contribution to the fixed costs of running the space and administration of the residency.

Please offer your support today via a donation to our Boosted campaign, you will not only be giving an artist the gift of time, but you will sleep well at night knowing that you have made it possible for an artist to create more exceptional New Zealand art for us all to be enriched by!

Thank you!