Elbow Room Artist-in-Residence Program

elbow room residency program call for proposals

Elbow Room Artist-in-Residence Program

Deadline: Applications must be delivered or postmarked on or before November 1st annually.

The Elbow Room Artist-in-Residence Program provides visual artists at the beginning of their career that are currently living in Newfoundland and Labrador with an opportunity to expand their boundaries and develop new methods and directions, pushing their practice beyond what circumstances might normally allow to move their career to the next level.

Over a period of three months, artists have the sole use of a studio space at The Rooms, which they may access during opening hours. They work closely with an in-house curator and other professional staff. Each residency period culminates in an exhibition at The Rooms and a small publication. Artists receive an exhibition fee and can apply for a modest production budget.

The Elbow Room resident is selected each year by the art gallery's curatorial staff based on the following criteria:

  • Quality of the applicant’s work, as indicated by the material (written/visual) submitted for review.
  • Record of exhibition and critical review.
  • Evidence that the applicant is at a stage in their professional development which will be advanced by the residency.
  • Proposed project connects to the art gallery’s exhibition and programming goals.

Eligibility

  • Open to professional artists residing in Newfoundland and Labrador.
  • Artists must have basic professional training or an equivalent combination of exhibition and critical review, and must be able to demonstrate at least 3 years of professional commitment to making visual art.
  • Current students are not eligible for this program.
  • Artists must be available to work in the studio a minimum of 8 hours per week, during opening hours.

Application Checklist

  • Current CV
  • Artist statement
  • 10-15 image/video files of current artwork (300 DPI, jpegs for images, on USB datastick, CD or DVD)
  • Description of work proposed for creation during the residency, including a production budget for up to $1000 of materials. Note that only non-volatile artist materials may be used in the studio (ex: no solvents)

The Rooms strives to recognize and undo structural inequities, to be inclusive and support diversity in programming. We welcome and encourage applications from artists who may come from communities that are historically on the margins or are traditionally under-represented in cultural institutions.    

Send your application, by the deadline, to:

Mailing Address:
The Rooms
Art Gallery Division
Re: Elbow Room
P.O. Box 1800, Station C
St. John's, NL A1C 5P9

Courier Address: 
The Rooms 
Art Gallery Division
Re: Elbow Room
9 Bonaventure Avenue
St. John's, NL A1C 3Y9

Email: artgallery@therooms.ca

Only PDF applications no greater than 5MB will be accepted.

Information: 709-757-8040

IMPORTANT NOTE: 
Applications sent by fax will not be accepted.

 

Image: Artist John McDonald at work in the Elbow Room Studio during his residency. 2012

 

Recent Residencies

Matthew Hollett (2015)

Matthew Hollett explored the shifting architectural landscape of this province through film, photography, sculpture and an interactive projection.  

 

 

 

 

Kyle Bustin  (2014)

Image:  Internet Troll  (2014) Mixed Media

In Digital Beasts St. John’s street artist, installation artist and painter Kyle Bustin explores the monstrous figures of the digital world – the trolls, lurkers and other avatars that we encounter (and often embody). 

 

 

Philippa Jones  (2012)

Image: Miriad Island (2012) Mixed Media Drawing

During a series of expeditions led by artist Philippa Jones, members of the public adopted roles ranging from geologist to shaman, gathering ‘evidence’ to support their imagined truths. The resulting objects, images and conjectures will be interpreted by Jones, culminating in an installation that plays with imagination and truth, the scientific and the subjective. Since her residency at The Rooms, Jones has gone on to be exhibited at The National Gallery of Canada. 

Tom Hammick (2005)

Image: Oceanex, (2005) Intaglio

Tom Hammick, British painter and printmaker, was the first to fill the residency and take advantage of the new studio space. During his time here, Hammick traveled extensively in the province and built strong relationships that continue to flourish. His experiences here and the people he has met are reflected in the paintings and prints he makes. His work has gained a wide and spreading audience in the UK, Germany and the United States, and has been included in many public and corporate collections.