Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) and the Office of Public Art (OPA) are partnering to host a year-long artist residency at the Pittsburgh International Airport.
COMPENSATION: $20,000 artist fee for one year residency, plus $10,000 for supplies / $20,000 final creative project
ELIGIBILITY: Open to any visual, performing, or literary artist with demonstrated experience working in community settings and who is able to commit to a year-long residency.
Please download and read the full call before applying.
About the Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is located 20 miles west of Downtown Pittsburgh. The current facilities were built in 1992 by architect Tasso Katselas, and included a public art plan by Joyce Pomeroy Schwartz. Artworks by Robert Morris, Maren Hassinger, Jackie Ferrara, Alan Sarat, and others were integrated into the architecture. Airport leadership embraces the arts as a way to enhance the experience for travelers and the Pittsburgh community, and as a way to connect them to the vibrant art and culture of the region. New initiatives include permanent artworks, a performing arts program, and temporary exhibits.
About the Opportunity
The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for the artist and ACAA to develop new ideas for creative projects that engage and connect the many communities in and around the airport. It is not a funding stream to implement existing plans or concepts for specific works of art. Although the residency is not limited to visual artists, the final project should be one that affects the physical space of the airport in some capacity for at least two years.
The structure of this residency is intentionally open-ended. The goal is deep community engagement that results in a collaborative, creative project. We are specifically looking for artists that are interested in collaborating to develop projects that have a positive impact on the social and physical connectivity in and around the airport.
During the first year of the program, the selected artist will gain access to the diverse communities that work in, partner with, and reside around the Pittsburgh International Airport. These groups include the traveling public, Allegheny County Airport Authority (ACAA) employees, airlines, local businesses, regional arts organizations, regional neighbors, and partner organizations. The artist will spend one year producing activities that engage these communities. For this phase of the residency, the selected artist will work on-site at the Pittsburgh International Airport for 8 - 16 hours per week for a year. During this time, they are expected to learn about the airport and develop engagement strategies and projects to connect with the airport community.
After the first year, the artist will a produce a creative project with the support of ACAA and the Office of Public Art (OPA).
Stipend / Payment
Artists receive $20,000 for the first year of the residency, and a budget of $10,000 for materials and supplies for engagement strategies. After the first year, the final creative project will be executed using a budget of $20,000. This budget is inclusive of all production costs, as well as the artist’s design and project management fees.
In addition to the stipend, ACCA will provide an on-site workspace (which is typically a desk or office space, not necessarily a working studio space) on the airport property, complimentary parking, and assistance with engagement activities. ACCA is not responsible for providing housing or living costs to artists.
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to any visual, performing, or literary artist who is able to commit to a year-long residency and has demonstrated experience working in community settings. Artists, artist teams, and teams including individuals working in multiple fields are eligible to apply. Teams must include at least one artist who has experience working in community settings to be eligible.
Artists who live in the Pittsburgh region are encouraged to apply, including artists in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Mercer, Lawrence, Somerset, Venango, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
Artists and all members of artist teams will be required to obtain an airport-issued security ID badge, which involves the completion of a Criminal History Records Check (CHRC) as required by the Transportation Security Administration. The CHRC requires fingerprinting of applicants, which are transmitted to the FBI and stored with the Transportation Security Clearinghouse.
Timeline
How to Apply
Applications will only be accepted electronically through Submittable, an online application system that is used by the Office of Public Art. You may access the application here.
The following items will be required:
1. An online application form with contact information.
2. A letter describing why you are interested in this project, up to two pages in length. Please be sure to describe your experiences collaborating or working with community members, residents, or others in the development of a creative project. File types must be .doc, docx, .odt, or .rtf. Name the file using this convention: LastName _ First Name_Letter.doc.
3. Work samples: these can be images, video, or text. Up to 10 samples of past work, in total, will be accepted. Images must be in .jpg or .jpeg format, no larger than 5’’ x 7’’ and up to 300 dpi. Each image should be no larger than 1MB. Any image file not submitted as a .jpg or .jpeg will not be accepted. Videos must be in .avi or .mp4 format, and no longer than 3 minutes (videos one minute or less are preferred). DVD formats are not accepted. You may include up to three links to third party video hosting websites such as Vimeo or Youtube. Literary worksamples can be no longer than five pages long each, for a total of 30 pages maximum. File types must be .doc, docx, .odt, or .rtf. Artist teams may submit a combined total of up to 10 work samples total, not 10 work samples for each artist. Name each work sample with your last name, first name and the numbers 1-10. For example, if your name is Frida Kahlo, the first artwork should be kahlo_frida_1.jpg and the second artwork should be kahlo_frida_2.jpg. TIP: Do not include multiple images in one file. Do not provide low-resolution images taken from social media sites such as Instagram.
4. A script that includes a short description of each image submitted. The description for each image should include the following information as applicable: artwork title, dimensions, materials, budget, location, and a brief summary. File types must be .doc, docx, .odt, or .rtf. Name the file using this convention: LastName _ First Name_Script.doc. TIP: Keep the summary relevant to a general audience. A maximum of 50 words to describe each work sample is best.
5. A copy of your artist statement. Artist teams who do not have previous experience collaborating should submit a statement for each artist, plus a statement of how the artists will collaborate. File types must be .doc, docx, .odt, or .rtf. Name the file using this convention: LastName _ First Name_Statement.doc.
6. A copy of your resume, up to three pages. Artist teams should submit one resume per artist. Any file type is accepted. .doc or .docx are preferred. Name the file using this convention: LastName_ First Name_Resume.doc.
QUESTIONS? Contact Derek Reese at opa@pittsburghartscouncil.org or via phone at 412-391-2060 x233. Do not contact Pittsburgh International Airport or the Allegheny County Airport Authority regarding this opportunity.
