Request For Proposals: Artist-in-Residence: Late Fall
Request for Proposals
Artist-in-Residence
Multigenerational Collaborations in a Museum Setting
Late fall theme: Belonging
ABOUT THE RESIDENCY
Artists are invited into the museum to create a hands-on, creative opportunity for & with children, families & caregivers. The residency theme for fall is Belonging. This broad term is open to the Artist in Residence to define as part of their proposal and how they will bring this term into their collaborative work with our visitors.
Our goal for the residency is to offer an immersive experience for our guests that could include individual art creation, collaborative art making, and interactive artist presentations, including curating residency materials for visitor use. CMTM values process over product. We celebrate the opportunity to highlight local artists as they deepen their relationship with the CMTM community during their residency.
CMTM requires submissions that focus on recycled, natural or found objects to foster conversation about environmental sustainability and/or a focus on the vibrance and diversity of our Portland community.
The residency is anticipated to be completed within one week, typically Wednesday through Friday, with 6 hours minimum of time working with children and caregivers during CMTM open hours (1.5 hrs for one Afterschool class & 4.5 hrs in the MakerSpace, @1.5 hours per session).
The residency includes up to 3 hours of meeting time with CMTM staff in order to share the artist’s process and project, as well as to learn more about the dynamics of our MakerSpace from the CMTM teams.
Prep time for the Artist in Residence’s project is to be completed prior to the start of the residency.
CMTM is not available for project prep other than 45 minutes prior to each MakerSpace session.
Up to 45 minutes of set up & up to 45 minutes of clean up time per session (Afterschool & MakerSpace) are included in the stipend award.
Artists will work directly with multigenerational participants in two ways:
MakerSpace open sessions consist of multi-age children and their adult caregivers during open museum hours in the MakerSpace exhibit, our workshop designed for open-ended creation. Museum staff will support the artist-in-residence during MakerSpace open sessions, lasting 1.5 hrs per session, for three sessions, 2 to 3:30 pm (4.5 MakerSpace total teaching hours). MakerSpace welcomes children from ages two through teen in a flow-through style of creation. Participants may choose to participate in a partial session or for the duration of the program. Regular programs will resume in MakerSpace when the artist is not present, and guests may opt out of participating during the session while simultaneously creating their own work; free choice art supplies will be available for makers of all ages provided by the museum. Each session will include up to 45 minutes of set-up time, 1.5 hours of teaching time, and up to 45 minutes of clean-up, all with the assistance of CMTM staff.
Afterschool Experiences consist of about ten students ages 5-10 in a space closed off to other visitors, 3:45 to 5:15 pm These experiences are also located in MakerSpace exhibit. Artists-in-residence will be present for one Afterschool session, which will include greeting, games, and art. They will work with staff to plan these activities around the theme of the artist’s project. Students will be supervised by Museum staff and will spend one 1.5 hour after school session working with the Artist in Residence. Afterschool will include 45 minutes of set up time, 1.5 hours of teaching time, and up to 45 minutes of clean up, all with the assistance of CMTM staff.
ARTIST ATTRIBUTES
Comfortable working within a flow-through model that may see guests come and go during the MakerSpace open session.
Enjoys creating alongside children
Understands and comfortable with the joys and challenges of working with children and a multi-age audience.
New and emerging artists, art students, and established artists are encouraged to apply. We look forward to offering support and guidance when needed, as well as learning from and being inspired by the artist-in-residence.
SCHEDULE
Project Implementation Dates:
4.5 hours of teaching time in the MakerSpace during open museum sessions, typically Wednesday through Friday, 2 to 3:30, with 4.5 hours of total set up & clean up time.
3 hours with Afterschool class with one 1.5-hour session plus 1.5 hours of total prep and clean-up time.
Exact dates are determined based on the CMTM programming calendar and the Artist-in-Residence availability.
STIPEND COMPENSATION
CMTM will pay $1,000 at the conclusion of the residency*
CMTM will purchase up to $200 towards materials for the artist to use during the residency.
WHAT HAPPENS TO CREATED ART?
This project emphasizes the process over the product. Any art created will either go home with visitors or be the property of CMTM to display or store as resources allow.
HOW TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL
Please email proposals to hiring@kitetails.org by May 15, 2024. Images of past and present work are encouraged, as are references if available.
Proposals will be juried by members of the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine staff in June, with selected artist interviews to follow. The selection team will use the above flow-through, multigenerational criteria in making their decision, as well as how the term “Belonging” is utilized in the proposal. Proposals with a focus on recycled, natural, or found objects and/or a focus on the vibrance and diversity of our Portland community will be preferred. Preference will also be given to artists based in Maine. CMTM anticipates announcing the Artist in Residence final candidate by mid-July 2024.
ABOUT CMTM
At CMTM, everyone has value and worth. We strive to create a safe space for people to come as they are and feel accepted to be themselves. We celebrate what makes each of us unique, understanding that our differences make us strong.
Working with the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine is an unparalleled experience that offers boundless joy, personal growth, and the opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families within our vibrant community.
While we are centered on the positive growth of the whole child, we focus on play-based experiences in:
STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math); Arts and culture; Performing and visual arts; Early childhood education.
At the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, we set the stage for every child to imagine and learn through play.
We value Belonging.
Everyone belongs at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine. We believe each person has value and worth; we celebrate what makes each of us unique and what binds us together as a strong community.
We value Play.
We embrace the power of play to build resilience, spark creativity, and ignite a child’s imagination. Play inspires our work, our physical spaces, our storytelling, and our learning experiences.
We value Community.
We center community in all we do. We strive to be an inclusive partner and resource in order to build strong, lasting relationships.
We value Curiosity.
We believe curiosity inspires children to explore, build empathy, and connect with others. Learning fueled by curiosity leads to a deeper understanding of self and the world around us.
We value Trust.
We provide safe, inclusive experiences and spaces to ensure that the community’s trust is earned and upheld in all that we do.
The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine is an equal opportunity employer.
We prioritize diversity amongst our team and leadership, and we strongly encourage people of all traditionally marginalized identities to apply. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state, or federal laws.
We are committed to making our facilities and programs accessible and safe for all members of our community, staff, and volunteers. We are actively working to increase accessibility and usability of our website, building, and educational activities. Supervisors work collaboratively with employees to make accommodations and modifications to accommodate the employee’s needs, including physical changes, assistive technologies, accessible communications, and policy enhancements. In doing so, we adhere to the available standards and guidelines and, in many cases, go beyond the guidelines to uphold our philosophy that our staff should have a safe and welcoming work environment where they can learn and grow. For a full description of our facility’s accessibility, please visit: www.kitetails.org/accessibility