Artist in Residence

Date: February 1–2, 2023
Budget: $20,000
Last Updated: October, 21st, 2022

Overview

The California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) seeks an Artist in Residence for its Catalyst Conference, a 2-day event in downtown Sacramento, February 1–2, 2023. This artist will conceptualize and implement an interactive process wherein attendees can both observe and participate in the process, such that participation by the audience as a whole is reflected in the final piece. To learn more about the Catalyst Conference, including outcomes and goals, click here.

Venue & Audience

Held at the beautiful, newly designed California Natural Resources Building, this event will bring together approximately 250 attendees including community leaders, funders, government policymakers, and academics. Attendees will explore tested models that prepare underserved communities for investment and oversee project implementation, as well as innovative public-private partnerships that deepen investment and accelerate decarbonization. The conference environment will create space for learning, partnerships, and the co-creation of new standards and bold ideas to catalyze action during this transformational moment in history.

The artist may also utilize the venue of an offsite attendee reception/dinner to continue the audience participation process. This is optional and would be in addition to the required conference venue.

Display & Participation

The artist shall create a plan to facilitate the creation of art within the parameters of the venue and involve the ad-hoc participation of attendees.

Attendee participation should be optional with a light commitment level such that one can engage for a few moments and without needing personal clean-up. Due to the structured sessions of the conference, there will be brief periods of high traffic, followed by blocks of very low traffic.

The artist may work independently on the artwork before, during, or after the event to evolve the artwork and manage the final output.

Media & Subject Matter

The creation process and final output created by the Artist in Residence should reflect the general spirit and value system of the Strategic Growth Council, its models, and its programs. The final artwork should be appropriate for all audiences and positive/optimistic in nature.

We welcome the proposal of any media for the artwork but have a strong preference for physical or digital media. All media must be appropriate for indoor use, compatible with transportation needs, and non-destructive to people and property.

The guiding themes for the Artist in Residence are community; transformation, people and place, and challenges such as climate change, housing, and inequity.

Output & Ownership

The final, culminating piece should be appropriate for wall-mounting within an office building. Specifics on the intended wall will be provided to the selected artist during the planning of the project. This piece should reflect the majority of the artwork process and output from the residency.

SGC will own all rights to the original artwork. The artist may use reproductions of the artwork and photos/videos of the creation process for self-promotion purposes.

Coordination

The selected artist will coordinate with the SGC team and Catalyst Conference Steering Committees over the course of approximately 2-4 virtual meetings to understand the vision of the conference, align on thematic direction, and coordinate details with the event team. The artist will be asked to join the next Conference Steering Committee meeting on November 9th from 3:00 – 5:00pm.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit a proposal by November 1st, 2022 to artist@sgccatalyst.org. Proposals should include:

• Artist biography
• Thematic approach to the residency and artistic output
• Portfolio
• Any specific logistic needs
• Timeline
• Detailed breakdown of budget use

Finalist candidates will be invited for interviews during the first 2 weeks of November. Opportunity updates and Q&A will be posted below.

Important Note:

Screening and recommendation of artists will be conducted by Voice & Reason LLC, an independent marketing agency. The Artist in Residence will be paid through a conference budget held and managed by the Milken Institute.