June 9–August 1, 2014
Application deadline: March 15, 2014
Applications are being accepted for the 2014 New York Arts Practicum, a summer arts institute where participants experientially learn to bridge their lives as art students into lives as artists in the world. The program is structured around apprenticeships with mentor artists, a critique seminar where participants produce work without access to their institutional facilities, and site visits to artist workspaces, galleries, and museums.
The intensive eight-week program offers participants a structured environment to experience the challenges of life as an artist and demystifies the many ways one can be an artist today. Mentees work in their mentor’s studio two to three days per week, meet Monday and Tuesday evenings for a critique seminar, and convene Fridays for site visits in artist studios, galleries, and museums. Past participants called the experience demystifying, life changing, and an inspirational reality check.
By working with an artist on a day-to-day basis, participants gain a view of their near futures as artists, learning models for negotiating a creative life outside of school. Mentors for 2014 include Pablo Helguera, David Horvitz, Simone Leigh, Jen Liu, Mary Mattingly, Jennifer and Kevin McCoy, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Brad Troemel, Penelope Umbrico, Letha Wilson, and Andrew Norman Wilson.
Mentors lead critiques structured around developing strategies for creating work without institutional studio facilities. Practicum mentors lead seminars on their work, or related topic; these sessions are intimate views into their in-progress work, with a focus on process.
Program Director Michael Mandiberg facilitates critique seminar, and guides site visits to artist studios, galleries, and museums, which include conversations with curators and gallerists.
Past mentors and site visits
Last year’s mentors and visitors included Cory Arcangel, Chloe Bass, Alexander Benenson at Bitforms, Nova Benway at the Drawing Center, Sarah Butler, Nicole Caruth at Art21, Andrea Champlin, Sara Dierck, Brendan Fernandes, Courtenay Finn at Art in General, Carla Gannis, Claudia Hart, Pablo Helguera, David Horvitz, Marisa Jahn, Nina Katchadourian, Steve Lambert, Sherry Millner & Ernest Larsen, Simone Leigh, Matt Levy, Jen Liu, Kristin Lucas, Josh Macphee, Candice Madey and Courtney Childress at On Stellar Rays, Mary Mattingly, Joe McKay, Memefactory, Stephanie Pereira at Kickstarter, Sara Greenberger Rafferty, Magda Sawon and Tomas Banovich at Postmasters, Brad Troemel, Penelope Umbrico, Andrew Norman Wilson, Dan Wilson, Letha Wilson, Sam Wilson at Klaus von Nichtssagend, Caroline Woolard, and Kevin Zucker. You can see documentation of these visits on the website.
Practicum descriptions
David Horvitz is working on a lot of things. A lot.
Marisa Jahn is touring a NannyVan around the country.
Simone Leigh will be making sculpture, video and the Free People’s Medical Clinic, a project supported by Creative Time.
Jen Liu wants to talk about the Chinese Revolution.
Mary Mattingly is making a floating public space and ecosystem.
Jennifer and Kevin McCoy want to make a project with lasers.
Sara Greenberger Rafferty is working on new work for a show in fall 2014 alongside publishing and archiving projects.
Brad Troemel will be jogging and keeping shop on Etsy.
Penelope Umbrico will be working on two books, three shows, a couple of web projects and updating a neglected website.
Letha Wilson will be pouring concrete this summer; come and join her.
Andrew Norman Wilson will work with airports, dogs, plastic, financial capital, and the wide world of contemporary labor.
Application details
The eight-week New York Arts Practicum runs from June 9 to August 1, 2014. The application deadline is March 15, 2014.
For program description and application please see the website. For questions, please see the FAQ or contact us at [email protected].
