ELIGIBILITY 

Applicants must be:

• 21 years of age or older
• Eligible to receive taxable income in the U.S.
• Be a resident of Western North Carolina for at least 2 years and during the duration of the residency.
• Primarily a visual artist working in craft.

Applicants can not be:

• A full-time student in a degree-granting program or its equivalent
• Anyone with a conflict of interest with the Center for Craft including; substantial contributors to the Center for Craft, current employees, consultants, or board members of the Center for Craft, or  immediate family members of such a person.
• Current recipient of any Center for Craft grant or fellowship.
• Primarily literary, performing, or other non-visual artists.
  

REQUIREMENTS

• The initial 70% of the grant will be awarded upon return of signed contract.
• The final 30% will be awarded upon receipt of a grant report or exit interview.
• Recipients will acknowledge support from the “Center for Craft” in any publications or presentations resulting from the grant, to include the Center for Craft’s logo.
• Work in the designated studio space at the Center for Craft for at least 20 hours a week during the duration of the 8 week residency period.
• Work with other residents to design and deliver a public program.
• At the end of the Residency Period complete program evaluation or exit interview in a timely manner.
• Each resident will ensure the availability of one work of at least art for the Center for Craft to display in the Engagement Studio located in the Center for Craft Gallery in downtown Asheville, North Carolina for the duration of the residency period. Artwork(s) will be mutually agreed upon with the Curator at the Center for Craft and a separate loan agreement will be issued. 

REVIEW PROCESS

A panel of reviewers, who are recognized craft artists, scholars, and /or curators, free of any conflict of interest, will evaluate the applications. The 10  applicants with the highest cumulative scores will then be reviewed by the Center for Craft staff who will select 4-5 applicants to interview and check references before determining who will receive the two Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residency opportunities.  

All applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria:

• Artistic merit and originality
• Timeliness -  in terms of both  artists career trajectory and contemporary relevance.
• Need - demonstrated need for the time, space, and resources to grow their career.
• Demonstrates an understanding of and investment in craft practices
  

Final Consideration: 

In addition to the criteria listed above, the interview and final selection will take into consideration each applicant's willingness to work in a shared setting with a diverse cohort and participate in public engagement events. Ultimately we will compose a group of recipients deserving of further recognition while prioritizing diversity, representing a range of materials, perspectives, and communities of practice.

‍HOW TO APPLY 

The Center for Craft  welcomes applications from all previous Virginia A. Groot awardees and honorable mention recipients. Applicants must apply using the online application program SlideRoom at http://www.centerforcraft.slideroom.com. Because this is a closed application process all applicants must contact grants@centerforcraft.org to receive the SlideRoom link.

All applicants should create a login to be able to complete the application. Before submitting your application, you will be directed to a confirmation page where you will be able to review your materials and return to edit or delete your uploaded files as needed. Once you submit your application, you will not be able to access your form again. Applicants will receive a confirmation email once the application form has been successfully submitted.

There is a $10 application fee. Applicants may request for the fee to be waived by responding to this email with the text, “Please waive the application fee for my application.” No additional information is required. To waive your fee, you must first create your SlideRoom portal and access the application through SlideRoom before making the request to waive the fee. Application fees cannot be waived after applications are submitted.

Deadline:

All applications must be submitted before December 15 (11:59pm EST), 2023.

Please review the sample application below before beginning your application. 

Notification:

‍The top five applicants will be invited for an interview in early February 2024. Final award notification will be sent via email in March, 2024. The e-mail address listed on the application form will be used to send out notifications. Please be sure that it is a valid account that you check regularly.

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Sample Application

This is only a sample application; all applications must be completed in SlideRoom.   

Demographic Survey

Please note that the data from the demographic survey will only be used anonymously. Your participation in this survey helps us and our local and national funders understand who the Center for Craft is reaching so that we can continue to develop equitable and accessible programming. Completion of this survey will in no way affect your application. We require all applicants to complete this form; however, you may answer each question with the “ I prefer not to answer” option if you choose. Thank you.

1. What is your age?
2. Which of the following best describes your gender identity? (Select all that apply)
3. Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation? (Select all that apply)
4. Which of the following best describes your race/ethnicity? (Select all that apply)
5. What is your total annual household income?
6. Do you identify as having a disability? (such as a physical disability, a cognitive or learning disability, sensory sensitivity or Autism Spectrum Disorder, or mental illness)
7. Do you identify as having a disability? (such as a physical disability, a cognitive or learning disability, sensory sensitivity or Autism Spectrum Disorder, or mental illness)
8. What is the highest level of schooling you have completed or the highest degree you have completed? If currently enrolled, mark the highest level/degree already received.
   

Cover Sheet

1. Applicant name
2. WNC county of residence.
3. Online portfolio or your website
4. Are you able to receive taxable federal income in the U.S. (or U.S. territories) for the duration of the grant period (through April 2025)? For example, this might look like having a social security number (ITIN for DREAMers) and a US bank account.
   

Application Questions

1. Please provide an artist statement (up to 250 words / 1,500 characters).
2. What specifically would you like to work on during your residency and why is now the right time for this opportunity (up to 250 words / 1,500 characters )?
3. How does your current practice relate to the materials, processes, or histories of craft? (up to 250 words / 1,500 characters)
4. What arts related opportunities (such as grants, residencies, fellowships, gallery representation) have you received in the previous 5 years? (up to 250 words / 1500 characters)
5. Please provide a portfolio of 10 images of your most current work (created within the previous 5 years). Please submit 10 high-quality images or video clips of your work. Images should feature your work only and should not be a collage of multiple pieces in one slide. Video clips should be submitted ONLY if they are necessary to demonstrate your work. Each clip should be no longer than 1 minute. All images should include a description. Please be sure the description includes: the title of work, the year it was made, dimensions (medium, measurements), and how the piece was fabricated. SlideRoom allows up to 1,000 characters (about 250 words) to be included in the "Description" box for your work sample uploads. Allowed Media Types: Images (up to 10MB each), Video (up to 500MB each), 3D Models via Sketchfab, External media from YouTube and Vimeo
6. Please provide the email address and phone number for two references.

FAQs 

I just moved to Western North Carolina, can I apply for the residency?

No, all applicants must be a resident of Western North Carolina for at least 2 years and during the duration of the residency. Western North Carolina counties include: Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Yancey, also including the Qualla Boundary.

May I mail a hard copy of my application materials to the Center for Craft’s office?

No, hard copy submissions will not be accepted. The application must be completed and submitted through SlideRoom.  

Can I work on my application and return to complete it at a later date?  

Yes, creating a login account will enable you to complete the form in several online sessions.  

I just submitted my application but I want to return to it and make an edit. Is this possible? 

No, once your application is submitted, you will not be able to return to the form or change any submitted information. The application fee must also be paid at the time of submitting your application as you will not be able to log-in again to access the payment page again.  

I can not afford the $10 application fee, may I have it waived?

Yes, applicants may request for the fee to be waived by sending an email to ahelgeson@centerforcraft.org with the text, “Please waive the application fee for my application.” No additional information is required. To waive your fee, you must first create your SlideRoom portal and access the application through SlideRoom before making the request to waive the fee. Application fees cannot be waived after applications are submitted.

I have a question that wasn’t answered. How can I reach the Center for Craft?  

If you have any further questions, please contact grants@centerforcraft.org