The Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residency at the Center for Craft is an 8-week residency in Asheville, North Carolina. Four craft artists will receive a $10,000 honorarium, a studio space in downtown Asheville, facilitated material exploration and the opportunity to participate in an exhibition at the Center for Craft.
All residents of western North Carolina or previous Virginia A. Groot awardees or honorable mentions are welcome to apply! There are two separate application forms; one for residents of western North Carolina and one for previous Virginia A. Groot awardees or honorable mention recipients.
If you are a resident of western North Carolina click here for the application link in SlideRoom.
If you are a previous Virginia A. Groot awardee or honorable mention recipient contact [email protected] for a link to the application.
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Two residents will be from western North Carolina and two residents will be previous Virginia A. Groot Awardees or Honorable Mention recipients.
This unique opportunity for residents of Western North Carolina (counties include: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Yancey and including the Qualla Boundary) includes a $10,000 honorarium, daily access (8am - 10pm) to an approximately 200 square foot studio space, a Flex Desk Cowork pass in the Center for Craft’s National Craft Innovation Hub, and a facilitated partnership with a regional craft space to explore a new material or process.
This 8 week Residency will take place at the Center for Craft’s Ideation Lab, in downtown Asheville, North Carolina.
Each resident will be given their own space and ample time to work independently and have the opportunity to build relationships with other residents. They will engage in studio visits with regional curators, museums, and/or collectors and explore the regional craft scene through guided day trips.
Each resident will also be able to exhibit work in the Bresler Family Gallery at the Center for Craft as part of an Artist in Residence exhibition on view from April-August 2025. Each resident must provide at least two and up to ten recently completed works (created prior to the residency period and mutually agreed upon with the Center for Craft’s Program Manager) to include in an exhibition. Residents will also engage with the public during an open studio night and panel discussion to share more about their work and practice.
Grant goals
Catalyze connections between local and national craft networks.
Resource craft artisans to explore new materials and grow their artistic practice.
Support craft artisans with time, space and resources needed to rejuvenate their practices, grow their skills, and expand their networks.
The Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration Residency at the Center for Craft is an 8-week residency in Asheville, North Carolina that will award four craft based artists - two previous Virginia A. Groot awardees or honorable mentions and two craft artists from western North Carolina - a $10,000 honorarium, the time to develop their work, access to new materials and learning experiences, as well as the opportunity to participate in an exhibition at the Center.
If you are a previous Virginia A. Groot awardee or honorable mention recipient please reach out to Program Manager Anna Helgeson [email protected] for an application link or for more details.
ELIGIBILITY
Applicants must be:
Applicants can not be:
GRANT DETAILS
Center for Craft Responsibilities
Resident Responsibilities
Material Exploration Partners
Jewelry or small metalwork: Torched: https://torchedavl.com
Wood: Foundation Woodworking: https://foundationwoodworks.com/studios
Glass: North Carolina Glass Center: https://www.ncglasscenter.org
CNC, 3-D printing: STEAM studio: https://steamstudio.unca.edu
Clay: Odyssey Clayworks: https://www.odysseyclayworks.com
Textiles: Sew Co.: https://www.wcsewco.com or Local Cloth https://localcloth.wildapricot.org/
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 8 applicants with the highest cumulative scores will then be reviewed by the Center for Craft staff who will select four applicants to interview and check references before determining who will receive the two Residency opportunities.
Selection Panel
The three-person panel will be selected based on the following:
All applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria.
Final Consideration:
In addition to the criteria listed above, the interview and final selection will consider 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 all craft artists based in Western North Carolina to apply. Applicants must apply using the online application program SlideRoom at http://www.centerforcraft.slideroom.com.
All applicants should create a login to complete the application. Before submitting your application, you will be directed to a confirmation page where you can review your materials and return to edit or delete your uploaded files as needed. Once you submit your application, you cannot 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 sending an email to [email protected] with the text, “Please waive the application fee for my Virginia A. Groot Material Exploration WNC Residency application.” No additional information is required. To waive your fee, you must first create your SlideRoom portal and access the application through SlideRoom before requesting to waive the fee. Application fees cannot be waived after applications are submitted.
Deadline:
All applications must be submitted before Monday, October 21, 11:59pm ET 2024
Please review the sample application below before beginning your application.
Notification: The top four applicants will be invited for an interview in December 2024. Final award notification will be sent via email in January 2025. The e-mail address listed on the application form will be used to send 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 along with a demographic survey.
Demographic Survey
Please note that the demographic survey data 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. Thank you.
Cover Sheet
Application Questions
Allowed Media Types:
● Images (up to 10MB each)
● Video (up to 500MB each)
● 3D Models via Sketchfab
● External media from YouTube and Vimeo
References
Please list the name, email address, and phone number for two (2) references.
Please list two (2) people who support your application and who you have known for at least two years. Only references for the top-tier applicants will be contacted.
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: Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, 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 [email protected] 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 [email protected]
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The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina is a trusted partner in philanthropy. We help donors and nonprofits achieve their charitable goals, now and forever.
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The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina is a trusted partner in philanthropy. We help donors and nonprofits achieve their charitable goals, now and forever.