Tough Art Residency Program - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh (Due Mar. 9)
Tough Art Residency Program - Children's Museum of Pittsburgh
Deadline: March 9th, 2025
The mission of Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is to provide innovative and inclusive museum experiences that inspire kindness, joy, creativity and curiosity for all learners. We forge connections with artists, community partners and neighbors to work on behalf of children, youth and families. Our vision is to transform education.
We provide the highest quality exhibits and programs for learning and play. We are a partner and a resource for people who work with or on behalf of children.
residency goals
Produce artwork that is tough enough to withstand public interaction, especially that of children
Work collaboratively with Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh staff to create and develop an engaging work of art to be exhibited in the museum
Give artists a platform to display their work and reach a potentially new audience, which in turn, provides new avenues of art exploration for the museum
logistics
The residency program invites artists to be in residence
May 27 through August 31, 2025.
During this time, they will work in the museum to develop and create new works to be exhibited in Fall/Winter of that year.
Artists may apply as individuals or as a team. Three artists/teams will be chosen to participate.
Each residency artist/team receives an honorarium and the Museum manages a materials budget for each project.
*Transportation to and from Pittsburgh, along with housing, is allotted for one out-of-town artist.
benefits
-$5,000 artist honorarium
-Up to $3,500 materials budget provided (all purchases are made and approved by the museum)
-Access to fabrication facilities (fully equipped wood and machine shops, a metal fabrication shop- MIG only, CNC router, and 3D printer)
-Artist reception
-Professional photographs of final artwork
One Out-of-town Artists will also receive:
-Housing for duration of residency
-Up to $1,000 to fund transit to/from Pittsburgh at the beginning and end of residency
Eligibility
Artists with demonstrated capabilities in their medium will be considered for the residency. The program is intended to support emerging artists and give opportunities for established artists to the share their work with a wider audience.
Artists with demonstrated capabilities for creating interactive, immersive, sculptural or media-based projects are encouraged to apply.
Artists currently residing in the United States, with employment authorization, are eligible.
You must be 18 years or older to apply.
Artists are expected to be in Pittsburgh for the duration of the residency.
How to Apply
Please use the following link to submit an application.
Tough Art applications should include:
1. Application Materials (all PDF format)
Résumé/CV (2 page limit)
Short biography (150 words or less)
Optional- Letter of Application (1 page limit) This is a chance for artists to further articulate why they would be a good fit for this residency and how the program could benefit their art practice/goals. The committee is not interested in reading AI generating letters. Please only submit letters that are written by the candidate.
2. Artwork Portfolio (Please choose ONE of the following options):
A maximum of 10 images (PDF format)
Hyperlink/URL of video, sound and/or animation via a link in pdf document. (A maximum of three minutes will be reviewed.)
Combination of up to 5 images and up to 1:30 minutes of video, sound and/or animation
Deadline: Applications must be received by 11:59 pm on March 9, 2025.
Artists will be notified by mid-April of their acceptance status.
More Info & Questions
If you have additional questions about the Tough Art residency, please contact submissions@pittsburghkids.org.
The museum will be hosting a virtual information session that will serve as a space for potential candidates to ask any questions they may have about applications. This will take place January 30, 2025 from 7-8 pm EST. To sign up for the information session, please fill out this form.