

Pendragon and BluSeed are thrilled to announce a new collaboration as the organizations were recently awarded $75,000 in matching support from the National Endowment for the Arts to create a new Artist Residency program in Saranac Lake.
Applications Due: June 15th
Seeking:
Pendragon Theatre and BluSeed Studios seek artists to create, cultivate and launch the first year of an Artist-in-Residence program for twelve artists.
Six North Country artists and six national artists will be selected to create public work in Saranac Lake that speaks to issues and life in the community.




Introduction and FAQ’s
What is the Blu/Pen Artist Residency Program?
The Program intends to create, cultivate and launch the first year of an Artist-in-Residence program for twelve artists.
6 North Country artists and 6 national artists will be selected to create public work in Saranac Lake, free to the community, that speaks to issues and life in the Adirondacks. This program is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts “Our Town” Program. The first year of the program is July 2023 thru June 2024.
Who is Eligible?
To apply as a Local Artist, you must live full-time in the North Country region of New York state. “Full time” means you are in the area for a minimum eight months of the year and an Identification address demonstrates an address in the North Country. The North Country Region includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.
The Selection Process
Local Artists in Residence are selected by our panel, which is a revolving group of distinguished artists in each artistic discipline or area of focus.
The sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence, which Pendragon and BluSeed define in a pluralistic and inclusive way. Pendragon and BluSeed encourage applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and welcomes artists engaging in the broadest spectrum of artistic practice and investigating an unlimited array of inquiries and concerns. To that end, emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply.
Pendragon and BluSeed are committed to diversity and inclusion, and a more equitable arts and cultural sector. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
Guidance for the Application
What to Request:
Each Residency can last approximately one month – some shorter and some longer. Be sure to describe what you are looking to complete and if additional space or housing is needed. For example; “I need 20 hours of studio space” or “I need one week of performance space, indoors or outdoors”
Project Description:
The project description should include the size and medium of the proposed work along with a list of materials you intend to bring. Interdisciplinary applicants should include an explanation of the form and content of the proposed project. BluSeed and Pendragon encourage experimentation in all disciplines and the admissions panels recognize that your project may evolve or change completely while you are in residence.
Criteria:
-The work that is created must have a display or presentation that is free and accessible to the public
-The work that is created must be displayed or presented in Saranac Lake
-A public component should accompany the work. There should be a “conversation” that happens between the work, the artist and the public.
-Make sure when you apply you have a complete idea of the project from start to finish. The end of your residency should have a finished project.
-Projects must be completed by July 1, 2024.
I.e. if there is a mural, a free talkback, essay, “opening” or other ideas should take place and be free of charge.
If there is a dance piece, reading, theatre workshop or interactive event, the artist should aim to be present and assist with something of their choosing that can include a talkback, master class, etc.
-What if I’ve received funding for this project from another grant, person, institution or organization? Great! We know it takes a Village to create a piece of art. We welcome partnerships, past or present collaborations, and past or present funding.
-What if I am using source material that is not my own? Great question. We request that if selected for a Residency, you will sign a waiver acknowledging “Materials are solely my creation; or any source materials I have / interpolated in the piece are either in the public domain and / or I have the legal right and license from the copyright holder to use.”
The Application:
-Be succinct. What medium are you using? What do you require?
I.e. A performance stage? 10x10 wall? A printer?
-Commissions are between $500 and $3000
-What is your basic timeline? The work can already be in process but not complete.
Categories include:
Film/Video Arts
Fellowships extend to animators, documentary makers, experimental filmmakers, feature filmmakers, and screenwriters.
Interdisciplinary Arts
This discipline encompasses performance art, sound art, movement, choreography, and new media installation.
Music Composition
All types of composition in all musical styles are considered from hip-hop to classical and from post-modern jazz to electronica.
Theatre
The theatre arts include playwrights, librettists, devised theatre artists, performance artists, composers of musical theatre, as well as directors generating original material.
Visual Arts
In this wide-ranging discipline, makers of three-dimensional and two-dimensional art are considered from photographers and printmakers to sculptors and creators of large-scale installation as well as everything in between.
Collaborations
Artists collaborating on a project must submit individual application forms and appropriate work samples, along with a joint description of the work they intend to do at BluPen. Work space needs should be clearly specified (i.e. whether or not separate studios are required). Work samples may be collaborative (either completed or in-progress) or individual work. Admissions status is determined by averaging the individual application scores of all collaborators.
May I bring my partner, child, or pet with me to the Residency?
National artists may bring immediate family during month long residences. Family members must pay for their own travel and expenses. Artists who choose to host a day visitor are obliged to remain in the company of their guests the entire time they are on the campus. BluPen welcomes artists with service animals. Other pets, including emotional support animals not meeting the ADA definition (i.e. trained to perform a specific function), need to be left in the care of others.
Work Samples
Work samples supporting the proposed project and completed within the past four years are requested. All work samples are uploaded and submitted through links in the application or via email.
For more information please visit our websites:
Or
Email:
Mike Aguirre at managingdirector@pendragontheatre.org
Marissa Hernandez at admin@bluseedstudios.org
