The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS), in conjunction with the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), is looking for a composer and/or musician to be an Artist-in Residence in the 101-year-old Fremont Bridge's northwest tower. This special composer and/or musician will be tasked with thoroughly exploring "the historic bridge’s role and meaning for the city of Seattle and create music in response to this residency," according to the press release.
The dimensions of the tower studio for this residency are approximately 13 feet by 8 feet, with a 10-foot ceiling; it's equipped with a desk, chair, overhead lights, windows, and an air conditioning unit. Bonus: The space affords a 360-degree view of the city. The residency runs from June through August 2018, and the winner will receive $5,000, plus another $5,000 for sound project, presentation, and documentation. The application deadline is 10:59 pm on March 20. For more details regarding the scope and requirements of this fascinating position, go here or read about it after the jump.
Scope of Work
Residency
Last year, the Fremont Bridge celebrated its 100th birthday. This coming summer 2018, a composer/musician will undertake an in-depth exploration of the historic bridge and respond to the experience with a sound-based project. The residency includes access to the northwest tower of the Fremont Bridge. Artists cannot live in the tower, but may use the space as a studio, a platform for observing the bridge and its surroundings, or as a base from which to interact with the community. Early in the residency, the artist will be asked to meet and discuss his/her approach to the residency project with staff from ARTS and SDOT. In consultation with staff, the artist will set studio hours and propose concepts for the musical project, its public presentation and documentation. The artist will be required to comply with a strict safety protocol while on the bridge, including communication with the bridge operator and restricted access to specific locations within the bridge. The artist residency will run from June through August 2018.Project, presentation, documentation
The residency will include an ongoing public component such as a blog or social media posts, in addition to community engagement events. The residency will culminate in a musical work and public presentation of the work produced while in residence. The sound piece shall represent or illuminate some aspect of the bridge and the bridge’s history, be it real or metaphorical. The artist will propose and implement public presentation(s) of the project through performance(s), public engagements, or other types of exhibition at locations and times to be determined in consultation with staff from ARTS and SDOT. While the artist retains the copyright, the sound piece shall be made available to the public digitally, residing on the ARTS website and potential other sites, depending on project partnerships. Where possible, ARTS staff will provide technical assistance, introductions to community resources, and other information as needed.Following a public presentation of the work, the artist will provide high-quality documentation of the project for inclusion in the Municipal Art Collection. Documentation could be in the form of a CD, video/DVD, artist’s book, print materials, select objects created/exhibited as part of the project, or other appropriate forms of documentation.
Eligibility
The call is open to established professional musicians/composers living in Seattle or within 100 miles of Seattle. The artist selection panel will consider artistic diversity as one factor in the selection process. Artists who are well represented or have received City Artist grants, may not be prioritized as highly as those who have not. Students are not eligible to apply.
Budget
The project budget is $10,000 USD ($5,000 for residency, $5,000 for sound project, presentation, documentation), inclusive of all residency costs, project, presentation, documentation of the work, and applicable taxes. Payment will be made in installments based on benchmarks established by ARTS in consultation with the artist.Application Deadline & Timeline
The application deadline is 10.59 p.m. (PST), Tuesday, March 20, 2018.Tuesday, March 20, 2018, 10.59 p.m. (PST) – deadline for applications
Week of April 16 – April 20, 2018 – selection panel convenes to review applications
Week of April 30 – May 4, 2018 – finalists interviewed by selection panel
Late May 2018 – artist contracted
June, July, August 2018 – residency
