area c: CURIOUSER-2


	CALL TO ARTISTS
	NOTE: EXPRESSION of INTEREST deadline has been extended to THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 8th by 11:59pm. Drawing from over 250,000 rarely-seen items held in the Museum’s vaults, CURIOUSER brings the humanities and sciences together with the arts, offering a unique lens on the Victorian era’s obsession with natural studies and specimen collecting. CURIOUSER will invite viewers to look forward as well as back, exploring the ‘history of natural history’ while drawing connections with our own complex relationships with nature today. The CURIOUSER exhibit was created by Erik Carlson and Erica Carpenter and the Museum in 2010 with the goal of giving the public a glimpse into the Museum’s vast vaulted collections, freeing them from the strict imperatives of science and analysis, releasing them "down the rabbit-hole" of artistic production. This will be the second version of the exhibit. The goal of this exhibit is to creatively and compellingly utilize items from the Museum's collections -- items that are rarely seen by the public. Also, due to the nature of these collections there will be specific restrictions on their use that artists must abide by -- artists will be encouraged to find creative approaches to these limitations. Also, all installations must be created on-site at the Museum; artists will be given a work area to use for the creation of their installations. SELECTED ARTISTS: We will select between 4 and 6 artists to participate in the exhibit. Selected artists will receive a stipend (approx. $400 - 600) plus a materials budget (approx. $200). The exhibit will open in early November 2011 and be on display for approximately 10 months.
	HOW TO APPLY:
	We are currently looking for artists interest in being considered for the second Curiouser exhibit. If you would like to be considered, please submit an email / letter of interest by midnight on Tuesday September 6th, following the directions for STAGE 1 below. This opportunity is open to artists from the six New England states -- please read all guidelines and be aware that works must be created on-site at the Museum in Providence (SEE LINKS BELOW for more guidelines and information) Artists will be selected in a two-stage process: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAGE 1: Expression of Interest EMAIL Expressions of Interest to: curiouser [at] areacmusic [dot] com DUE DATE - EXTENDED to Thursday September 8th by 11:59pm If you are interested in being considered for this exhibit, please submit a SHORT note of interest by midnight on September 6th (via email to curiouser [at] areacmusic [dot] com), introducing yourself and briefly letting us know why you are interested in the Curiouser exhibit. You must also include the following in your email: 1. LINK to artist's website or examples of your work 2. LINK to your resume, CV, bio, or other credentials (you may also send this as an attachment -- PDF is preferable, or Word document) LINKS are preferred; if you must send images, embed them in a PDF or make sure the file size is very small. If you need to mail a hard copy, it should arrive at the following address by September 6th: Curiouser Exhibit RFQ Museum of Natural History Roger Williams Park 1000 Elmwood Avenue Providence, RI 02907 DO NOT send originals or expensive copies -- submissions will not be returned. The goal of this exhibit is to creatively and compellingly utilize items from the Museum's vast collections -- items that are rarely seen by the public. Also, due to the nature of the Museum's collections there will be specific restrictions on their use that artists must abide by -- artists will be encouraged to find creative approaches to these limitations. Also, all installations must be created on-site at the Museum; artists will be given a work area to use for the creation of their work. Please keep these things and the important dates below in mind when deciding to submit! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	ADDITIONAL INFO for ARTISTS:
		DOWNLOAD info on the Museum's Collections (PDF document) > > > DOWNLOAD the Exhibit Prospectus + Curators' Bios (PDF document) > > > LINK to Museum of Natural History WEBSITE > > > LINK to feature article on the 2010 exhibit in the Boston Globe > > >
		Interested artists are free to visit the Museum and see the current Curiouser exhibit (NOTE: the Museum archives will only be open to finalists). If you are visiting to check it out, please stop at the admissions desk and let the attendant know -- you will not be charged admission for your visit.
	------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STAGE 2: Semi-Finalist Proposals From the pool of interested artists, we will select approximately 15 semi-finalists to submit short, specific proposals for the 2011 Curiouser exhibit. These finalists will have an opportunity to visit the museum's archives, meet the curators and museum staff, and learn more about the collections, Finalists will be asked to submit a specific proposal, consisting of a one-page description and one visual component describing their plan for an installation utilizing the Museum's collections. SELECTED ARTISTS: We will select between 4 and 6 artists to participate in the exhibit. Participating artists will receive a stipend (approx. $400 - 600) plus a materials budget (approx. $200). The exhibit will open in early November 2011 and be on display for approximately 10 months. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT DATES: (dates are subject to change) EXTENDED to Sept. 8th @ 11:59pm: Expressions of Interest are due Sept. 7th - 20th: Semi-Finalist visits to the Museum will be scheduled Sept. 25th: Semi-Finalist's proposals are due Sept. 28th: Artist Selection and Notification Oct. 1 - Nov. 6: Work period for creation of installations Nov. 7 - 9: Final installation in gallery Nov. 10: Exhibit Opening + Reception -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Museum of Natural History Website > > > Last year's Curiouser exhibit > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Curiouser is made possible in part through funding from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts The Museum of Natural History + Planetarium are owned and operated by the City of Providence's Parks and Recreation Department. Angel Taveras, Mayor. Erik Carlson + Erica Carpenter are independent curators and artists based in Providence, RI. They created the Curiouser exhibit in 2010 as an ongoing collaboration with the Museum of Natural History. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Museum of Natural History and Planetarium Roger Williams Park 1000 Elmwood Avenue Providence, RI 02907 401.785.9457 Ext. 221 401.461.5146 fax