Philip C. Curtis Artist-in-Residence Program

The Philip C. Curtis Artist-in-Residence program is named for the American Surrealist painter, Philip C. Curtis, ‘30. The program was started by his college friends Russell and Wanda Babcock in 1991 during a large Curtis retrospective exhibition in the Elsie Munro Gallery at Albion College. Through the generosity of the Babcocks, the Department of Art and Art History brings artists to campus for periods of time ranging from six weeks to a full semester. Depending on the length of stay, we bring one to three artists here per year. The artists are chosen on the basis of the quality of their work, the strength of the proposal that they make to the department for the work that they will complete during the residency, and the art and art history faculty's perception of how well they will work with our students. The artist in residence does not teach, but is expected to have significant interaction with students in the form of open studio time, visits to classes, participation in critiques, and other informal conversations. The department has been very pleased with the effect that the program has had on the department as a whole and the benefits that students derive from it.

The Philip C. Curtis Artist-in-Residence program is intended to provide an opportunity for an emerging artist to pursue his or her work in a supportive environment within the Department of Art and Art History at Albion College.

The Artist-in-Residence will be expected to be available as a resource to the faculty and to students in the department. The artist will be expected to establish a predictable working pattern and to work on a regular basis. The Department of Art and Art History will provide a space suitable to execute work, with 24-hour access to our facilities.

The Artist-in-Residence may be asked to make formal presentations or to do demonstrations in a classroom setting, but the artist will not have faculty status or responsibilities (classes, grading, etc.). We normally expect the AIR will present an artist’s talk within the first three weeks of the residency. The overriding responsibility of the Artist-in-Residence is to immerse himself/herself in work. If the AIR must be absent from the College to participate in professional activities (competitions, exhibitions, etc.) or for emergencies, it will be at his or her own expense.

While the artist's accessibility and availability to students is important, it should not be at undue expense to the artist. The chair of the Department of Art and Art History will serve as the contact between the Artist-in-Residence and the College.

Studio Space

The studio is approximately a 17x16 foot room with an 11-12 foot ceiling, including fluorescent and spotlights and high windows for natural light. There is a sink, at least one large table, a cabinet, and 16x8 feet of surface for tacking materials. The other walls are painted cinder block.

We request that artists submit a one- to three-page proposal, along with 20 images, a CV, and an artist's statement by February 15, 2012 to:

Anne McCauley
Department of Art and Art History
Albion College
611 E. Porter St.
Albion, Michigan 49224