CALL TO ARTISTS Metro Parks Tacoma [cid:image003.jpg@01D5C635.FA0251C0] PARC: Public Art Reaching Community Artist Training Cohort and Permanent Public Art Projects Application Deadline: February 10, 2020, 11:59pm Budget: $500 participation-based stipend, $1,000 project stipend, and opportunity to compete for a minimum of five permanent public art projects averaging $30,000 each Apply: tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit<https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit> Eligibility: Pierce County resident, 18 years or older, individual artists/not teams Optional Information Session Wednesday, January 29, 2020, 5:30-6:30pm, Metro Parks Tacoma Board Room, 4702 S 19th St, Tacoma, WA 98405 Summary The field of public art is competitive. Often, talented artists are faced with a 'Catch 22' - an artist needs experience working in the public realm to be selected for public art opportunities, but how does someone obtain that experience? An artist may have entry-level experience, but this does not always help one progress to the "next level". PARC is designed to provide artists with the training and experience necessary to be competitive when applying for public art projects locally, regionally and nationally. Metro Parks Tacoma is seeking Pierce County artists with an active studio practice, who wish to learn how to develop artwork for the public realm, to participate in a 'hands-on' public art education program. Artists may work in a variety of disciplines and may or may not have previous public art experience. The training, which is free of charge to selected artists, is valued at approximately $4,300 per participant. Participating artists will create temporary projects and have the opportunity to apply and compete for one or more of at least five permanent public art projects averaging $30,000 each, funded by Metro Parks and the City of Tacoma. Artists will participate in five day-long workshops, in preparation for a cycle of public art commission applications and interviews. Training sessions will be Saturdays late March-May 2020. Additional sessions and experiences will be scheduled, to include temporary projects and presentations, interviews for projects, field trips, peer discussion groups, and one-on-one mentorship as needed. Lead Mentor Artist: Elisheba Johnson Elisheba Johnson is a curator, public artist and administrator heavily influenced by the Fluxus movement and the accessibility of art experiences and objects. Johnson, who has a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, was the owner of Faire Gallery Café<x-apple-data-detectors://0>, a multi-use art space that held art exhibitions, music shows, poetry readings and creative gatherings. For six years Johnson worked at the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture on capacity building initiatives and racial equity in public art. Johnson is currently a member of the Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Network advisory council and has won four Americans for the Arts Public Art Year in Review Awards for her work. She currently co-manages Wa Na Wari, a Black art center in Seattle's Central Area. In addition to Johnson, a variety of experts will assist in the training and mentorship process. Questions? Contact Rebecca Solverson at 253-591-5564 or email rebecca.solverson@cityoftacoma.org<mailto:rebecca.solverson@cityoftacoma.org>