In Practice Open Call

IN PRACTICE PROJECT SERIES: OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS

DEADLINE: JULY 1, 2010

The In Practice project series supports artists in creating new work for exhibition at SculptureCenter. We invite artists to submit proposals for projects and installations to be presented beginning in January of 2011. Artists selected for the In Practice program will receive a $250 honoraria and up to $1200 in production support, depending on available funding.

SculptureCenter seeks proposals that offer new ways of considering sculpture or further the understanding of the discipline and how it may intersect with other disciplines and media. SculptureCenter considers sculpture broadly and seeks to support innovative approaches to the context, production and presentation of art.

Proposals will be reviewed relative to the following criteria:

- Quality of proposal and prior work
- Responsiveness to the site and the specific context of SculptureCenter

Artists are encouraged to experiment with conventional display and exhibition formats. There are no geographic eligibility requirements, but the budget does not provide for travel, housing or accommodation costs.

All of the lower-level project spaces, the exterior courtyard, and the building exterior are available for these proposals. Other areas of the building and projects outside the confines of the building may also be considered. For performances, the main space can also be considered, depending on the exhibitions on view and the requirements of the performance.

The works and exhibitions created through this series include sculptural objects, installations, performances and artworks that operate between all of these disciplines. Past participants in the series include Fia Backström, Drew Heitzler, Rachel Mason, Virginia Overton, Marlo Pascual, Lucy Raven, Karin Schneider, Xaviera Simmons, Agathe Snow, and Josh Smith among many others.

All applications will be submitted electronically via SculptureCenter's website this year. The application, guidelines, FAQ, and downloadable building floorplans and images may be found on this page. Applying artists are encouraged to visit SculptureCenter during open hours.

View the Open Call as a PDF here.

The deadline is July 1, 2010. Your proposal must be submitted by 11:59PM on this date. We strongly recommend that the application be completed online several days in advance of the deadline, as we anticipate high volume on our server on July 1st, and due to limited staff, we may not be able to provide technical assistance to all that request it in the final day or two prior to the deadline.

Please email inpractice@sculpture-center.org if you have technical issues with your application NOT addressed in the below FAQ.

Please note that we are not accepting submissions by mail, drop off, or email. We strongly recommend that you review the below list of required information in advance, complete a separate document offline, and copy your finalized responses into the online fields.

SculptureCenter staff and advisors will conduct a preliminary review of proposals. A limited number of artists will be contacted for further information and/or studio visits. Submitting artists will be notified by email by September 1, 2010. No calls please.

Questions? Please read the FAQ below! If you feel you have a question that is not addressed, email us at inpractice@sculpture-center.org.

Pictured above, left to right: In Practice projects by Simone Leigh, Marlo Pascual, Erik Wysocan, and Xaviera Simmons.

Submission Guidelines

The online form will ask for the following information:

__ Contact information

__ CV
There is a provided field you will be asked to paste the text of your CV into.

__ Artist statement (1250 character limit)

__ Project proposal (5000 character limit)
In your proposal, please describe how the images you are submitting relate to the proposed project (i.e. related prior work, work in progress, etc.)

__ Project proposed budget
This may be preliminary but must be realistic. Artists selected for the In Practice program will receive a $250 honoraria and up to $1000 in production support, depending on available funding.

__ Work samples
Work samples may be of the work proposed and/or of prior work that relates to the proposal. You may include up to 15 total images and 5 video or audio links.

Images: Uploaded JPEGS MUST be named as follows: Lastname_Firstname_Number.jpg (example: Duchamp_Marcel_01.jpg). Images should be no larger than 800 pixels x 800 pixels, at 72 dpi. Images that are formatted incorrectly may not be reviewed.

Video/Audio: Video or audio work samples must be online so that you can provide a link to view it.

__ Work sample captions (1000 character limit each)
Each image and/or link to a video/audio work should provide title, date, media, dimensions, and any relevant descriptive information for each submitted sample.

FAQ for In Practice

Can I hand deliver, mail, or email my application?
No. All applications must be submitted using our online submission system. We are unable to accept email or paper submissions.

Does the online application have to be completed in one sitting?
Yes. You cannot save your work to return to at a later time. It is recommended you complete your answers in another document before you begin the application, and copy them into the provided fields.

Do I need to put the image caption in the actual jpeg?
There is a field for each image caption that corresponds to the image uploaded.

When I review my submission, should I be able to see the images I submitted?
No - the system will show just the names of the files and the captions.

Do the character counts include spaces and line breaks?
Yes - all characters including spaces and returns count.

What is the height of the lower-level?
Please refer to the Section Looking South and Section Looking West floorplans.

How do I specify my chosen lower-level site so it's clear where I'm referring to?
Please use the space designations as shown in the Cellar Floorplan. If that doesn't apply for some reason, please provide a detailed description so that we will be able to locate the corresponding site in your proposal.

What are the specifications for submitting JPEG files? How will they be viewed?
JPEGS must be named as follows:Lastname_Firstname_Number.jpg (example: Duchamp_Marcel_01.jpg). Images should be no larger than 800 pixels x 800 pixels, at 72 dpi. Images that are formatted incorrectly may not be reviewed. Images will be viewed both on a computer monitor and also projected through a video projector.

Can I submit a combination of past work and proposal images for my work samples?
Yes, whatever combination you like, up to 15 total images.

What spaces are available for proposals?
All of the lower-level project spaces, the exterior courtyard, and the building exterior are available for In Practice proposals. Other areas of the building and projects outside the confines of the building may also be considered.

May I submit a proposal for exhibition space A on the ground floor?
No, that space is not available for In Practice projects. The exception might be a temporary performance piece.

May I submit a proposal for exhibition space B on the ground floor?
No, that space is not available for In Practice projects. It is possible to build temporary walls in the lower level project spaces, but please keep in mind the site-specific nature of the open call.

May I submit a proposal for the SculptureCenter restrooms? What about the billboard?
The restrooms are open for proposals. SculptureCenter does not control the billboards and thus cannot guarantee their availability.

May I submit more than one proposal?
The panel will review one proposal from each artist or artist team.

May I specify alternate locations for my proposed project?
Yes.

Is the open call limited to New York based artists only?
Artists from anywhere in the world are encouraged to apply, although the budget does not provide for travel, housing, or accommodation costs.

Can I apply as part of a collaboration or artist team?
Yes. Please designate one mailing and email address.

What is the available lighting in the lower level?
All the lower-level project spaces have built-in fluorescent fixtures. Lower level lighting varies according to the specific project and is limited to temporary lighting solutions. There is no track lighting in the lower level galleries.

What are the dates of the In Practice exhibitions?
The exact exhibition dates have not been determined. We will be choosing artist projects beginning January 2011.

How long will I have to install?
Although the exact dates have not yet been determined, it is likely you will have two weeks to install, subject to discussion with the curator and staff.

What other exhibitions will be on view with the In Practice exhibitions?
Programming for the year ahead is still being determined. Most likely the In Practice exhibitions will be paired with a solo show by a mid-career artist in exhibition space A.

Floor Plans
Here you may download a printable version of the SculptureCenter floorplans. Please click on the link of the plan you would like to download. If you don't have one already, you will need a copy of the free Acrobat Reader. The below versions include written measurements, but may not be to scale. Section Looking North and Section Looking South floorplans include basement height measurements.

Ground Floor
Section Looking North
Section Looking South
Section Looking West
Cellar Floor