I just got back from the Transcultural Exchange Conference on International Opportunities in the Arts and it was amazing! I wish you all could have gone and highly suggest that you invest in yourself two years from now and make it to the next conference. There were people representing residencies from all over the world (Egypt, South Africa, Italy, France, Denmark, Ghana, China, and just about everywhere else!), as well as representatives from DAAD in Germany, the Fulbright Program, Res Artis, Trans Artists and many others—not to mention all the artists, writers and musicians who came to listen to those of us who spoke on panels. It was a unique opportunity to ask all those grant foundations and residency directors questions and also hear about application tips that aren't often posted on their websites. All of the speakers were very generous with their time and information and I am grateful for their accessibility and inspiring talks. Above all, I am (and I'm sure many others are as well) grateful to Mary Sherman, Founder and Director of Transcultural Exchange. She did a super human job putting the conference together. There was a great spirit of good-will amongst us all and Mary was largely responsible for creating that atmosphere.
Anyway, I have several things to share about tips on applying for grants and residencies as well as my own talk on grant writing that I gave at the conference. So keep your eyes peeled for those postings in the coming days and/or weeks, depending on how quickly I can get that material up. In the meantime, lots of deadlines are coming up mid-April and mid-May for residencies in the U.S. and abroad, so check this site as well as Res Artis, Trans Artists and Alliance of Artists Communities for more indepth information on international residencies.
I am pretty busy the next six weeks but I will try to keep up with my blog as best I can. In the meantime, keep applying, keep making great art, and keep in touch. Don't forget to comment on anything and I'll respond. And if you feel like this blog has been helpful, keep it going by sending in a small donation. Or send me a pony. I like ponies a lot.