Important Message
The Creative in Residence program is on hold until further notice while the museum is closed during COVID-19 precautions.
The Creative in Residence program creates opportunities for families and young children to observe and interact with creatives at the Children’s Museum!
Creative in Residence Overview
In 2019, the Children’s Museum (CM) hosted its first Creative in Residence since 2000. The Creative in Residence program creates opportunities for families and young children to observe, learn about and interact with emerging or professional creatives through open studios sessions, workshops, and planned activities. The Creative in Residence Program is open to all creative minds that work in various media including but not limited to painting, sculpture, installation, clay, textiles, digital media, and new technologies. The creative individual should be passionate about early childhood education and eager to share their skills with museum visitors and staff.
The Main Objectives of the Residency Are:
- Introduce young children and their caregivers to the endless possibilities of creating and investigating through open-ended projects.
- Reinforce the museum’s mission of learning through play.
- Reinforce CM’s Art Studio’s objective of fluid open-ended creating and thinking.
- Make the Creative’s work more accessible and visible to the public’s eye.
- Introduce the museum to creative avenues for programming such as creating new opportunities that support STEAM programming.
The Expectations of the Residency Are:
- To actively participate in the Residency from Saturday, May 16, 2020 through Saturday, June 13, 2020.
- Schedule open studio hours, workshops, and demonstrations at all four museum locations at least once during the residency.
- Create an engaging open-ended activity that aligns with the Creative’s work and process in which museum guests can actively participate.
- Create one work of art, an installation or an artifact that will be on permanent display at one of the four CM locations.
- Participate in all relevant staff training and briefings.
- Display artwork at all four CM locations.
- Participate in an art opening and the grand reveal of the permanent piece to be scheduled at the end of the residency.
- Complete a total of 50 hours of program time within regular museum hours during the month-long residency to include sessions at all four Children’s Museum locations for three or more scheduled hours at a time.
What the residency offers the creative:
- Access to the open studio during regular museum hours.
- The opportunity to implement a creative educational program around your interest.
- The opportunity to showcase your work and to create with museum visitors.
- A stipend of approximately $2,000 during the month-long residency.
- A materials stipend for supplies, to be agreed upon but not exceed $1,000.
Application Submission Instructions
Completed applications must be submitted via email. Work samples must also be submitted electronically, via email through a shareable Google Drive link. No paper applications will be accepted.
The deadline to submit a completed application is Tuesday, March 10. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Please submit completed CIR Applications to:
Cameron Booth
Art Exhibits and Programs Coordinator
creativeinresidence@ChildrensMuseumOfRichmond.org
(804) 474-4004
The Selection Process
Artist will be selected by a panel organized by the Children’s Museum of Richmond. Decisions will be based on proven experience working with children and families, artistic merit, proposed project or ideas and how they relate to the themes of arts, community, culture, identity, family, and play. The Museum encourages creativity and innovation; however, work must not require dangerous or toxic materials, heavy machinery or major construction. All artist will be notified after the selection process has concluded. The Children’s Museum of Richmond reserves the right to interview candidates and observe instruction before making a decision. Please note: Due to the sensitivity and requirements of working with children, artist must clear a background/criminal check prior to their residency acceptance.
Past Creatives
Nastassja Swift – Fall 2019
Nastassja was the Children’s Museum’s first Creative-In-Residence in nearly two decades, providing art workshops and demonstrations for families at all of our museum locations. Her sculptures, Tickled Pink, were made using traditional wool felting techniques to create a permanent art feature in the museum that encourages laughter and joy.
