A core imperative of Indigo Arts Alliance is to build global communities by bringing together artists from diverse backgrounds of the African Diaspora to engage in their creative process, participate in arts enrichment programs and to serve as both mentors and mentees. An integral part of the vision is to provide artists of African descent who reside in Maine access to a broader range of practicing Black and Brown artists. In this way we facilitate working opportunities for critical feedback, relationship building and increased awareness of creative practices and resources. Selected artists offer and participate in public talks, symposiums and workshops increasing their visibility and disseminating intellectual discourse.
Indigo Arts Alliance mission is both local and global. We are specifically working with “Black and Brown” artists. African descent refers to people from all African nations, African-American, Afro-Latin, Caribbean. The geographic breadth of all the places where Africans were displaced as a result of the transatlantic slave trade. We describe “Brown” to include Native Americans, indigenous peoples, Latinx, South Asian, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim.
Ours is pioneering a residency concept that serves as an arts incubator with generous workspace and modern facilities enabling the creative work of visual artists across disciplines, performance artists, composers and writers. As the only organization of its kind in the North East region, Indigo fills the gap in representation left by other regional arts and cultural institutions.
IAA provides exposure for artists through its programs and connects them with a network of arts institutions, resources and opportunities. Its unique array of programs as well as those in partnership with other cultural and educational institutions allow Indigo to apply a strategic change model that considers both the long and short-term needs of its artists. These efforts provide greater visibility and develop strategies to address systemic barriers within the arts and cultural sector.
We select seven artists each year. The length/term of the residency is flexible and accommodates the counters of the individual artists. The length of the residency can be intermittent, with short visits throughout the calendar year or a single prolonged stay ranging for one to two months. IAA will provide living space and a stipend (2000.00) and supports round trip transportation costs to Portland.
The Studio
The IAA studio space is an arts incubator with generous workspace and modern facilities enabling the creative work of visual artists, performance artists, music composition, and creative writing. The resident will have 24-hour access to a flexible 3,000 square foot community studio in the new 4,000 square foot facility. The studio space contains basic furnishings, printmaking equipment, basic woodworking tools, a projector, wifi and can be easily transformed for work needs and public engagement events. The studio was purposely designed to be adjustable to oblige art-making. IAA, through collaborations with other creative/art spaces, could accommodate unique equipment needs. The facility also includes a kitchen. Provide us with an idea of particular needs that you require to accomplish your work (i.e. printmaking facilities, darkroom, weaving loom, etc.)
Due to COVID19 related travel restrictions, we are holding space for selected AIRs that needed to postpone to a later date. Therefore Fall 2021 slots are unavailable. We are currently in the nomination process for our 2022 Mentor Artists in Residence applicants and Mentee Artists in Residence applications will open in January 2022. Please revisit our website at that time. For more information or questions, please contact info@indigoartsalliance.me.
For any questions regarding applications please visit our FAQ page.
Application Overview
All applications are accepted via the IAA Submittable online system. Only completed applications will be reviewed.
- Artist Statement (Between 250-500 words)
- CV/Resume
- Work Examples
Work Examples
- You must attach 5- 10 images of work within three years (up to 5MB each).
- Writing samples (should not exceed 1,500 words, and submitted as a PDF file)
- Video work (should not exceed 10 minutes. Please provide MP3., MOV., files or links to Youtube, Vimeo, SoundCloud and other websites) (if submitted 250MB each).
Mentor Eligibility
- An essential element of the IAA residency is the mentoring of Maine artists of color. We consider mentoring to be a generative dialogic exchange between and among artists. What role has mentoring played in your development, and how might you see yourself as a mentor?
- We consider community engagement a vital part of the mission of the residency. This includes shared making practices, intellectual exchanges with the general public that increase understanding of diverse practices. Which could include artist talks, collaborative projects, and professional development. What role has community engagement played in your practice, and how would you wish to engage our community?
Mentee Eligibility
- How would being and working in a community with other BIPOC artists shape your creative practice?
- How might this experience support your development professionally and contribute to your growth as an artist?