Applications Are Now Open for The
2011 Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists
DEADLINE: Friday, October 15, 2010
NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Project is pleased to announce a call for applications for the fifth year of our flagship Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists.
The 2011 Mentoring Program will pair approximately 20 emerging foreign-born artists with established artists from the 2010 NYFA Fellowship Program and the folk arts community. These artists will act as one-on-one mentors to their immigrant artist mentees for a period of six months, assisting them in gaining broader access to the New York cultural community by sharing ideas, advice, resources and experiences. Mentors will also guide mentees in achieving one or more specific goals such as composing an artist statement, researching potential venues for showing their work, or completing a grant application. This cycle’s Mentoring Program will take place from January to June of 2011.
Applicants are open to apply in the following artistic disciplines:
Choreography
Folk Perfoming Arts
Music Composition
Painting
Photography
Playwriting/Screenwriting
Video
In general, only artists who work in these disciplines are encouraged to apply; however, an applicant can make the case for working with a mentor in a different discipline.
This is a selective program that is free of charge to accepted participants. The first four cycles of the Mentoring Program were very successful with many participants citing advances in their careers and forming lasting bonds with their mentors and other participants. We look forward to seeing what new partnerships will take form through this year’s program.
We ask that you kindly forward this information to your colleagues, constituents and others who can take advantage of this opportunity.
Mentee applications are due Friday, October 15, 2010, with work samples postmarked by that date. For more detailed information on how to apply, please visit the Mentoring Program page on the NYFA website. Please carefully read the information in this mailing and on the Mentoring Program page before filling out the application.
We will also hold an Informational Session on how to apply to the Mentoring Program at NYFA on Thursday, September 30th, at 6pm. Please email to RSVP.
Eligibility: all applicants must meet the following criteria
Live within the New York Tri-State metropolitan area (NY, NJ, and CT), and are available to meet their mentor personally for a total of at least six hours and attend three group meetings in New York City over the course of the six month cycle (January–June 2011).
Were born outside of the U.S. (Those born in Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S territories may apply).
Attended at least K – 8 schooling outside the U.S.
Have been actively working and pursuing a career as an artist within the range of 1 -10 years in the U.S.
Identify one or more clear goals to accomplish over the course of the six-month mentorship.
Submit three work samples of recent work produced in the past two years.
Are NOT currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate degree program.
Expectations for Mentees
To set realistic goals achievable within a short term program.
To be responsible and take initiative in your own experience; “you will get out of the program what you put into it.”
To participate fully in a one-to-one relationship designed to facilitate personal and professional growth as a working artist.
Please contact the Immigrant Artist Project via email or call Karen Demavivas, IAP Program Officer, at (212) 366-6900 ext. 249, with any questions.
IAP Event Reminder
As part of its Cultural Community Events for Fall 2010, the Immigrant Artist Project is thrilled to collaborate with the Asian American Arts Alliance on “Produce It Yourself: Plays” a lively conversation about producing a play in NYC today. This event will be held tonight at 6:30pm at the Asian Americas Writer’s Workshop. General admission is $10 and only $8 for the mentee alumni of our flagship IAP Mentoring Program.
Funding Support
NYFA is grateful to the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation for their generous support of the Mentoring Program for Immigrant Artists.