ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Torpedo Factory Art Center is opening applications on March 1 for artists seeking studio space as part of an annual jury and re-jury process.
An annual jury and re-jury process is part of the Torpedo Factory Factory Art Center vibrancy and sustainability plan adopted by Alexandria City Council. This is the first time re-jurying will occur for current artists in the art center’s 48-year history. Studios will be re-juried based on the time since the artist’s last jury.
About one-third of studios will be re-juried in 2022, and the remainder will be re-juried in the next two years. By the end of 2024, all resident artists will have been juried under this new process.
The group being re-juried in 2022 covers studios of artists last juried from 1973 to 2003. Applications will open March 1 with a submission deadline of April 19. The next group, who will be re-juried in 2023, were last juried from 2004 to 2017. The last group, who will be re-juried in 2024, were last juried from 2018 to 2021. Founding members who had a studio in 1974 and their studio occupants will not be required to re-jury and can receive renewable one-year leases for the duration of their tenure in the studio.
Artists whose applications are accepted receive a three-year lease of publicly subsidized rent of $16.88 per square foot annually. This rent covers art center costs and professional development opportunities, and the artists can sell their art with no commission taken out.
The artist selection process for studios includes three phases. Applicants will receive a score up to 100 total points in the three phases and must meet minimum scoring requirements to advance to the next phases.
The first phase includes the three jurors viewing only the submitted art and not knowing who the artists are. Jurors will look for “deliberately crafted artwork with an authentic and original point of view that reflects an awareness of current trends and aesthetics in the broader art world,” according to a news release.
In the second phase, jurors will look at applicants’ backgrounds, careers and how they have marketed themselves or their art. Jurors will look for applicants who can explain their art and want to engage with the public.
In the third phase, applicants will give presentations that are open to the public. Jurors will look for the applicants’ ability to communicate about their art and willingness to engage with the public. Once presentations are scheduled, they can be found at torpedofactory.org/events.
Jurors who will review artist applications are: Zoë Charlton, M.F.A., artist and professor of art at American University; Jaynelle Hazard, M.A., executive director and curator of Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art; Jack Rasmussen, Ph.D., director and curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center; and John Ruppert, M.F.A., artist and professor of art at the University of Maryland.
Artists over age 21 can apply as individuals or groups, either for a three-year lease as a resident artist or as a artist pro tem with the ability to sublease. The fee is $45 for new applicants. Instructional webinars will be held March 30 at noon and March 31 at 7 p.m. for new applicants to review the selection process with city staff.