Call for Artists: 2025 SFW Residency at the Kent Cultural Alliance

About the Open Call

The Kent Cultural Alliance (KCA) is excited to announce its 2025 SFW Resident Artist Program, inviting artists to apply for one of two six-week residency sessions in Chestertown, Maryland. A total of up to eight (8) artists will be selected through an application review conducted by KCA staff, board members, artists, and community partners. Launched in 2024, the SFW Resident Artist Program provides a live-in, work-in experience at the historic Mansfield/Eliasson House, now known as the Vincent & Leslie Prince Raimond Cultural Center. The cornerstone of this residency is Community Engagement. Artists will work with local nonprofit organizations and businesses under a common theme assigned to each residency session. The theme determines the community partners for each session and sets the parameters for the work. Artists will work closely with local organizations, learning about their missions and challenges, and will create work that amplifies their stories to engage broader audiences. Each artist will also lead a workshop at one of the five county public schools and participate in artist talks and open studio events throughout the residency. Residency Details: Spring 2025: March 23 – May 3 on the theme of FOOD in partnership with Modern Stone Age Kitchen, Red Acres Hydroponics, Crow Vineyard, and Nice Dairy. Fall 2025: September 28 – November 8 on the theme of HOME in partnership with Kent Attainable Housing, Rebuilding Together Kent County and the Shelter Alliance. Duration: Each session is six weeks long, accommodating up to four artists per session. (Note: This is an Artist Residency program; artists are expected to live on-site at the Raimond Center during the session.) Facilities: The Raimond Center offers four private en-suite bedrooms, common living area, a kitchen, dining space, and four small but private, and ventilated, art studios (approx. 9×9). Exhibition: Artists’ work will be exhibited in a 1,000 sq. ft. gallery for six weeks, following an opening reception held on the final Friday of each session. KCA will handle the return of artwork after the exhibit. While artists may sell their work, KCA does not act as a broker or take commissions on sales. Engagement: Artists will engage directly with the local community, creating projects that foster civic and social engagement. What will a typical six-week residency look like? Resident artists will be embedded with a local community organization during the first week of residency to learn about the mission and goals of the organization, so as to be inspired with ideas for creative projects which will engage a broader cross-section of the public in those goals and missions. Artists will then have five weeks to create finished, or significantly finished works which will be exhibited in the KCA gallery. During the working period, artists will make one in-school workshop presentation in one of seven local schools. Artists will also have one open studio day on a Saturday after the first three weeks – for public community access to the work and process. There will also be two or three (TBD) evening events where artists will present their past or present work to an invited audience of supporters and arts leaders in the region. Exhibits will open the Friday night of the last week of each residency and will run for four weeks. Artists are expected to attend the Opening and an Artist Talk the Saturday morning after the opening, travel should be booked for the Sunday of the final weekend of the residency. Location and History: The Kent Cultural Alliance operates on the unceded lands of the Tochwogh and Ozini people in what is now called Kent County, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The town offers a vibrant cultural scene with cafes, galleries, shops, restaurants, and a year-round Saturday morning farmers market, all within walking distance of the residency. Major cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia are within 90 miles, and the nearest airports are Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) and Philadelphia International (PHL). The Raimond Center is under consideration for listing as an “escape site” for the National Park Service’s Network to Freedom. It is prominently featured in the autobiography “Life of Isaac Mason as a Slave”, published in 1893. Mr. Mason was enslaved in this house by the Mansfield Family, from 1832 to 1846, and is memorialized in the Center’s lobby with a portrait by 2018 Resident Artist, Jason Patterson. Background: Beginning in late 2017 the Kent Cultural Alliance, with the help of the State of Maryland, the County of Kent and the Town of Chestertown, as well as dozens of generous donors, worked to save and renovate the historic building at 101 Spring Avenue, Chestertown. Built in 1799, moved one lot west around 1900, and significantly enlarged throughout the 20th Century, this building is nominated as an Escape Site on the National Parks Service Network to Freedom. On December 26, 1846, at the age of 24, Isaac Mason escaped this house and ran to freedom (according to his autobiography “Life of Isaac Mason as a Slave” published in Worcester, MA in 1893). A primary driver for the purchase and renovation of this building was the creation of space where artists can explore the intersection of art and civic engagement. The KCA is honored to have the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, The Maryland State Arts Council, The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority (Stories of the Chesapeake), The Mid-Shore Community Foundation, The Hedgelawn Foundation, and the SFW Foundation as we launch this new program.

What is Offered

Each selected artist will receive a $7,500 stipend for the six-week session. Travel reimbursement up to $1,000 is provided. Studio and gallery expense reimbursement up to $1,500 is provided. The residency also offers a live-in experience at the Raimond Cultural Center, including private en-suite bedrooms, common areas, studios, and an exhibition in a 1,000 sq. ft. gallery.

Requirements

Eligibility: Early- to mid-career artists from across the U.S. and abroad are welcome to apply. No current degree candidates. Accessibility: The Raimond Center is housed in a 225-year-old building that is fully accessible, with accommodations for individuals with disabilities, including an ADA compliant bedroom. Children, Families, Pets: The residency cannot accommodate children, families, or pets at this time. Applicants must submit a portfolio showcasing current work, a narrative statement (500 words or less) detailing the connection between past/current work and community engagement, and a narrative statement (500 words or less) on their choice of specific residency theme (Spring 2025: FOOD, Fall 2025: HOME).

How to Apply

Artists should submit: A portfolio showcasing current work (website or social media link preferred, or a Google Drive link to PDF documents). A narrative statement (500 words or less) detailing the connection between the artist’s past and current work and community engagement. A narrative statement (500 words or less) on the artist’s choice of the specific residency theme (Spring 2025: FOOD, Fall 2025: HOME). EMAIL the above application requirements to john@kentculture.org no later than December 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm EST.