BRIClab: Contemporary Art
2021/22 BRIClab Contemporary Art resident Bahareh Khoshooee. Photo credit: Jordan Rathkopf.
BRIClab is a multi-disciplinary residency program created to advance opportunities for visual artists, performers, and media makers.
The BRIClab: Contemporary Art track offers visual artists space, feedback, and resources to develop and advance their practice. Artist applications are received through an open call and reviewed by a panel of curators, artist alumni, and BRIClab program managers. 3-5 artists will be selected for the residency.
This year’s open call is focused on artists whose practices embody and recognize interdependence and interconnectedness in process and/or product.
This theme is inspired by the work of disabled artists and activists. We envision this theme including but not limited to:
- Work that recognizes history or lineage.
- Work made in kinship, collaboration, or community.
- Practices that involve teaching, learning, and sharing.
- Processes that provide access in creative ways for audiences and viewers.
- Projects that make visible the often hidden networks of support and care that are essential for artistic creation.
The residency will culminate in a BRIC House exhibition of the same theme in Fall 2024, that will center the work of disabled artists and practices emerging from the field of disability artistry.
Applications for the 2023/2024 BRIClab: Contemporary Art residency are now closed.
RESIDENCY BENEFITS
- Rent-free studio space provided for 10 months at 20 Jay St. in DUMBO beginning in August 2023.
- A stipend of $2,500 for individual artists. For those applying as a collaborative or collective, please refer to our FAQ.
- A stipend for a peer advisor or artistic advisor chosen by the artist with relevance to your project (curator, academic, practitioner, etc).
- Studio visits with curatorial staff from BRIC as well as outside curators, academics, and practitioners.
- An Open Studio event during the residency period.
- Photographic documentation of the residency.
- Inclusion of work in an exhibition in Fall 2024. Additional honorarium and production budget will be allocated for the exhibition.
- A collaborative cohort with community-building opportunities, group critiques, access to BRIC networking opportunities, and workshops tailored to the cohort's interests and needs.
SPACES
- Five semi-private 150 square foot studios on the Mezzanine floor of 20 Jay St.
- Spaces have 3 walls: one permanent wall and two eight-foot partition walls. Two of the studios have large windows with natural light.
- In-studio kitchenette with water filter, hot water heater, fridge, and microwave.
- Shared slop sink in the hallway.
- Fluorescent lighting grid overhead.
- The commercial building has shared amenities for all tenants, including communal conference rooms, roof decks, Mother’s room, and bike storage. The space is equipped for high-speed data, and has air conditioning and heat.
- Accessible restrooms.
WHO SHOULD APPLY
You must be:
- An artist, 18 years or older.
- An individual artist, collaborative, or artist collective.*
- Not currently matriculated in an educational institution.
- Able to:
- Work both independently and collaboratively within the residency cohort.
- Commit to 1-2 hour monthly learning/feedback engagements with your cohort. (Artists may participate remotely. Events will be scheduled in the Eastern Time Zone with consideration to artists’ schedules.)
- Participate in 2 group critiques with the Contemporary Art cohort as well as 1 critique associated with the Video Art cohort.
- Present your work in progress during 2-3 studio visits with BRIC’s curatorial staff as well as occasional visits from outside curators, academics, and practitioners.
- Select and meet with a peer/artistic advisor for 11 hours in total during the 10-month residency.
- Participate in a weekend-long Open Studios event in Spring 2024 from 12-6pm.
- Prepare finalized work for documentation at the end of the residency.
- Not a previous BRIClab: Contemporary Art resident or BRICworkspace resident.
*1-2 lead artists should apply on behalf of their collaborative or artist collective. Please refer to the FAQ for more information on applying as a collaborative or artist collective.
We are interested in:
- Artists whose practices embody and recognize interdependence and interconnectedness in process and/or product and whose work is relevant to our diverse Brooklyn audience.
- Feasible residency goals that align with our facilities and technical resources.
- Emerging artists** who are able to work thoughtfully, have a solid plan of work, and are able to contextualize their proposed project within their practice.
**Emerging artists are at the beginning of their career and may be recent graduates of BFA or MFA programs. Emerging artists may have had solo exhibitions at smaller art spaces, participated in group exhibitions, and/or received some press recognition. Emerging artists are not artists who have had solo exhibitions at mid-size or major galleries or institutions or have received generous support through residencies, awards, and/or press.
ACCESSIBILITY
- BRIC is committed to accessibility and equity for disabled people in its programs.
- The studio has an accessible building entrance on Jay Street. The studios are located on the 2nd floor, Mezzanine level, and are accessible via two elevators.
- Artists can apply to participate in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid manner.
- Accessible Modes of Transportation to 20 Jay St.:
- Access-a-ride | Uber | Lyft
- Accessible Subway Stations
- Borough Hall 2, 3; 4, 5 Manhattan-bound only
- Bus
- B52, B69, B67, B25
- Finalists will have the opportunity to draft a Community Agreement for the residency cohort to address needs and requests regarding shared space use, guests, COVID-19, and other concerns.
- If you need assistance accessing any part of this application please contact Maria McCarthy at mmccarthy@bricartsmedia.org. If needed, applications can be completed in other formats (i.e. over the phone with BRIC staff, over email, or .doc file).
- Click here to download the application in a PDF format.
SELECTION PROCESS
BRIClab is prioritizing applications from disabled, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ artists, as part of BRIC’s ongoing commitment towards addressing systemic inequities in creative fields and industries, and as part of efforts to expand access for disabled artists, audiences, and staff. We interpret disability broadly and include neurodiversity, chronic illness, mental health disabilities, and invisible disabilities, as well as disabilities that affect mobility, sight, and hearing. No one will be asked to verify their disability in any way, and we understand disclosure can be a complicated and personal decision.
BRIClab review panels reflect BRIC’s values and artists, and will be inclusive of disabled, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ reviewers. Panels are made up of BRIC staff, alumni artists, and active participants in relevant fields. Evaluation will be based on how the goals of the proposed projects match up with resources available; relevant work samples; and the creation of diverse and representative cohorts. Artists will receive final word from BRIC by the end of June 2023.
BRICLAB FAQ
Congratulations to our 2022/2023 BRIClab: Contemporary Art residents: Ezra Benus, Naima Green, Banyi Huang, Madjeen Isaac, and Jenny Polak! Learn more about our artists-in-residence here.
Major support for BRIClab is provided by TD Charitable Foundation. Additional support for BRICLab: Performing Arts is provided by The Howard Gilman Foundation and Mertz Gilmore Foundation.
BRIC also benefits from generous private funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Con Edison, The Doris Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Harold and Colene Brown Family Foundation, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, M&T Charitable Foundation, The Robert Lehman Foundation, The Scherman Foundation, The Shubert Organization, Tiger Baron Foundation, and numerous individuals.
Public support for BRIC is provided by The Institute of Museum and Library Services, The National Endowment for the Arts, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Assemblymember Robert Carroll, State Senator Roxanne Persaud, and the New York City Council. BRIC’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
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