Bloom Residency
The 2023 Bloom Residency is the 3rd annual Artist-In-Residence opportunity at Chicago Printmakers Collaborative (CPC)! Awarded to a woman of color, one applicant will be chosen for this two week, project-based residency, culminating in the creation of a limited edition print with the support of CPC.
The 2023 cycle of the residency will take place between August 13th and August 27th. Applications for the 2023 Bloom Residency are due April 1, 2023. Recipients will be notified no later than May 15.
APPLY HERE!
ABOUT THE RESIDENCY
The 3rd annual 2023 Bloom Residency recipient will be provided with up to two weeks of 24/7 access to CPC’s professional print studio, a stipend of $500 to cover materials and assist with travel and lodging costs, and mentorship from CPC’s staff throughout the planning process. The 2023 cycle of the residency will take place between August 13th and August 27th and will culminate in the production of a limited edition, print-based work, to be published by CPC, and split between the artist and gallery. During this time, no events, exhibition openings, or classes will be taking place, allowing the resident ample uninterrupted working time in the studio alongside our staff, resident artists and studio members. All proceeds of the sale of CPC’s share of the edition will support future residency recipients! The CPC will promote the work of current and past Bloom Residency recipients on social media and on the CPC website.
This is a project based residency. It is a flexible and artist-driven opportunity, with each residency adapting to the unique goals of the individual artist. Women artists of color who are able to work independently on print processes in a printshop are encouraged to apply. Selected artists will submit a project proposal ahead of time which utilizes processes that they will be able to conduct independently. CPC will support the resident in ensuring the project is able to be successfully completed during the residency period and furthers the goals of the resident artist.
If you are a Chicago resident and are looking for an opportunity at CPC that provides more support and is less independent than this residency, consider applying to our Bloom Scholarship program! Open to a woman artist of color, the Bloom Scholarship awards one tuition to take a summer class at CPC to learn new processes or develop technical skills further. More information can be found here: https://chicagoprintmakers.com/bloom-scholarship/
PROJECT PROPOSAL
After the selected resident is notified of their acceptance, they will be asked to submit a project proposal of their choosing which utilizes processes that they will be able to conduct independently to create an edition. The project should be developed with the goal of completely finishing and editioning the prints at the CPC shop in the two week span before the resident leaves. The CPC staff will offer feedback and guidance on the project proposal prior to the beginning of the residency, working with the artist to make sure their proposed projects can be accommodated in the CPC print studio, along with other guidance that facilitates the feasibility of the edition. While medium-size works are encouraged, the content, appearance, design choices, and print processes used to create the work will be left at the discretion of the artist. Artists must have experience in the mediums they choose to pursue.
MATERIAL AND TRAVEL STIPEND
Residents are allotted one stipend of $500 dollars which should go towards the costs of consumable materials relating directly to their edition (paper, copper, lithography plates, etc.). The CPC does provide some materials and consumables, and offers a variety of printmaking processes. Read more about CPC print processes and equipment here. Well before the beginning of the residency, the CPC staff will inform the resident artist of what consumables the shop can provide after reviewing the project proposal. Any materials that the artist needs which CPC does not provide will be the responsibility of the artist to source and supply with the support of their stipend. The CPC is happy to work with artists who wish to ship their materials and tools to the studio ahead of their arrival.
Artists based outside of Chicago are also encouraged to submit an application. Please note that the CPC is unable to provide housing or transportation for Bloom recipients. The stipend provided can also be used at the discretion of the artist to help offset travel, lodging, and food expenses.
Applications for the 2023 Bloom Residency are due April 1, 2023.
**Please note, CPC supports all women artists of color, marginalized genders, and is trans affirmative.
Please email info@chicagoprintmakers.com with any questions or concerns!
2023 BLOOM RESIDENCY TIMELINE
Application Opens: March 1, 2023
Application Closes: April 1, 2023
Selected Resident is Notified: May 15, 2023
Resident Project Proposal is Due: July 1, 2023
Residency Takes Place: between August 13th and August 27th
ABOUT THE CHICAGO PRINTMAKERS COLLABORATIVE
Founded in 1989, The Chicago Printmakers Collaborative provides a studio for artists, printmakers, students, and the public to get excited about all things inky. Experienced printmakers further their practice with 24/7 keyed access to the workshop, while students learn and broaden their knowledge of printmaking media from CPC’s stellar roster of professional faculty. With facilities for intaglio, screen printing, lithography, relief, monotype, photo processes, and other traditional print media, the CPC offers a valuable resource in the Midwest, and is known worldwide.
Applications for the 2023 Bloom Residency will close April 1, 2o23!
HISTORY OF THE BLOOM RESIDENCY
The name of this residency was chosen by Octavia Ink, CPC’s inaugural resident. While at CPC, Ink chose to spend her time in the studio learning screenprinting to complement her prior experience in relief printing and illustration. Octavia’s Bloom Residency culminated with the published edition “Sister Rosetta Tharp”, a seven layer screen print (see below).
PAST BLOOM RESIDENT ARTISTS
The 2022 applicant pool was so strong that CPC ended up selecting TWO Bloom Residents. Chicago Printmakers Collaborative hosted Juana Estrada Hernandez and Alexandra Antoine as resident artists in 2022!
2022
Alexandra Antoine is an interdisciplinary visual artist and cultural apprentice based in Chicago, IL. Her work acknowledges the influences of her Haitian culture and interest in portraiture, food, farming and physical labor in traditional artistic practices of the African diaspora. She honors the different forms and functions of her work in the process of her vision coming into fruition. She received her BFA in Fine Arts and Arts Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.
Juana Estrada Hernández was born in Luis Moya, Zacatecas, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when she was seven years old. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas and her Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Estrada Hernandez is a recipient of the Southern Graphic Council International Graduate Fellowship Award, SITE Scholars Award, Center of Fine Arts Dean Travel Award, UNM Student Conference Award Program, and Ralph W. Douglas Endowed Memorial Scholarship. As an artist, Estrada Hernandez utilizes her experiences growing up in the United States as a young immigrant to create work that addresses social and political problems surrounding latinx migrant communities. Her creative practice stems from her love of drawing, Mexican folklore, pop-culture, Mexican culture, and her family’s migration stories.
2021
Octavia Ink, is a printmaker, illustrator, and graphic designer. Originally from Chicago and now located in Grand Rapids, she graduated from DePaul University with a BFA in Graphic Design. Also a local activist, she uses her artwork as fundraisers for marginalized groups. Through hosting art giveaways, she gives away pieces of artwork in return for donations to various local causes that aid those in the Grand Rapids community. She believes in art as a form of expression, using her art to represent those who are underrepresented while bringing social justice issues to the forefront. As an illustrator, she is driven and inspired by Black women. She set out to push forward those who are severely underrepresented and even excluded from the art industry. She wants to see women that look like her at the helm and reflects that in her art.
You can purchase “Sister Rosetta Tharpe” (shown here), the collaborative print Octavia made during her Bloom Residency, here.