Application deadline: Tuesday, July 25, 2023, 11:59 PM

 

The Tacoma Arts Commission invites Tacoma artists and creatives, working in all artistic disciplines and mediums, to apply for the Tacoma Studio Tour and/or Arts at the Armory. You only need to fill out one application to be considered for either or both events.

 

About the Tacoma Studio Tour:

The Tacoma Studio Tour is an exciting opportunity to invite the public into your working studio or performance space, give demonstrations of how you make your work, or host a simple hands-on or interactive activity with the community. The emphasis of this tour is on raising visibility of artists and creatives and providing opportunities for the community to connect to the arts. Your working studio and/or a performance space must be located in Tacoma. A studio is defined as a location where artwork is created on a consistent basis. There is no fee to apply and/or participate in the Tacoma Studio Tour.
  
Studios will be open on Saturday & Sunday, October 14 & 15, 11 am – 5 pm. You can choose to be open on Saturday, Sunday, or both days. While not required, we encourage you to have work for sale; no commission will be taken on any sales and you will handle any sale of your work directly. The Tacoma Arts Commission will produce extensive electronic publicity materials including email communications, social media posts, and an interactive website and map. We will also produce a basic printed mailer for the Tacoma Studio Tour. Each participating artist and creative is required to actively promote the Tacoma Studio Tour to their own contacts; we will provide publicity materials for this use. 

This year, we will be continuing the Studio Tour Passport program as an incentive for people to visit new and/or multiple studios. Each studio space will receive a unique stamp to indicate guests’ attendance. You are encouraged, but not required, to donate a small art item that can be included in the prize packages.

About Arts at the Armory:

Arts at the Armory is an arts market for Tacoma-based artists and creatives who would like to share and/or sell their work with the community, side by side with other creatives, all under the roof of the Tacoma Armory. You are not required to provide a hands-on experience or demonstration at this event. There is no fee to apply and/or participate in Arts at the Armory.

The event will be held Saturday & Sunday, November 11 & 12, 11 am – 5 pm, inside the spacious Tacoma Armory (1001 S Yakima Ave, Tacoma). You can choose to participate on Saturday, Sunday, or both days. Participating artists and creatives will be assigned a maximum of a 10’x10’ space (table and chair provided, if requested in advance), where they can share/demonstrate their work and talk about their creative practice with the general public. 

While not required, we encourage you to have work for sale; no commission will be taken on any sales and you will handle any sale of your work directly. The Tacoma Arts Commission will produce extensive electronic publicity materials including email communications and social media posts, as well as a printed postcard for Arts at the Armory. Each participating artist and creative is required to actively promote Art at the Armory to their own contacts; we will provide publicity materials for this use. 

You will be responsible for setting up, being present, staffing, and tearing down your own space. All displays and set ups must be freestanding (no wall attachments allowed) and fit within the allotted space. You are not allowed to provide and/or sell food or beverages to the public, or have any open flames. 

 

Eligibility:

The following eligibility criteria applies for both the Tacoma Studio Tour and Arts at the Armory:

• You must live within the Tacoma city limits and/or your regular working studio or performance space must be located within the Tacoma city limits
• Your work must be created, performed, and/or handmade by you; not commercially acquired and/or appropriated

If applying for the Tacoma Studio Tour and you would like to be a guest at another artist’s studio location, the eligibility guidelines listed above still apply. Each artist or creative in a group studio needs to submit their own application, work samples, and artist statement.

Creatives and artists who identify as members of the Global Majority; Black, Brown, Indigenous, People of Color (BBIPOC); African, Latinx, Arab, Asian, Native-American (ALAANA) communities; economically or socio-economically marginalized communities; LGBTQIA+ communities, and people living with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Deadline for applications is Tuesday, July 25, 2023 by 11:59 pm. All applications will be reviewed by a sub-committee of the Tacoma Arts Commission and selected based on the quality of work and the overall variety of artistic disciplines and work represented. The Tacoma Studio Tour will also take into account geographic diversity of the studio locations. By applying for the Tacoma Studio Tour and/or Arts at the Armory, and if accepted, you are making a commitment to participate in the event(s), short of extreme life circumstances. 

Eligible artists and creatives interested in either of these opportunities must fill out the online application form and attach the following items via Submittable: https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit 

 

1. Five Work Samples
   • If working in visual art, upload 5 high quality JPEG files of your past work. If selected, we will use the images in promotional materials. Images must be at least 300 ppi resolution. Images smaller than 600 pixels per side are not recommended.
   • If working in performing or media arts, upload any combination of 5 video files and/or URLs. We also recommend submitting at least 1 JPEG image that can be used in promotional materials.
2. Artist Statement
   Submit a short (70 words or less) artist statement/bio which describes you and your work. This information will be used in promotional materials. Please write in the third person (using “she”, “he”, or "they" instead of “I”). We reserve the right to edit the text to fit the parameters of the promotional materials.

 

Questions? Contact Naomi Strom-Avila at (253) 591-5191 or nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org.

Application Deadline: June 7, 2023, 11:59 PM

 

Budget: $1,500 for 4 stamp designs

 

To Apply: Read the full Call to Artists for all details and apply at: https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit/262625/2023-concrete-stamps-safe-routes-to-school

Opportunity 

The City of Tacoma is seeking 3 artists to each design 4 digital artworks, which will be reproduced as large stamps to be applied to freshly poured concrete throughout the city. This project is designed to highlight the Tacoma Safe Routes to School (SRTS) partnership, which works to support and encourage students and families to safely walk and roll to school. This opportunity is open to visual artists living in the City of Tacoma. The final designs must be delivered as vector files. The City will pay for and manage stamp production and installation. Successful designs will spark joy, create visual interest, and be dynamic enough to capture the attention of those who walk and roll by. Artists will be selected based on past work only and should not submit design proposals in their application. Stamps will be installed at Safe Routes to School projects near Manitou Park, Whitman, Edison, and Birney Elementary Schools and Lincoln High School. In addition to these locations, final stamp designs may be installed in other areas of Tacoma as street improvements are completed. 

 

Eligibility

• Applicant must live in Tacoma, WA
• Applicant must be able to translate digital designs into vector files
• Applicant must be 18 years or older
• Applicant cannot be on the Tacoma Arts Commission or an employee of the City of Tacoma
• Applicant cannot have created concrete stamp designs for the City of Tacoma previously

Selection Criteria

• Artistic quality as exemplified in past work
• Ability to think and work in a graphic style
• Ability to deliver designs in a vector format
• Artists with a connection to one or more of the school sites where stamps will be installed will be prioritized (Manitou Park, Whitman, Edison, and Birney Elementary Schools; Lincoln High School)
• Artists will be selected as a “cohort” meant to represent a diversity of styles and perspectives

Timeline

• June 7, 2023, 11:59 PM - Applications Due
• June 23, 2023 - Notification of Artist Selection
• July 17, 2023 - Draft designs due
• July 31, 2023 - Final designs due as vector files
• August – October 2023 - Stamp production and installation

Submission Process: Submit the following items via Submittable (https://tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit/262625/2023-concrete-stamps-safe-routes-to-school)

1. Basic Information: Series of yes/no and multiple choice questions
2. Work Samples with Descriptions: Submit 5 digital images of past work with short descriptions.
3. Narrative Questions:
   a. Why are you interested in this opportunity, and how do you think your work will translate to concrete stamps? (250 words max).
   b. Anything else you want to tell us? If you have a connection to one or more of the school sites, please let us know (Manitou Park, Whitman, Edison, and Birney Elementary Schools; Lincoln High School) (250 words max).

Questions?

Contact Rebecca Solverson, rebecca.solverson@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5564

  

 

Photo credit: Installation of Chris Duenas' octopus medallion concrete stamp design

Workshop 1: Building Better Business Foundations Part I
Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at 6-8pm
If you have a business idea but are not sure where to start, this workshop will walk you through some of those first steps that are at the core of your business. In this 2 hour foundations workshop, we will explore your ‘why’, vision, mission, and values statements. Do you know the difference between knowing your ‘why’ and having a passion? It is very important for you to know the difference when we are talking about business. The vision, mission, and values statements form the foundation for all activities in an organization. These statements guide the behaviors of people in the organization. At the end of this workshop, you will have a clear understanding of these foundations…this is an interactive workshop, so bring your pencils! Pre-registration required. This is a hybrid workshop, register for address and zoom information at: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sc-irpzwuGtCqsHsPvNbse1Ox0i8icSQP

Workshop 2: Building Better Business Foundations Part II
Wednesday, July 12, 2021 at 6-7:30pm
In this 1.5 hour workshop, we will talk about the importance of market research for your product or service and how to collect that data. The purpose of Market Research is to verify market need. A business must understand who needs a product or service and why they need it. Learn about testing your product or service in the market and different ways you can conduct research. Pre-registration required. This is a hybrid workshop, register for address and zoom information at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsduyqpzwsEtefQT2nHdetYtB3lxE68o79

❓If you have questions about accessibility or workshop details, please contact Jennifer English (she/they) at JenniferE@tacomachamber.org.

Since 2021, the Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality has been collaborating with local organizations to provide free professional development workshops for Tacoma creatives, artists, creative workers, cultural workers, and arts advocates.

What is a Panel?

A panel is a group of individuals pulled together by staff to review applications or nominations for Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality managed programs or opportunities. Panel members use published review criteria to evaluate applications and make recommendations about who gets grant funding, public art projects, roster appointments, etc.

Panelists are selected for a variety of reasons which can include: their connection to community, knowledge of relevant subject matter, and the diversity of perspectives and experiences they bring to the group overall. For each opportunity, we assemble a unique panel of three to nine people to make collective recommendations about which applicants should receive funding or commissions through our office. Those recommendations generally go to the Tacoma Arts Commission or the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board for final approval.

Why be a Panelist?

The Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality (OACV) is deeply appreciative of the time and expertise community members invest in serving on panels. Serving on a panel is a proactive way to impact how public funds are spent in Tacoma, and panelists receive valuable professional development as well as insight into how the application review process works from the inside.

OACV provides panelists with free parking and food during meetings, in addition to offering a monetary stipend.

The length and number of meetings needed for a selection process vary based on the project. Depending on the application, some panels will require a small amount of prep work in advance, one to two hours, and some panels may require extensive reading and evaluation work in advance of the in-person panel meeting, anywhere from 10-50 hours. Community members will be offered a stipend for their service as follows:

• $50 – quarter day meeting (1 – 2 hours)
• $100 – half day meeting (3 ‐ 4 hours)
• $200 – full day meeting (6 – 9 hours)
• $100 – pre‐meeting work to digitally read and score applications (only when requested)

Members of a City‐appointed commission or board are volunteers and are not eligible to receive a stipend for their service on a panel. City of Tacoma employees and project staff are not eligible to receive a stipend for their service on a panel.

Submit a Panel Interest Form

Please complete the online form to be considered for a position on an upcoming OACV panel: www.surveymonkey.com/r/tacomapanels 

 

Staff will take into account many factors when putting together panels, and may not be able to use the services of all qualified individuals who submit. If an individual is offered a position on a panel but is unable to participate because of scheduling or conflict of interest, OACV will continue to consider them for future panels. Panel Interest Forms will be saved and reviewed periodically for up to three years from the submission date.

Questions

If you have questions, please contact Naomi Strom-Avila at nstrom-avila@cityoftacoma.org or (253) 591-5191.