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.
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
- 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.
- 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.