2013 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Ceramic Artists 
The McKnight Artist Fellowships for Ceramic Artists Program is designed to strengthen and enhance Minnesota’s artistic community by providing recognition and direct financial support for mid-career ceramic artists. The Fellowships are intended to significantly advance the work of Minnesota ceramic artists whose work is of exceptional artistic merit, who have already proven their abilities, and are at a career stage that is beyond emerging. Two grants of $25,000 each will be awarded annually. Awards may be used for, but are not limited to, supplementing living or travel costs, purchasing materials and equipment, experimenting with new materials and techniques, and collaborating with other artists. Fellowship recipients will be featured in a catalogue and group exhibition at Northern Clay Center. Recipients are required to submit a final report at the end of the grant period.

This program is made possible by the generous support of The McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis

 

Eligibility

  • You must be a resident of Minnesota and have lived in the state for at least one year immediately prior to the application deadline.
  • You must retain residency in Minnesota until the end of the grant period (May of 2014).
  • You must be a ceramic artist. Your work may be either functional or sculptural in nature. Your work may incorporate other materials, but must be primarily ceramic.
  • You must have completed all formal academic training and may not be enrolled either full- or parttime in school.
  • You must provide evidence of your professional achievements over a period of at least five years, through inclusion in major regional or national museum or gallery exhibitions, or juried or invitational craft shows, or receipt of other awards, grants, or fellowships.

  • Your work must demonstrate a sustained level of accomplishment, commitment, and excellence.
  • You may apply to only one of the organizations per year offering fellowship grants that are supported by McKnight funds. In addition, no artist may receive more than $50,000 in McKnight support in any three-year period.
  • Artists who have previously received a McKnight Artist Fellowship award in any discipline cannot apply again until three years after the date of their award. (A 2012 award recipient cannot apply again until the 2015 grant cycle.)
  • Fellowship staff from any McKnight Artist Fellowship program are not eligible.
  • Northern Clay Center staff and board are not eligible, as well as immediate family members of Northern Clay Center staff.
  • Staff and board of The McKnight Foundation are not eligible, as well as immediate family members of foundation arts program staff.

 

Schedule

Completed application forms and application materials must be received at Northern Clay Center in hard copy by 5 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013. THIS IS NOT A POSTMARK DEADLINE. No faxed, emailed, or late applications will be accepted.

Applications will be reviewed by a three member panel, that will select recipients on the basis of perceived artistic excellence and demonstrated professional achievement, using artist statement as support material. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the selection process in May 2013.

For questions, contact Christian Novak at christiannovak@northernclaycenter.org or 612.339.8007 x305.

Application Process

You must submit the following materials. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
  • A completed application form.
  • A disc with 10 digital images and a printed copy of a corresponding image list. (Discs will not be returned.) Please do not display your name on the image. Images will be projected on the wall and viewed one at a time. Image files should be labeled with last name, first initial, and numbers, indicating your preferred viewing order (example: doej1.jpg). Do not include any other information in the filename. The image list must include artist name, date of work, dimensions of work, medium, and image orientation. Digital images must be saved as JPEG’s at 96 pixels per inch (ppi) and should not measure greater than 10 2/3 inches (or 1024 pixels) along the image’s longest dimension. For additional information regarding image size and format, please visit Submitting Digital Images.
  • A current resume (maximum of five 8 1/2” x 11” pages), with your name at the top of each page.
  • Two or three actual pieces of current work that correlate with the submitted slides. Please be sure to include a corresponding image list (see above format). Applicants are responsible for delivering or sending the work to NCC and for picking it up, or return shipping, after the review is complete. All materials to be reviewed by the panel must be received by the Center no later than April 19, 2013. Pieces can be picked up starting May 20, 2013.
  • Please do not staple or bind your application.

Download 2013 McKnight Fellowship Application Form (pdf).

2012 McKnight Fellowship Artists
Northern Clay Center congratulates the recipients of the 2012 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Ceramic Artists. Recipients of $25,000 fellowship awards for Minnesota artists are Brian Boldon and Ursula Hargens, both of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The two artists will present a joint lecture in early January 2013. As part of the grant, the Clay Center will present a group exhibition of the work completed during the McKnight Fellowship year.

This program, sponsored by The McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, reflects the Foundation's interest in supporting outstanding individual ceramic artists who have already proven their abilities and are at a career stage that is beyond emerging. This is the 13th year of the program. Two fellowship grants and four residency grants are awarded annually.