Thompson Art Gallery Schedule

August 1st – September 6th
Maclaren Foster & Terri Bright: Photographing Paradise
Artist Reception, August 29th, 6:30-8:30pm

September 13th – October 17th
Xia Zhang: Safe Unsafe
Zoom Artist Reception, October 17th

October 25th – December 12th
Todd McDonald: Thresholds
Artist Reception, October 28th

January 23 – February 17th
Matt Baumgardner
Artist Reception, January 27th at 6:30 PM

February 27th – March 31st
True Inspiration Artist in Residence Show: TBD

April 14th – May 6th
Senior Art Exhibition
Artist Reception, April 14th

True Inspiration Artist-in-Residence Workshop TBD
Artist Talk: TBD
Workshop: TBD

24 Hr Project
January 20th-21st

True Inspiration Artist in Residency

The Art Department at Furman University invites applicants for the True Inspiration Artist in Residency, an artist in residence program inaugurated in 2015.

Applications for our next Artist in Residence are being accepted until Sept. 1, 2022.

The Artist in Residence program at Furman University awards one residency each academic year to an artist or designer interested in developing a body of work in collaboration with students and faculty at the University. While the length of residency is flexible, with a minimum of six weeks, we encourage artists to consider staying for a full semester term, and invite them to also teach an undergraduate foundations studio art course. If approved, the teaching artist or designer would receive additional compensation, according to current adjunct rates at the university. The residency culminates in a solo exhibition and presentation of the work produced over the residency period.

The True Inspiration Artist Residency is part of The Furman Advantage, a program that aims to build educational value through tailored student experiences. Through direct engagement and collaboration with practicing artists and designers, students gain valuable experiences that help shape their education. To witness and partake in the creation of a defined work from idea to realization is the centerpiece of the True Artist Residency.

Eligibility

This residency is open to emerging and professional artists or designers who reside in North America, and hold an MFA or have a record of equivalent professional achievement. The program recognizes the importance of interdisciplinary practices and welcomes artists and designers working in all media. Preference will be given to artists who live outside the upstate South Carolina region. Ideal candidates will value collaboration and have good social and communication skills. It is the goal of the True Residency to foster an atmosphere of creative activity that extends throughout the university community.

This cycle, the residency program is especially interested in artists and designers whose works engage with the themes of public health, social justice, and/or environmental sustainability. Furman University houses the Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities and the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, both of which present core opportunities for collaboration with the selected individual.

Compensation and Expectations

Resident artists will receive a $6,000 stipend for the residency. Additionally, the resident will be provided with a private 850 sq. ft. studio and 24-hr access to the Furman Art Department. Access to additional studios and equipment will be provided with demonstrated experience. If approved to teach a studio art course, the resident will be further compensated at the generous current university adjunct rate. Artists are responsible for their own food, housing, transportation, materials, and supplies.

Artist responsibilities:

• Create a body of work that will be exhibited and presented to the public at the culmination of the residency.
• The artist must give two student workshops and/or process talks during the term of the residency.
• The artist must maintain an ‘open studio’ during two Furman art gallery openings.
• The artist must be available (i.e. working in their studio) for informal interaction with students for a minimum of 20 hours per week. It is expected that the majority of these 20 hours be scheduled during the work week (weekdays, 9a-5p) so that resident artists are accessible to students.

Optional Programming

Additional compensation may be available to artists interested in teaching a foundations-level studio art course to supplement their residency stipend. This course can include a proposed community or public engagement project. If you would like to incorporate this into your stay, please complete the brief proposal form in your application. This proposal should include an overview of the course, its objectives, and one example of a student assignment.

Facilities

The Roe Art Building is comprised of five main studio spaces, spanning across multiple mediums including: ceramics, drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. With equipment supporting these disciplines, the residency welcomes artists and designers working in all mediums. With 24-hr access, resident artists are expected to understand that the studios are shared teaching spaces, with priority access for students.

Application Materials:
All Applications must be compiled into one PDF file and uploaded here.

• Statement of Intent that outlines your creative goals for the residency period
• Artist Statement
• Current CV with contact information. (mailing address, email, and website)
• Digital portfolio of 10-15 images of recent work
• Image List that includes titles, media, date completed and dimensions.

About the School

Furman University is a small liberal arts university located in Greenville, SC. With 2,500 on-campus students from across the nation, the university strives to support lifelong learners through inquiry, transformative experiences, and deep reflection. The Art Department has about 60 students majoring in art history or studio art, 7 full-time faculty, and classes that range in size from 12-24 students. Courses are offered in drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, graphic design, sculpture, printmaking and art history. The upstate South Carolina area is rapidly growing with a rich history rooted in the textile industry. The New York Times recently ranked Greenville #12 on their 52 Places to Go in 2017 and Condé Traveler readers named it among the top 5 small cities in 2021. Greenville has a vibrant and creative atmosphere, which is why so many creative industries have moved to the Greenville area.

Applications Due November 1, 2022 / Rolling Deadline

The Thompson Art Gallery invites established artists to submit a proposal for solo and group exhibitions during the 2023-24 academic year. Furman University is committed to addressing our community’s most pressing problems to create a more equitable and just society. The Institute for the Advancement of Community Health and the Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities, established in 2016 and 2020 respectively, represent this commitment. We are seeking exhibition proposals that explore themes related to public health or environmental consciousness and justice as part of Furman’s ongoing goal to bring awareness and inspire creative solutions to these pervasive social issues.

The exhibition space is approximately 900 square feet with exhibitions typically running between 4-6 weeks. Works in all media will be considered. The university will oversee artwork while it is on display in the Thompson Art Gallery. Shipping costs will be the responsibility of the artist. Small stipends are available for artists willing to give a gallery talk at a closing or opening reception.

You can find the gallery floor plan here.

To apply, please upload the following items as one PDF file to this Box link. Files should be labeled with your last name. (example: Last_First.pdf)

1. Exhibition Proposal that addresses:- Details for the exhibition, including major concepts, themes, intentions, materials, processes, and installation process.
   – Description of how your exhibition would address themes of public health and/or environmental consciousness and justice.
   – Availability and interest to deliver a public artist talk and/or student workshop.
2. 15-20 high quality images of proposed work (or similar) in one PDF file.
3. Image list with titles, dimensions, materials, year corresponding to your portfolio.
4. Artist Biography.
5. Current CV including contact information.

All complete applications that include the requested information will be reviewed. Notification of acceptance will be emailed by the end of the year.

For questions about this call, please contact Sarah Archino at sarah.archino@furman.edu for more information.