New York private college offered 'Summer Arts BIPOC Residency' for artists
Alfred College offered a 4-week-long “Summer Arts BIPOC Residency” for students who received grants up to $2,500 for their participation in the program.
A private college in New York State offered a “Summer Arts BIPOC Residency” to students, prioritizing students of color and Indigenous students for the Residency.
Alfred University hosted the residency from June 24 to July 19 of this year, with the School of Art & Design and the Performing Arts Division at Alfred University’s BIPOC Artist-in-Residence program hosting the program.
In a description of the program, Alfred University cites that the program is meant for “early-career BIPOC artists” to have “space to dive deeply into their artistic research and practice.”
In the program’s described student eligibility for the program, students who are “mid-career artists who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color” were allowed to apply.
The program’s website states that it is an opportunity for artists to “participate in a fully funded workshop at the School of Art & Design” and to “interact with other local and visiting resident artists.”
Students who attended the residency for four weeks received a $2,500 grant to cover travel, meals, and supplies. In addition to this grant, students staying for 3 weeks received a $2,000, and students staying for 2 weeks received a $1,500 grant.
Students in the residency also received a “complimentary” housing accommodation, receiving a 1-bedroom housing accommodation with a “full kitchen and laundry facilities.”
Students who enrolled in the residency were also given the opportunity to exhibit or present inside of one of the school’s galleries or “performance spaces” following their time in the residencies.
To apply for the program, students were required to submit a portfolio of their work, a letter of interest, a project proposal for their time in the program, and a “personal/artist statement.”
The program also required students to be “fully vaccinated against COVID-19” where students were also required to show their “proof of vaccination in order to enter any building on campus.”
Campus Reform has covered other instances where programs have been held exclusively for students of color.
At Carleton College, “BIPOC” students were offered an exclusive mentorship program as a result of their identity.
Additionally, UW-Madison has been accused of anti-white discrimination on its campus, where in a civil rights complaint against the school, the school was accused of offering scholarships only to BIPOC students.
Campus Reform has contacted Alfred University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
