Art professionals across disciplines provided feedback for Queer|Art|Mentorship applicants for the second annual Queer|Art Mock Panels.
Initiated in 2019, the Queer|Art|Pride Mock Panel series was launched to demystify the too often daunting application process, and prepare artists at varied stages in their careers to develop successful applications for arts opportunities. Inspired by and modeled on a “mock panel” format introduced to us by artist and educator LJ Roberts at the New School, Queer|Art’s Mock Panel series invites Queer|Art|Mentorship artists and current applicants to the program to receive dedicated feedback on various application materials from arts professionals who are recognized leaders in their field.
The 2020 Queer|Art|Pride Mock Panels convened a diverse and accomplished group of arts and cultural workers hailing from museums, performance venues, residencies, and media outlets and publishing houses to serve as reviewers on four separate panels organized by field of creative practice. Panel reviewers included Diya Vij and Janet Wong in Performance, Rajendra Roy and Lucy Mukerjee in Film, Phillip Picardi and William Johnson in Literature, and Legacy Russell and Sarah Workneh in Visual Art. Each panel was replete with insight: panelists shared helpful formatting guidelines and writing tips, and offered differing perspectives on how to best strengthen applications for residencies, fellowships, and further opportunities within the arts.
Portfolio reviews took place live via Zoom this year; panelists were allotted eight minutes to parse through statements, work samples, and CVs, and given two minutes to field follow-up questions from the artists whose work was being reviewed. The program was an invaluable opportunity for artists to get a sense of how jurors interpret their application materials and how best to present work for review.
Queer|Art Programs & Operations Assistant Dani Brito compiled some of the feedback our panelists had to offer this year:
Lead with your strongest work. Judges are likely assessing hundreds of applications on review day. Make sure to organize your work samples to present your best work first in order to stand out, as the time spent on each artist’s application can vary from juror to juror.
Your artist statement should tell your “story” as an artist. This is where you should elaborate on what your current practice looks like, how it has evolved over time, the frameworks you employ in your practice, and the artists and thinkers that may inspire your work. Communicate where your practice is headed whenever applicable. If you are in a transitional phase in your practice, try your best to articulate the questions and themes that guide your work generally, but refrain from telling reviewers how to “feel” about your work. Your statement should contextualize your practice but it should not direct responses to it.
Don’t assume that the judges have read a text or theoretical framework you’ve included in your statement. If you happen to refer to texts or authors in your artist statement, be sure to thoroughly explain how they inform your practice.
Contextualize your work samples wherever possible in an application. If an application provides room for work descriptions, take full advantage of the word count and be as specific as possible when elaborating on a project. Be as creative, expressive, and intentional in describing your work as you are in making it, and use it as a chance to enrich the judges’ understanding of your overall practice. Details like work dimensions, materials, titles, and dates provide invaluable context for interpreting your work. PS: Don’t forget about file names! Titling files clearly helps reviewers move through your application with ease.
For time based works, be meticulous about documentation. This year, our Visual Arts mock panelists Legacy Russell and Sarah Workneh had differing opinions on the inclusion of performance documentation and image stills when presenting time-based works. If you choose to include performance documentation, make sure the images you present are clear and high quality. For video works, refrain from including image stills of your work. If the application indicates a time limit, a shortened video clip of the piece can often be more engaging than an image still. Be intentional about how you select these clips; remember to lead with your best work! And within that, lead with the best depictions of your best work!
Don’t be afraid to showcase the range of your practice. The work samples you choose to include can be disparate and reflect the various mediums that you engage with in your practice; however, speak to this range in your artist statement. Your artist statement and work samples should have some cohesion in this way. Panelists should know what to expect from your work by reading your artist statement.
As you gear up to hit “submit”, remember that an application should illuminate your story as an artist. Use your artist statements, work samples, and descriptions as opportunities to render your practice in all its dynamic grandeur! Put your best foot forward by spotlighting the work you’re most proud of and that best represents the holistic nature of your practice. And reach out to friends, mentors, and loved ones to take a final glance at your application before submission; it always helps to have a fresh set of eyes review your words and images.
Good luck!
P.S. For more tips, read the blog post our former Queer|Art|Mentorship Facilitator, Kris Grey, published last year after our first-ever Mock Panels, "How To Sharpen Your Application Skills".
Image banner: 2019-2020 QAM Fellow María José Maldonado’s Workspace, featuring Chickenita