Aljira Emerge

Aljira Emerge is an artists’ career management program offered by Aljira in collaboration with Newark’s Gallery Aferro.




WINTER 2013

APPLICATION & GUIDELINES

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Deadline Extended! Application must be postmarked September 28, or hand-delivered to Aljira, September 29

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Solid career-building skills and opportunities to exhibit and present new work are essential to the artistic and professional development of today’s artist. Aljira Emerge is a strategic career management and exhibition program for emerging artists. Under the tutelage of experienced artists and professional coaches, Emerge artists learn how to manage their careers as arts professionals and develop a personal strategic plan. The program is designed to provide emerging artists with the resources to overcome obstacles, focus on goals, and move forward in their creative careers. Aljira Emerge attempts to address practical areas of concern to artists, such as curatorial practice, legal and financial issues, gallery representation, exhibition and public art opportunities, and marketing. The program culminates with a group exhibition and fully illustrated catalog.

Aljira Emerge was introduced in 1999 to train artists living and working in the New Jersey/New York metropolitan region to organize, plan, and sustain their careers and to provide an opportunity to show their work. This highly acclaimed program has proven to be a career- and life-changing experience for emerging artists.

Plan Ahead! If accepted into the program, you must commit to attending all of the scheduled workshops and talks.

The application process is competitive and the class is limited to 22 artists. The program meets bi-weekly on Saturdays at Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art in downtown Newark, New Jersey and off-site locations.


WINTER 2013 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:
Saturdays 9:30 am to 5 pm biweekly, January through April 2013

Providing a program of this nature and quality for emerging artists is costly. If accepted to the program, you will be asked to pay only 5% of the estimated cost of this program, or $350, as an investment in your career and a commitment to the program. We welcome all eligible artists to apply— limited, additional need-based financial assistance is available.

Deadline Extended! Application must be postmarked September 28, or hand-delivered to Aljira, September 29.

ELIGIBILITY:
Aljira Emerge is open to artists living and working in and around the greater New Jersey/New York City area, independent of age, gender, ethnicity, and nationality. Artists working in any medium or discipline, e.g. drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, installation, new media, sound-based or performance art, film/video art, or other art forms or interdisciplinary work, are encouraged to apply.

Emerge does not accept applications from:

• Commercial artists;
• Artists with exclusive commercial gallery representation;
• Emerge alumni;
• Artists enrolled in a college or degree- granting program or those participating in a similar career development program in 2012.

APPLICATION:

HOW TO APPLY IN SIX EASY STEPS
Please complete and sign the Application Form and include the following:

1. Current resume with exhibition history.
2. Statement describing your work (i.e., content, form and audience engagement), your professional goals, and how Emerge will help further your career (maximum 300 words).
3. A CD with eight .jpg images at 72dpi, no larger than 2mb, LABELED and NUMBERED with complete information as indicated below (SEE 4). Video clips of 2 minutes or less on DVD are also acceptable. DO NOT INCLUDE ORIGINAL WORKS.
4. A numbered image identification sheet on a separate piece of paper listing title, size, media, and date. Brief descriptions of the work may also be included on this page.
5. Self-addressed stamped envelope with correct postage if you wish the materials to be returned. ALJIRA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RETURNING MATERIALS WITH INSUFFICIENT POSTAGE.
6. $35 non-refundable APPLICATION FEE. Check or money order; no cash accepted. Payable to Aljira, Inc.

INCOMPLETE OR LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.

REVIEW & SELECTION PROCESS:
All applications are reviewed and evaluated, based on:

• Originality and quality of the artwork as demonstrated by the visual documentation submitted.
• Commitment to chosen profession as demonstrated in resume and statement
• Potential impact of the program on the artist’s professional growth and artistic development.

Artists are selected to participate in Aljira Emerge through a three-stage process:

STAGE #1:
August – September 2012
Aljira identifies prospective applicants by open call announcements, active solicitation by Aljira and Gallery Aferro, and recommendations by artists and arts professionals. After an initial review of all applicants’ materials, Aljira will invite as many as 40 artists to participate in a group interview with the Aljira Emerge selection committee.

STAGE #2:
October 2012
The artists selected from Stage 1 will participate in a group interview with the selection committee, made up of artists and arts professionals from the field of contemporary art. Artists will have an opportunity to discuss their work based on the materials submitted in their application and explain how the program will affect their professional development and advance their respective career goals.

STAGE #3:
November 2012
Based on review and evaluation criteria the selection committee will make the final selection of as many as 22 artists to participate in the Aljira Emerge11 program.

MAIL APPLICATION MATERIALS TO:
Aljira Emerge 11
Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art
591 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102-4403


DEADLINE:
ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY SEPTEMBER 28, 2012 OR DELIVERED TO ALJIRA BY 4 PM ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012.

Notifications of acceptance will be released in November

THE ALJIRA EMERGE11 PROGRAM BEGINS January 2013.