The Guildhouse Collections Project
artists inside the State institutions
‘The work I produced for The Collections Project represents a major shift in my practice and exhibiting at the Art Gallery has been the most significant opportunity of my career to date. The response was also overwhelmingly positive and the project as a whole has given me confidence in my ability to move beyond the work I’ve established my practice on.’
Jason Sims, The Guildhouse Collections Project at the Art Gallery of South Australia, 2015
Guidelines
Overview
Flinders University Museum of Art
- Research within the European Print collection
- Responding works curated into a FUMA gallery exhibition
- Three artist recipient or artist team
- $7,500 artist fee (per artist or artist team)
The 2021 iteration of The Collections Project with Flinders University Museum of Art will see three independent artists or an artist team investigate FUMA’s European Print collection. Access to the collection and curatorial staff will occur from October 2021, with new work to be exhibited in a curated response at FUMA’s Bedford Park gallery as part of SALA Festival 2022. The exhibition will be accompanied by a printed catalogue, a suite of public programs, as well as digital documentation of the project, its creative processes and outcomes. Three artists will be invited to research and develop new work in parallel with each other, not necessarily in collaboration, which will allow for an in-depth and broad interpretation of the European Print collection.
Objectives
One of Guildhouse’s key objectives is to promote contemporary visual art, craft and design. The Guildhouse Collections Project provides a unique opportunity for Guildhouse to promote our members to broad, new and diverse audiences.
The core aims of the project are to:
- promote public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of visual art, craft and design
- provide economic and artistic opportunities for creative professionals
- offer professional development opportunities for visual art, craft and design practitioners
- develop new and diverse audiences for participants
About the European Print Collection
FUMA’s European Print Collection was established in 1966 by Robert Smith, then senior Lecturer in Fine Arts, initially as Study Collection to complement the courses in Fine Arts offered at Flinders University.
European prints between the 15th and 20th centuries were collected, with the earliest work being a page from the Nuremberg Chronicle from 1493. The prints were acquired to represent artists of contrasting periods, stylistic developments and modes of production as well as providing a historical context of printmaking.
The collection illustrates a continuous history of European art that covers periods from the Renaissance through to Modernism, with artists including Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, William Hogarth, Francisco de Goya, Honoré Daumier, Käthe Kollwitz, John Constable, JMW Turner, Marc Chagall and Pablo Picasso.
Further information will be available via an online conversation with FUMA and Guildhouse staff unpacking Frequently Asked Questions and providing more information on the European Print Collection.
Selected individual artists or artist teams will be paid a total fee of $7,5000 (ex. GST)
FUMA have a proud and active history of opening their extraordinary and diverse collections to contemporary artists. Importantly, these endeavors have proved significant professional development opportunities for emerging and established artists while activating FUMA’s collection in innovative new ways. FUMA staff have also benefited from working in close consort with contemporary artists, whose insights and resultant new works have helped open its visual art holdings to new audiences.
The selected artists will be hosted by FUMA provided access to its collection, supported by its staff in the research and development of new work and exposed to new audiences through the presentation of this work.
Scope of activity at the Flinders University Art Museum
The Guildhouse Collections Project 2021 at the Flinders University Art Museum (FUAM) will involve an artist/artist team, who will respond to the collection and produce new work for display that relates to an element of FUAM’s collection.
The project will commence in October 2021 for an August 2022 showing (as part of SALA).
The following activities will be undertaken by the selected artists / artist teams
Research, development and production of new work will be undertaken over an extended period. This will enable the selected artist/s to produce well considered, high quality creative outcomes that reflect their extensive engagement with FUMA. The activities undertaken during this period will include:
- consulting and interacting with specialist FUMA and Guildhouse staff
- accessing collections relevant to their area of interest
- developing and producing new work appropriate to their research
Both FUMA and Guildhouse feel it is essential that selected artists take full advantage of this research opportunity in order to produce innovative and complex work that thoroughly engages with their area of interest.
The Exhibition
The new work produced will be exhibited at the Flinders University Museum of Art, Bedford Park in an exhibition specifically curated to feature both works from the European Print Collection and new works made by the three research artists. The manner in which this new work is displayed will be negotiated between the artist and FUMA staff in consultation with Guildhouse.
Documentation
Guildhouse will commission professional documentation of the work and/or exhibition for the purpose of promoting the artist, their work and the program.
Public Programs
A program of artist talks and academic and community engagement activities will be developed in support of the program. These activities should relate to the ideas and creative processes associated with the project and be appropriate for Flinders University students and the wider community, with the primary aim of engaging visitors in activities that offer new insights into the University’s collection and fostering appreciation and understanding of the visual arts, craft and/or design.
Activity ideas may develop from the artist’s research, observation and/or creative practice and will be presented in negotiation with Guildhouse and FUMA staff.
Evaluation
Guildhouse will conduct an evaluation process of the project to gain important information about the success of the program outcomes. Participating artists will contribute to this process by producing a short report at the end of their project.
Project Dates
Monday 2 August – Applications open
Monday 13 September, 9am – Applications close
Mid October 2021 – Successful applicants notified
October 2021 – Successful applicants begin research
August 2022 – SALA presentation at FUMA, Bedford Park
How to Apply
Proposals must include:
- A completed application form, including your personal details, project details, a brief description of the project (30 words or less) and your preferred project period (if any).
- A project outline (maximum 1 page only at 11pt font), including a brief description of your practice, your motivation for applying to the project responding to FUMA’s European Print Collection. Please note, the project is intended to provide participants with the opportunity to undertake a period of research and development of new work and thus it is not anticipated that applications include details of the work to be produced.
- A current CV (maximum 2 pages)
- A PDF or PowerPoint of six (6) high quality images of recent work with artwork details, including title, date, medium and dimensions. (If applying as a team, four images per artist are allowed). *Applicants are asked to re-size their images to screen size before creating the PDF or PowerPoint.
Selection Process
Eligibility
- The Guildhouse Collections Project 2021 is open to artists/artist teams who are Guildhouse Accredited, Allied or Associate Members. For more information on becoming a Guildhouse Accredited or Associate member go to: http://guildhouse.org.au/membership/.
Selection Criteria
- Artistic Merit;
- Strength of research and project proposal, including your interest in working with FUMA;
- Potential for engaging FUMA students and visitors through visual art, craft and/or design
- Capacity to deliver the project proposal outcomes to a high standard of craftsmanship and in a professional manner.
Short Listing and Final Selection
- Proposals that best meet the selection criteria will be shortlisted by Guildhouse.
- Final selection will be made by a selection committee comprised of representatives of the Flinders University Museum of Art and Guildhouse.
- Short listed applicants will be required to attend a short interview with the selection committee. Times and dates to be advised.
- Successful artists will be notified by mid October 2021.
Artist Fees
- Selected individual artists or artist teams will be paid a total fee of $7,5000 (ex. GST).
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday 13 September 2021, 9am
Artists are strongly advised to discuss their proposals with Guildhouse staff before making an application.
Please ring the office on 8410 1822 or email debbie.pryor@guildhouse.org.au to make a time.
All enquiries regarding The Guildhouse Collections Project application process should be directed to Guildhouse.
Images (L-R): Ray Harris, Pyre (HD digital video still), 2020, photograph courtesy the artist.