The City of Ukiah is seeking applications from artists from any discipline for a potential Artist Residency Program, funded by the Upstate California Creative Corps grant program, that will generate public art throughout the community over a one-year span.

The City is preparing an application for these funds, but must first select artists to include in the application. If successful, funding will provide the selected artists a one-year art residency. The theme for the grant program is Community Cohesion and Empowerment and selected artists will be asked to work as part of an Art Residency Collaborative with a goal of producing individual works for public spaces using any medium that amplify one another and the theme.

According to Mayor Mari Rodin, “The Upstate California Creative Corps program offers the opportunity for us to beautify our City and provide paid work for artists while addressing issues of social exclusion and disparities in opportunities for marginalized communities.”

Although compensation for the selected residents will not be known until an award is made, it is hoped to be in the $15-$20,000 range per resident for the year; the number of artists selected will be based on the amount of funding awarded.

The residency program will run from May 22, 2023 – May 21, 2024.

FULL PDF with Application

This call for artists is open to all artists, 18 years of age or older, who live or work in the Upstate Region of the California Creative Corps representing nineteen counties to the north and east of Mendocino County with preference given to applicants based on their proximity to the City of Ukiah. The selection committee for Upstate California Creative Corps will be looking for artists representing various demographics and artistic disciplines. Story tellers or spoken word artists who can incorporate intergenerational learning into their art and to speak to the community about the project are encouraged to apply. All projects will be approved through the City of Ukiah’s Public Art Policy.

The Upstate California Creative Corps grant program, to be administered by the California Arts Council, will award through a competitive application process a total of $60 million to local governments from regions throughout the state for artist residencies. The funding is made possible by a statewide Creative Corps pilot program recommended by the Governor’s economic and jobs recovery task force.

Applications are available by contacting the City of Ukiah’s Director of Community Services, Neil Davis at ndavis@cityofukiah.com or on the City’s Community Services page at https://cityofukiah.com/community-services/
Shannon Riley, Deputy City Manager