URBANA – The Urbana Free Library is looking for local artists to share their work and knowledge through the Artist in Residence program. Three artists will each have one month to share their work and guide the public through the creation of visual artwork that can range from painting to collage to yarn work. Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield spoke with Elaine Bearden, a program librarian at TUFL and one of the founders of the grant that supports the program, and Lauren Chambers, the library’s program and outreach manager, about what the applying artists and the public can expect.
Kimberly Schofield: Thank you both for joining us, Elaine. We’ll start with you. Where did this idea come from and how long has it been around?
Elaine Bearden: You know, the library has been working with Urbana Arts & Culture for a number of years to bring the Young Artist’s Studio to the public. And I thought it would be a pretty good idea to just have an artist in residence who could do some of that. Then we started talking among the staff. There was someone who wanted to start programming for seniors, and this past spring the library partnered with the CU Fab Lab and others in town to create a makerspace artist in residence. So that’s when that idea started to grow in popularity because we started getting more people involved.
Lauren Chambers: When Elaine brought this idea up, it just made so much sense because we’re hoping to get a diverse range of artists and different types, and then we can bring these different art forms to all ages in a way that allows the different age groups to really focus on their own abilities and make art projects that are appropriate for their age, rather than trying to make something that would be appropriate for all ages. So it was just a really exciting idea.
KS: How are the artists presented in the library?
EB: The idea is that over the course of the month we will involve the artist in some of the regular programs already running at the library, so that they create a project that can be completed within an hour and is appropriate for the age group it is designed for.
LC: Each artist would do a workshop, one for each age. But we’re also very keen to… we have a small exhibition space… and have the artists exhibit their own work in the library as well, so we can showcase some of the local talent as well.
KS: Is there a particular art form that would be well suited for this or not?
EB: The focus is on visual arts… projects that can be completed in one sitting, about an hour.
KS: Are the artists selected for “What’s Your Story” expected to take on some kind of teaching or educational role?
EB: Yes. The idea is that the artists themselves will lead the workshops. A member of the library staff will accompany the artists and help them distribute materials or get started on the project. We ask the artists to share their passion and skills with us and encourage people who may not have had the opportunity to do so.
LC: We’ve found that a program and a project becomes more impactful when we can connect people directly with an artist who has a wealth of expertise and knowledge and can really help them bring something to life in a way that might not be a good fit with my skills or Elaine’s. Don’t ask me to draw. I’m not good at that. But if we can connect them with someone who can, who is also almost a professional, that makes the work even more impactful and powerful for the community members who are also participating.
KS: The title of the project is intended to encourage artists to address the question “What is your story?” Where does the title come from and what do you hope to achieve from this specific question?
LC: That’s all, Elaine.
EB: Yeah, I think the idea was to help people connect with their own experiences, and to do it in the library, you know, using library resources and the skills and passion of an artist to help people tell their own stories. I think we live in a time where it’s really interesting to hear individual stories. And it’s also a very grounding process, in a time where there’s a lot of fear about the future… you know, being grounded by telling your own story and learning new physical processes to create art is a really fantastic way to do that.
Artists selected for the residency will receive a stipend of $800 and a budget for materials. The application deadline is Friday, August 15. If you have any questions, email [email protected].
