Photo by Brad Wakoff | The Davis Sisters, Junk DrawerPhoto by Brad Wakoff | The Davis Sisters, Junk DrawerPlease note: The Run of the Mills Residency is no longer offered.
The Run of the Mills Residency supports art that defies categorization. This series provides resources to produce trans-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary projects for site-responsive, short duration exhibitions, performances, and events of all stripes at the Mills Gallery at BCA.
Artists take over the Mills Gallery for one week between exhibitions to experiment and create a new work. Generally, selected projects receive access to the empty gallery from Wednesday through Sunday. As a loose framework, each program should contemplate one or two public access points, of which one could be a performance and the other an additional performance, workshop, artist talk, gallery hours, other happening, or additional format that best serves the proposed project. This mini-lab offers artists the opportunity to experiment and share their work with the public in a unique setting. Run of the Mills series features artist-driven projects exploring elements as varied as written word, dance, video, cooking, fashion, and interactive sound elements.
The series is co-curated by the artistic programming team.
Eligibility:
- Run of the Mills is open to all New England-based visual, performing, and inter-disciplinary artists.
- Projects that blur the lines between the worlds of performance, interaction, sound, movement, and visual arts.
- Projects that weave together multiple art forms and engage new audiences will be given priority.
- Proposals that significantly vary from performance format are welcome.
Benefits:
BCA agrees to:
- $2000 artist stipend to be used at your discretion.
- $1000 reimbursement for approved project-related expenses.
- Access to Mills Gallery for five days during agreed upon hours (for up to eight hours per day — Sunday is typically reserved for de-installation and load out.).
- BCA staff support during artists’ working hours up to eight consecutive hours per day between 8am and 11pm.
- Licenses for one performance and 1 beer/wine reception.
- Inventory and a bartender for reception.
- Video or photography documentation of the performative event.
- Box Office and Marketing support.
- Cleaning and sanitization of the space.
- Access to gallery’s lighting system and a small basic PA system for amplification.
- Access to other BCA items such as tables, chairs, Marley flooring, etc.
Responsibilities:
Artists agree to:
- Create or further develop a site-responsive work over the course of 6 days.
- The proposed project should be performative and/or visual in nature and is meant to activate artists, audiences, and our spaces.
- Submit a detailed schedule to BCA four weeks prior to the start of the Residency.
- Attend pre-Residency meetings to discuss the proposed timeline as well as any technical, production and general Residency needs.
- Present a floor plan of use of space/ installation for BCA approval three weeks prior to the residency.
- Adherence to the Mills Gallery Rules and Regulations.
- Work with BCA staff and film crew to document the installation and/or performance in an agreed upon manner (including interviews, b-roll, etc.).
- Agree to collaborate withBCA to share the process and documentation with audiences.
- Limit the artists working to the same group for the duration on the residency.
- Follow BCA’s Covid-19 Guidelines including mask requirements, contact tracing, sanitization, social distancing, etc.
- Provide BCA with images, bio, and project concept descriptions that can be used to promote the artists and the work they are creating.
- Promote the Run of the Mills Residency in partnership with BCA marketing department.
- Strike the installation at the conclusion of the residency.
Upcoming Residency Sessions
There will be two sessions of Run of the Mills this season:
- March 8-13, 2022
- July 18-22, 2022
Past Residents:
Summer 2022 – The Shift Show, Emily Beattie, U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo, Rosa Weinberg, Akili Jamal Haynes
Spring 2022 – Grief Objects, Laila J. Franklin
Spring 2021 – Live Nude Girls, Julie Ann Otis
Spring 2020 – The Davis Sisters are Absolutely in Love All the Time, Always and Forever, The Davis Sisters
Fall 2019 – El despojo: ¿Alguien ha/Has Anyone?, Yara Liceaga-Rojas
Summer 2019 – Lavender, Audrey Harrer
Spring 2019 – Adobo-Fish-Sauce, Anthony Febo and Ricky Orng
Fall 2018 – The Weight of Inheritance, Lisa Crossman
Summer 2018 – Interstellar Sanctuary, Anna Wexler and Jesseca Ferguson
Spring 2018 – Rainbow Collapse, Anya Smolnikova and Jared Williams
Fall 2017 – Laboratory of Longings, Ani Liu
Spring 2017 – Sliver Foxes, Liz Roncka and Jason Sanford
Fall 2016 – Searching for a Phase Change, LaneCoArts
Spring 2016 – The Plastic Practitioner, Boring Angel
Fall 2015 – OFF GRID, Nate Tucker