2012 Artist In Residence Program at Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island announced

Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island and New Jersey City University (NJCU) are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2012 Artist-In-Residence program, which is for one month during the month of July. Three to six artists may be selected for the program. Artists may opt for a two-week, three-week or four-week residency.



Artists have had a long-standing impact on the formation, expansion, and direction of our national parks. Painters, writers, sculptors, musicians, composers and other performing artists draw upon the multifaceted quality of parks for inspiration. These artists translate the national park’s purpose as a place of learning and commemoration, of pleasure and preservation, into images that bring others enjoyment and a deeper understanding of the parks many Americans may never visit. The Artist-In-Residence program at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island continues this tradition.



This year’s program aspires to share with the public the scenic beauty and stories of Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island through the world of art. It is designed to allow the artists in residence to create a contemporary vision of this great national park, in its urban manifestation.



Professional visual artists chosen for residencies will have the opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while immersed in the inspiring resources of these two islands. Selected artists may choose to stay in campus housing at NJCU, which is located in Jersey City, N.J. They will also have use of studio space in the NJCU Visual Arts Building. Artists will have unparalleled access to the park’s resources, including the museum, library, oral histories, as well as the archives and extensive museum collections which are not normally accessible to visitors. As a result of this access and due to the icon status of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, artists chosen for the program will undergo a background check and be issued official park I.D.



For 2012, all or some of the works created during the residency may be displayed as part of the celebration of the Statue’s reopening in late 2012, both in the park and at NJCU. Those selected for the Artist-In-Residence program are asked to donate two original pieces of work — one to the park and one to the New Jersey City University Foundation, Inc.



No stipend is provided. Applications must be postmarked by May 21, 2012. To learn more about the Artist-In-Residence program at Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island and to download an application, please visit http://www.nps.gov/elis/2012-artist-in-residence.htm .