A NEW residency program at The YES! House for artists in Southwest Minnesota.
Department of Public Transformation and The YES! House are now offering River Valley Ripple (RVR), a Southwest Minnesota (SWMN) Artist Residency program focused on uplifting and supporting emerging and established rural artists with time, space, and resources to further develop and/or expand their artistic practice. To be considered for the program artists must reside in the 18 counties of Southwestern Minnesota (map of the region here). The River Valley Ripple Artist Residency application is open to all artists and all disciplines, with priority given to Native, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), and LGBTQ2IA+ artists and culture bearers.
MEET THE 2024 RVR ARTISTS BELOW!
The 2024 RVR Artist Residency program provides a unique, close-to-home opportunity for 5 emerging and/or established artists to dedicate time to their practice, connect with a regional network of creative people and programs, and share their work with friends, family, and neighbors in a casual “artist salon” public showcase. Each participating artist will spend 1 to 3 weeks at The YES! House in Granite Falls, MN, where they will be provided with a living space, studio space, a welcome-to-town meal at a local establishment, a downtown walking tour, introductions to other artists, community partners, and local residents, and support in promoting and hosting an ‘artist salon’ public event. Residencies will be held between January–May 2024. Each participating artist will receive a $500 weekly stipend to support their cost of living during their residency and up to $150 for supplies and materials.
For additional program details and selection criteria, please visit the full Call for Artists and scroll down to see the FAQ section.
Introducing the 2024 River Valley Ripple Artists-in-Residence
I am a poet named Brian-Paco.
My pronouns are Brian and Paco or B-P. I appreciate when people say my name. As a resident of Marshall for most of my life, I am a known local presence that is either reading, writing, taking poetry requests, or sharing creativity with friends and fellow artists.
As an “in-the-world” poet, Brian-Paco muses in nearby bars and open mic spaces.
B-P goes out believing existence is better with art in experience, so people should create and release things, then appreciate relatable pieces. Coordinating with local creators to make, print, and cut self-published zines, Brian-Paco enjoys distributing them from a poetry bag.
Bringing poems into the daily lives of those lucky folks that reach into the satchel, Paco feels words, shut away and shelved, die too soon. Often, Brian reads aloud in public to individuals but also upon stages from Sioux Falls, South Dakota to a few regional Minnesota cities such as Marshall, New London and Granite Falls.
I am an emerging sculptor and metalsmith from the breathtaking state of Minnesota. The wonders of nature, combined with my fascination in folklore, compel me to bring components of and creatures from my imagination to life. I was raised on books filled with magic and dragons, monsters and daring escapes. Longing for such fantastic encounters in everyday life, I seek to actualize the imagined. Therefore, I create predominantly 3-dimensional art to command attention and conjure visions of ancient legends, carving a space for the mystic within the mundane. I studied Art & Design up at Northern Michigan University and have since been searching every crevice for the whimsical otherworldly!
I'm Betsy, a single mother of two boys, Dexter (20) and Carson (12). Originally from Illinois, I've called Minnesota my home for the past 13 years. After relocating here, I began to explore my musical style and started performing locally with other collaborators. As bandmates came and went, I worked at honing my unique style, aiming to perform solo eventually. I ventured into songwriting in early 2014 and have a small collection of songs that I'm eager to record. In my spare time since moving to Minnesota, I've taken up kayaking, discovering numerous natural treasures along the river. These discoveries have inspired me to create visual art that complements the themes found in my songs.
My name is Janel Guertin, I’m 23 years old and born and raised in Granite Falls. I work at the Rock Dinning & Events in town as a waitress and bartender. I grew up doing crafts and art projects with my mom and grandmas. Painting quickly became my favorite way to express myself and one day I decided to paint myself and my cats in cartoon style, it became my favorite thing to do! Now I spend most of my free time painting cats in a cartoon style and I’ve even started digital art of cats, hoping to make cat animations some day soon! I grew up always having a cat in life and I make friends with pretty much every cat I come across. I’m also known for rescuing stray cats and I’ve fostered a lot of cats through the shelter. I now have 6 cats and one dog so I have plenty of inspiration for my art!
Nicole Brenny is a multidisciplinary artist living in the prairie. She explores sharing her voice through music, filmmaking, DJing, electronic music production, visual arts, gardening & homemaking. She believes that art in its highest form can serve as a physical manifestation of what is within. So her artistic journey has been one of deep inner refinement to instill within all that can be thought of as true, good and beautiful. May peace prevail.
River Valley Ripple is a self-directed residency program for Southwest Minnesota artists, and it is a great fit for individuals who are ready to step further into their identity as an artist and are looking for space to balance their time, energy, and commitment to their artistic practice.
Who can apply? DoPT intentionally defines the term “artist” broadly. An artist is anyone who is creative, resourceful, inspired, and driven to collaborate across all sectors of public, private, and civic life. This includes mediums such as visual, performance, multimedia, literary, social/civic, culinary, land, traditional, folk, textile, and more. We mean culture bearers, craftspeople, artisans, hobbyists, contractors, and handypeople.
Selected artists will receive:
1 to 4 weeks of dedicated space and time at The YES! House to work on their artistic practice, skill development, or creative project(s) of their choice;
$500 weekly stipend during the duration of the residency (for 1, 2, 3, or 4 weeks);
A living space for the duration of the residency (one-bedroom apartment at The YES! House located at 726 Prentice St., Granite Falls, MN);
Space for working on projects: small office/studio area in the one-bedroom apartment, small shared space with laundry and utility sink, access to other areas in The YES! House, if/when available;
Please Note: Some areas of The YES! House are still active construction areas, and there may need to be some restrictions to certain spaces to accommodate construction work/timelines and/or safety. The main floor of The YES! House is a public gathering and event space, which will also be in use on occasion, specifically during open hours and community events. See FAQ for more information.
A welcome-to-town meal at a local establishment and a downtown walking tour;
Introductions to other artists, community partners, and local residents;
Staff support in promoting and hosting an ‘artist salon’ public event.
Selected artists will be expected to:
Be present for 1 to 4 weeks (as agreed upon by artist and DoPT upon offer) of onsite, self-directed residency time at The YES! House (with the understanding that offsite obligations and other work/family/life responsibilities may arise);
Provide their own travel to and from Granite Falls for the residency and during the time of the residency;
Participate in the planning and implementation of one public ‘artist salon’ event supported by DoPT staff. This can be in the form of an artist talk, meet and greet, works in progress, exhibition, performance, or other ideas agreed upon by the artist and DoPT staff.
Please read the full Call for Artists and scroll down on this page for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) before submitting an application. (It is highly recommended that you review the FAQ below before submitting an application or reaching out to program staff. You may find the answers you seek!)
Virtual Informational Session: River Valley Ripple Call for Artists
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
12–1 PM CST
Virtual session on Zoom; registration required
→ Click here to view the info session recording on YouTube.
→ Click here to view the info session presentation slides.
This virtual informational session will provides an overview of the River Valley Ripple (RVR) Artist Residency program and the Call for Artists application process.
TO APPLY: 2024 application process is complete. Please stay tuned for future opportunities.
Application due date (October 15, 2023 at 11:59 PM CST) has passed. Late applications will not be reviewed.
Questions or Comments: Please contact Luwaina Al-Otaibi, Community Engagement and Events Coordinator (The YES! House) at luwaina@publictransformation.org
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VIDEO APPLICATION GUIDELINES:
We also gladly accept video submissions if that is your preference. Be sure to answer all the questions from the application in your video response or your submission will be marked as incomplete!
Make sure you answer the questions in order and say which question you are answering.
Please limit your response to 3-4 minutes for each question.
Feel free to make the video on your cell phone, tablet, etc. We will be making decisions based on your answers, not the quality of the video.
You'll need to upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo and then share that with us. Make sure we have access to the video. (You can find instructions for creating a YouTube channel here. You can create a Vimeo account here.)
You will still need to fill out the form below with your information but can put "Video Response" to any narrative-focused questions.
After submitting your form, please email the video link to Luwaina at luwaina@publictransformation.org with the subject line “RVR 2023 - [YOUR NAME]"
This RVR Artist Residency is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please note that the FAQs may continue to be updated throughout the application process as we receive questions from applicants. If you have additional questions, please contact luwaina@publictransformation.org
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An early-stage or emerging artist has been actively creating their own artistic work outside of a degree-granting program for a period ranging from 2 to 7 years, regardless of whether or not they have formal training in art or consider themselves as artists. However, if an artist has been creating work for less than 2 years and wants an opportunity to step into their identity as an artist, this residency program is definitely open to that consideration and encourages you to apply!
An established artist has been creating work for over 7 years outside of a degree-granting program, regardless of formal training or the self-taught nature of your practice. This residency is also open to artists who are considering dabbling in a new medium (i.e. identify as a practicing visual artist but would like to focus on writing for this residency, etc.)
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We are offering residencies of one, two, three, or four weeks; artists can stay for as little as one week or as long as four weeks. You can specify your preferred length of residency in your application, and staff will work with you on scheduling your residency at a time and duration that works between the months of December 2023 and May 2024.
Please note: even if an applicant requests 3 or 4 weeks, we may need to invite you to shorten your residency to 1 or 2 weeks, depending on the availability of the space and other residency requests. We ask that applicants remain flexible in the duration of their residency, and we will do our best to accommodate.
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Up to $150 will be made available as reimbursements to selected artists, if supplies and materials are needed to complete your artistic goals for your residency. These reimbursements are not taxable if receipts are submitted for the expenses.
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These unrestricted funds ($500 per week) are up to you to spend as you like during your residency - food, gas, comfort, recreation, etc. This is a flexible stipend for you to use how you see fit. It is general compensation for your commitment to and participation in the program. DoPT does not need to know how you decide to spend this money; it can be spent or saved as you see fit!
The $500/week living stipend is considered taxable income and you will want to be sure to reserve a portion for taxes. (We can explain some basic best practices around preparing for taxes, but we recommend you reach out to a tax professional for official advice.)
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DoPT’s Community Engagement & Events Coordinator (CEEC) will work with you to schedule your residency. The CEEC will greet you to show you around your living and work spaces and will be your main point of contact during your residency. The CEEC will lead the walking tour and welcome dinner, and support your artist salon public event. Overall, this residency program is, for the most part, a self-directed residency and artists will be responsible for their time management, goal completion, and/or creative projects.
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Private, one-bedroom fully furnished apartment, full bath, full kitchen, small office/studio space (CLICK HERE to see design layout from architectural plans). Linens (sheets, bedding, towels, washcloths), cookware, dishware, appliances, and coffee pot are all included. Also available is a shared working space with a utility sink, microwave, and washer and dryer. The main floor of The YES! House will be available for the artist salon and upon request/when available.
Please Note: Sections of The YES! House are still active construction areas, and there may need to be some restrictions to certain spaces to accommodate construction work/timelines and/or safety. We will also continue to offer public events and open hours on the main floor during the residencies. These events and use of the space will be communicated with the artist, so they can plan accordingly.
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The YES! House apartments are not accessible by wheelchair; however, if an artist has any accessibility requirements or requests, we will do our best to accommodate. Please specify accessibility needs in the application.
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The CEEC will work with you to design this event where you will share your work or artistic process with the public. This could be in the form of an artist talk, workshop, presentation, exhibition, works-in-progress performance, reading, or other creative format. This can be done at any time during your residency.
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No, you do not need to have a project in mind! You can use this time to work on your artistic growth, website, business plan, networking, finishing existing work, ideating on new work, and any other projects that help increase your artistic growth.
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The selection committee would consider ensembles, but this residency is designed for individuals, as we are only able to offer $500 weekly and only able to offer a one-bedroom apartment.
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Absolutely! And, you can keep 100% of the proceeds. We encourage you to share your art and grow your audience as a part of your residency!
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Yes! As long as it works for you all to stay in a one-bedroom apartment together!
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If your pet is a support/service animal - yes! Otherwise, we ask that you try to find alternative accommodations for your furry friend(s)… However, we do not want this to be a hindrance to your artistic growth. If you cannot find other pet care during your residency, we may be able to accommodate and/or assist on a case by case basis. Being that many artists share this space over time, we need to take into consideration wear and tear on the apartments and potential allergies of other artists selected for the program. In your application, please let us know your requests and we will see what arrangements we can help you with!
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BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous, and people of color. It is pronounced “bye-pock,” and is a term specific to the United States, intended to center the experiences of Black and Indigenous groups and demonstrate solidarity between communities of color. This term is also complicated because it may incorrectly imply that the experiences of all non-white people are the same. It can be a useful term when specificity is not available; however, using precise and appropriate cultural identity terminology whenever possible is preferred.
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LGBTQ2IA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirit, Intersex, Asexual, and other identities that fall outside of cisgender and heterosexual paradigms. This terminology describes some sexual orientations and some gender identities; however, these are separate concepts. Learn more at genderbread.org
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A core value for the work we do is intentionally providing intergenerational opportunities for women, non-binary people, LGBTQ2IA+, New American, and BIPOC and Native community members to work towards equal representation in artistic and civic leadership. Through the RVR Artist Residency Program, we are working to support the artistic growth of Native, BIPOC, and LGBTQ2IA+ artists because these identities have historically been marginalized, underrepresented, and/or under-resourced.
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DoPT intentionally defines the term “artist” broadly. An artist is anyone who is creative, resourceful, inspired, and driven to collaborate across all sectors of public, private, and civic life. This includes mediums such as visual, performance, multimedia, literary, social/ civic, culinary, land, traditional, folk, textile, and more. We mean culture bearers, craftspeople, artisans, hobbyists, contractors, and handypeople.
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Yes! Conceptual, behavioral, performance, social, civic, traditional, cultural, way-of-life, etc. All art forms are considered.