About

Mission

QUEER|ART|MENTORSHIP was founded to develop an intergenerational and interdisciplinary network of support and shared knowledge for LGBTQ+ artists. The program nurtures exchange between artists at all levels of their careers, working against a social separation between generations and disciplines.

Structure

The program is a year in length. Fellows in Film, Performance, Literature, and Visual Art apply with a specific project they would like to work on during the program. Proposing a project is a way for Fellows to introduce themselves to Mentors, and working on that project in dialogue with a Mentor is a way to focus the development of the relationship. Keeping Queer|Art|Mentorship project-based also provides a manner by which to assess, and modify if necessary, the program’s long-term effectiveness in facilitating and supporting the actual creation of new work.

The program is largely driven by the unique character of each Mentor/Fellow pairing, organized through individual monthly meetings. Fellows also meet each month as a group in an environment that provides an opportunity for sharing ideas across disciplines and gathering further support among peers. The entire group of Mentor/Fellow pairs also convenes for two dinners throughout the cycle, hosted by Queer|Art. Throughout the year, Queer|Art staff engage in an ongoing dialogue with the Mentors and Fellows in an effort to ensure that the program best serves its participants. Further opportunities for ongoing career education and development will be sought out as the unique needs of each group of Fellows are assessed.



The program culminates with a public showcase in the format of an exhibition, live event, and accompanying publication—known as the QAM Annual—in which a manifestation of each Fellow’s practice and Mentorship project will be presented. While projects may be in-progress and do not need to be “finished” by the end of the program, participation in the QAM Annual provides structure for marking tangible progress as an outcome of the program.

History & Context

Queer|Art|Mentorship was born of a need to address the lack of support for queer content in a variety of cultural sectors and the scarcity of examples of sustainable careers for LGBTQ+ artists. A sensitivity to the absence of mentors who would have emerged from the generation most strongly affected by AIDS is also a palpable and driving force behind the program. The program launched in 2011.

Queer|Art|Mentorship aims to expand the perceived value of queer work and cultivate a collection of voices that amplify queer artistic experience. As New York City is a locus of creative capital in the US and abroad, the work encouraged by the program will radiate out and impact the broader culture as well. The program does not expect any kind of specific content in terms of artists’ work or how queerness manifests within and around it.

Who should apply?

Artists must be working at a generative level within at least one of the following fields:

• Film

• Literature

• Performance

• Visual Art

Queer|Art|Mentorship is for artists who are:

• Self-identified as queer, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, and/or intersex

• New York City-based for the full duration of the program cycle to which they are applying

• Early-career and professionally focused, with a body of work already behind them

• Not currently enrolled in school or university

• And have a specific project they’d like to work on with a Mentor during the 2019-2020 Mentorship cycle.

Most importantly, we are looking for artists who have an extraordinary potential for engagement in queer and artistic communities and would gain from, and add to, interaction with others.

Each Mentor chooses the Fellow they will be working with during the program. We encourage Mentors to look for artists who stand to receive maximum benefit from the resources of the program and bring diverse experiences and perspectives to the Queer|Art community.



What Is The Timeframe?



Applications open: June 1, 2020

Application deadline: August 1, 2020 (11:59 pm EST)

Program duration: October 2020 - October 2021 (13 months)

QAM Annual: November - December 2021



