Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is pleased to announce the opening of the free online application for the 2023 - 2024 Cycle (September 2023 – August 2024) of its Artist Residency Program. All artists working in craft media, including wood, glass, metal, fiber, and clay, as well as those who work at the intersection of contemporary craft and photography are encouraged to apply January 1 - March 1, 2023. 

What’s New?

- HCCC and Crafting the Future are offering a new funding opportunity for BIPOC craft artists (see below).
- It’s easier than ever for artists to apply!  Due to generous funding, the application process is free, and letters of recommendation are no longer required.
- Resident artists receive a $1,000 monthly stipend and numerous benefits, including 24/7 access to studio space, cultural and professional development, the opportunity to exhibit work and give an artist talk, and much more.
- Program details, requirements, and the online application can be found at: https://www.crafthouston.org/artists/residents/apply-to-program/

About the Artist Residency Program
For more than 20 years, HCCC’s artist residency program has offered time and space for craft artists to focus on their creative work and interact with the public. The program supports emerging, mid-career, and established artists working in all craft media. Each year, artists apply from throughout the U.S. and beyond, and eight-to-ten artists are selected for a three-to-twelve-month residency. The juried selection is based on quality of creative work, ability to interact with the public, career direction, and program diversity. Accepted artists will be notified via e-mail in May.

Residents are required to have their studios open for at least two days each week, giving visitors the unique opportunity to walk in, ask questions, and watch them work. This deeper level of interaction between artists and visitors allows the public to learn about a range of craft processes and techniques and helps artists to gain exposure, make connections within the Houston community, and educate people of all ages about craft. Applicants should consider the public facing nature of the residencies and the fact that a major goal of the program is to provide visitors with an opportunity to explore contemporary craft through engagement with working artists.

BIPOC Support Grant Provided by HCCC and Crafting the Future
HCCC and Crafting the Future (CTF) introduce a new funding opportunity to support Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) craft artists. Crafting the Future works to diversify the fields of art, craft, and design by connecting BIPOC artists with opportunities that will help them thrive. By banding together and pooling the resources of like-minded artists and art appreciators, CTF makes the changes they want to see in communities around the country.

Residents who identify as BIPOC can receive unrestricted funding in addition to their monthly honorarium. The additional support ranges from $500 to $1,000 and can be awarded as a one-time gift or on a scheduled monthly basis to support their practice. Artists who wish to apply should complete the “Support Grant” section on the online application.

Interdisciplinary Craft + Photography (ICP) Artist Residency
HCCC and Houston Center for Photography (HCP) are again offering a joint Interdisciplinary Craft + Photography (ICP) Artist Residency, a program designed for artists creating work at the intersection of contemporary craft and photography. This three-month residency supports artists with an experimental, multidisciplinary edge, who are testing the boundaries within both fields. ICP residents will be hosted in a studio space at HCCC and will receive all the benefits of regular HCCC resident artists.  In addition, from HCP, they will receive printing credits and access to the digital lab. Artists will participate in a joint artist talk and will be included in HCCC’s annual In Residence exhibition, as well as receive a feature in HCP’s spot magazine.

What Artists Are Saying
Two recent resident artists described what they found most valuable about the program:
Nicolle LaMere loved having her studio open to the public: “Witnessing the spark of wonder is the most exciting part of interacting with visitors to my studio. I use a wide variety of materials, some of which have been transformed in unexpected ways. I want people to enjoy my art, but I also want to enliven curiosity and wonder in their everyday experiences of the world around them.”

Kirstin Willders explained how HCCC’s residency allows artists to work independently in their studios but not in isolation: “We’re surrounded daily by our artist-colleagues, but also by other types of arts professionals – educators, administrative specialists, preparators, curators – that provide additional conversation and enhance the residency experience. That extra dialogue, I think, increases your momentum while also preventing you from getting tunnel vision.”  

Thanks to Artist Residency Program Funders
HCCC wishes to thank the Windgate Foundation, a longtime supporter, who recently established a $3.5 million legacy endowment fund to support the Center’s Artist Residency and Curatorial Fellowship Programs. The gift was made by the Windgate Foundation through Arkansas Community Foundation to establish the advised fund on behalf of HCCC and its programs. HCCC also is grateful for generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the John & Robyn Horn Foundation, the Susan Vaughan Foundation, and The Gordon A. Cain Foundation.

About Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft (HCCC) is a nonprofit visual arts center dedicated to advancing education about the process, product, and history of craft. HCCC has served as a treasured resource in the Houston arts community and the region for more than 20 years. The Center showcases emerging and acclaimed artists in exhibitions, introduces visitors of all ages to contemporary craft through hands-on and virtual programming, and supports the development of working artists through its artist residency program.

HCCC is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM. Closed major holidays. Holiday hours for 2022:  Closed November 24 – 26 for Thanksgiving holidays, December 15 for a staff and board retreat, and December 24 – 31 for winter holidays. Admission is free. Before visiting, the public should visit www.crafthouston.org to view the latest visitor guidelines. HCCC is located in the Museum District at 4848 Main Street, three blocks south of the Wheeler Ave. MetroRail station. Free parking is available directly behind the facility, off Rosedale and Travis Street.

HCCC is supported by individual donors and members and funded in part by The Brown Foundation; Houston Endowment, Inc.; the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance; Texas Commission on the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts, the Kinder Foundation; the Morgan Foundation; Windgate Charitable Foundation; and the Wortham Foundation. HCCC is a member of the Houston Museum District and the Midtown Arts District.

For more information, call 713-529-4848 or visit www.crafthouston.org. Find HCCC on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @CraftHouston.