FAQS

Please look through our FAQs to see if we covered questions you may have about Our Space or the artist call. If your question is not covered below, please contact us at ourspace@tcmediaalliance.org.

GENERAL OUR SPACE QUESTIONS

What is the purpose behind Our Space Is Spoken For?

Our Space Is Spoken For serves two major purposes. Our Space offers a way to preserve a creative record of who we are that disrupts people’s perceptions of both public art and public space, reclaiming them for the community. This work carries greater urgency, in light of displacement spurred by spiking rents and dwindling affordable housing stock across the Twin Cities (which disproportionately impacts marginalized communities).

Secondly, the Our Space process is also intentionally designed to activate more BIPOC artists within the public art realm. The cross-disciplinary and collaborative elements open possibilities for conceptually innovative storytelling. Our Space’s methods also open a pathway for these new ideas into public art, which is typically curated by city boards or fine arts institutions.

Why is this a Twin Cities Media Alliance (TCMA) project?

The core of TCMA’s work is to help develop bold storytellers who shed light on narratives often rendered invisible, ultimately centering the lived experiences of people on the margins and challenging what is perceived to be possible.

We do this through the media arts using an equity and justice lens. With that, we invest in storytelling in all its forms—including digital journalism, film, audio, public and visual art.

How long has Our Space been running?

This is the second year of Our Space Is Spoken For, and we hope many more will follow.

I’m not an artist, but Our Space sounds amazing. Are there other ways for me to be involved?

Yes, stay in touch on ways to get involved in Our Space, including attending the premiere screening, by subscribing to updates.

ARTIST CALL ENTRY QUESTIONS

When is the deadline to apply for the artist call?

The deadline is Monday, June 7, 2021, at 5:00pm.

How will artists be compensated?

Each artist selected will be paid an honorarium of $3,000 for their participation in Our Space for the project period. TCMA will cover all cost of project materials and consultation with a creative specialist within a budget to be announced at the Our Space artist orientation. Our Space artists will also receive professional video documentation of their performances.

How do you define “community or cultural connection” to St. Paul?

Our community and cultural connections manifest in a myriad of ways, from the food we eat, to the ways we travel, and people we love.

Perhaps you find places and faces that strongly reflect your own cultural identities, or you lived or worshiped in Saint Paul. Maybe you learned something about who you are, or began to unlock your artistic potential. Maybe you worked or volunteered there.

As an applicant, feel free to define these connections for yourself.

I am a BIPOC artist living in the Twin Cities metro area, but I don’t have a community/cultural connection to Saint Paul. Can I still apply?

Yes. BIPOC artists living anywhere in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties) are eligible to apply.

Can I apply again if I’ve been in the program already?

No, but this is not a long term no. At this time, we want to bring in new artists who have not participated in Our Space before. In future years, as the program evolves and progresses, we might open the program back up to past participants.

If I applied in the past, and didn’t get in, can I apply again?

Yes, please do! You would need to resubmit your application again. We recommend submitting new materials, but this is not required.

I am a white artist. Can I apply?

This artist opportunity is for BIPOC (Black/Indigenous/People of Color) artists.
If you would like to submit your name and skillset to be considered for our creative specialist roster–specialists who support the Our Space artists’ project vision in areas such as set and prop fabrication, lighting and sound design, movement, wardrobe, makeup and more–please email ourspace@tcmediaalliance.org.

Please note that inclusion on the roster does not guarantee selection for participation in the project.

How do you define “professional artist”?

Professional artists seek to make a career out of their work, and see their artistic practice as a career, not a hobby. If part of their livelihood does not already come from their art, that is a goal they aim to reach. Many professional artists might earn income from their work through private or public commissions, gallery exhibits, performances, fellowships, residencies, etc, and often have a professional platform, such as a website, social media accounts for their art.

What goes in an artist bio?

An artist bio is a brief, narrative explanation of yourself and your major activity as an artist to date. For your Our Space application, we ask for an artist bio that includes background info, artistic focus/recurring themes in your work, formal/informal education (schooling, apprenticeship, fellowships, residencies, mentorship, personal study etc), and any major artistic undertakings.

I don’t have professionally documented work samples. Will this reflect poorly on my application?

No, work samples will be reviewed for the quality of artistic content, not on how professionally it is documented. We understand that professional documentation is not accessible to all artists all of the time, so please don’t worry if your samples were taken with a phone instead of a professional camera. We’re just interested in seeing your best work!

I don’t have any video samples of my work, but I would still like to apply. What can I do?

Please reach out to Our Space Program Associate, Amelia at ourspace@tcmediaalliance.org to talk it through.

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