Artist-in-Residence Program

A rendering of the future Palm Court  & Squadron Complex at the Great Park, which is scheduled to open this summer.

The Orange County Great Park has announced an online “open artist call” seeking public artists from all creative arenas to apply for the first Great Park Artist-in-Residence Program.  Four selected artists will be offered a stipend and studio space at a new studio, gallery and outdoor performance and event space called the Palm Court & Squadron Complex. 

Workers plant one of 54 palm trees to be included in the Palm Court  & Squadron Complex at the Great Park.

Resident Artists will be developing site-specific public projects showcasing visual, literary and performing arts.  The public will be able to witness the creative process and interact with artists during open studio hours.  The Artist-in-Residence Program debuts this July in two newly renovated former squadron buildings linked by a palm court. The buildings will also house the Great Park Gallery, and are a prominent feature of the Western Sector Park Development program.  Deadline to apply online is April 8, 2011, and applicants can visit www.ocgp.org for application information.

“With the initiation of the Artist in Residence Program we are delivering a significant new creative public space to the people of Orange County,” said Beth Krom, Chair of the Orange County Great Park Corporation.   “This program will foster innovative ideas of what a metropolitan park can be, bring the public into the artistic process, and help create unique experiences for all Park visitors.”

Palms are planted between two former squadron buildings at the Great Park, which will house artists' studios and an art gallery.

Artists will be chosen through a competitive and transparent selection process administered by Arts Orange County, the county’s officially designated local arts agency and state-local partner. A panel of public arts experts -- including Joseph Lewis III, Dean of the UCI School of Fine Arts and Sylvia Turner, a noted choreographer -- will review applications based on artistic quality, potential community impact, professional development and compliance with selection criteria.

The review panel will recommend artists for approval to the Great Park Board of Directors.  Selected artists will receive a $7,500 stipend.  The residency will conclude with submission of detailed plans for indoor and outdoor installations and/or a public event at the Great Park. 

Artists wishing to submit qualifications are invited to apply online by visiting www.ocgp.org.