Opportunity

Seattle artist Su Job envisioned and endowed an annual, non-restricted grant of $3,000 for artists who have demonstrated a profound ability to challenge the limits of creative discourse and its effects on our society, pushing the artistic act beyond accepted limits, definitions, or purposes while engaging audiences outside the aesthetic industrial complex.

Artists or artist teams working in any media or discipline can apply for this grant. Su was interested in acknowledging persons who are committed to an artistic practice that connects with community and society. For example, that could mean the artist(s) is producing cutting-edge political performance and has taken that art experience into the streets and out of the gallery setting. It could also mean that the artist(s) exhibits their work commercially but always opens their studio to young people to share the joy of the creative process. Su also cared deeply for her neighborhood, and all applicants must demonstrate a meaningful connection to Pioneer Square. That connection can be achieved in many ways—for example, keeping a studio and/or living in the neighborhood or having created artwork that connects in a significant way with the area.

Background

Su was a woman of extraordinary energy and drive, fiercely dedicated to her art. Although she was very busy, she always made time for her friends, students and those she mentored. She had an intense curiosity about life and a bold intellect and believed totally in the power of art to shape community as well as individual lives. She also held that the value of art should transcend the buying and selling of objects. She believed deeply in the creative experience as a way of connecting with others, and that artists should take responsibility in their communities to stimulate ideas, conversation and change. Su worked hard as a teacher, business owner and community activist. This grant opportunity seeks artists with many of the same attributes and attitudes.

“Since the industrial revolution, the role of art in society has gone through profound changes, more than any other period in the history of civilization. When we examine the role of art in ancient cultures, its use in ritual and ceremony, the contrast is significant.

Over the course of Western history, institutions of power, both religious and state, have used art as a propaganda tool and vehicle to further their own agendas, which may in fact not serve the best interests of society. During the twentieth century, and especially with the advent of television, market forces completely subsumed the power of the image, and in a broader sense how all creative acts are perceived by society. Today, in ever more sophisticated ways, art is bound to consumer culture, and ultimately, a servant of the capitalist agenda.

The result of these developments is a profound disconnection in the lives of everyday people with the creative process, and the initial impetus for the creative act.

The purpose of this grant is to recognize an artist who incorporates the creative process into a life practice that diffuses the boundaries between professional activities, social responsibilities, and respect for the people that compose the community we all share.”
-Su Job, December, 2008

Learn more about Su Job: www.garboil.org

Eligibility

This grant opportunity is open to individual artists or artist teams working in any media and residing in King County. Residency in Pioneer Square is not required, but successful applicants will demonstrate a meaningful connection to the neighborhood. Members of artist teams must collaborate on a regular basis as evidenced by submitted work samples.

Artists/artists teams who have received 4Culture funding and commissions are welcome to apply. Past recipients of the Conductive Garboil Grant are not eligible to apply.

Selection Criteria

The artist or artist team will be selected based on the following criteria:

If you have questions or concerns, please contact:

Brennan Jernigan
brennan.jernigan@4culture.org
206-263-1587

Cath Brunner
cath.brunner@4culture.org
206-263-1596 

Selection Process

A five-member panel comprised of the 2016 Conductive Garboil Grant recipient, a Pioneer Square business owner and artists and who live and work in the neighborhood will review eligible applications and establish a shortlist of finalists. Panelists will then conduct studio visits with the finalists to determine the 2017 award recipient. The specific composition of the panel changes annually.

Timeline for Selection

*Applicants should be available in this timeframe in order to participate in a studio visit if selected as a finalist.

Applicants must submit the following materials via online application.

You can download a PDF of this call here.

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