Maine Media Book Artist in Residence

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY

The Maine Media Book Artist in Residence Program is open to emerging and practicing book artists, letterpress printers, and photographers combining word and image. The residency is designed to help the chosen artist complete their proposed project in an edition by providing studio space, funding, housing, and support of a curious, interdisciplinary arts community. 

The Book Artist in Residence has unlimited access to the Charles Altschul Book Arts studio, which includes two Vandercook presses (a Universal I and a Universal III), a tabletop platen press, a photopolymer plate maker, a Charles Brand etching press, and bindery equipment. There is a small selection of handset type. The studio has a mac computer and Epson P800 inkjet printer (a limited amount of ink may be available). The studio is also adjacent to our alternative process photography lab, a center of activity for students working with a wide range of historic techniques. The selected artist is an important part of the vibrant community of students and faculty at Maine Media, hosting open studio hours, demonstrations, and presenting one or more lectures about their work.

Maine Media Book Arts Studio

The residency includes a weekly stipend of $350 for the four-week residency, a materials and expense support of up to $500, meals on campus when the cafeteria is open(usually Monday – Friday), and living accommodations with a kitchen near our campus in Rockport, Maine in a luxury, ocean-view apartment above Barnswallow Books (https://www.facebook.com/barnswallowbooks/about). Dates of the residency are from Saturday, October 14 to Saturday, Nov 11, 2023. 

Selection is a two-step process outlined below. Submissions will be juried by a panel of artists and professionals in the field of book arts.  We would particularly welcome an artist whose project incorporates digital or analog photography with the printed word in an innovative book form. 

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send the following ELECTRONICALLY to the chair of the book arts program via email rsmith@mainemedia.edu, as a compressed folder labeled with the artist’s name:

  • Artist Statement and CV (.doc or .pdf format is preferred)
  • A one-page description of the project, including anticipated materials and studio equipment needs (.doc or .pdf format is preferred)
  • A materials budget (.doc or .pdf format is preferred)
  • Ten images of recent work labeled 1 through 10 with the artist’s name and a short title, (i.e. 1_JoeJones_Book Cover), along with a corresponding numbered list of short descriptions of the work(images should be 72 pixels per inch | 800 pixels on the longest side | jpeg format | Adobe RGB 1998 color space)

THE SELECTION PROCESS

Submissions will be juried by a panel of artists and professionals in the field of photography and book arts. A group of finalists from the first round of submissions will be asked to submit a maquette of their proposed book project to be received at Maine Media. Please note this is a quick turnaround and includes shipping time. The maquette should be an actual size representation, or, at minimum, two representational spreads with an example of how it will be bound. All applicants will then be notified of final decisions via email. Selection will be based on the proposed project and past work.

As an institution dedicated to interdisciplinary pursuits in the fields of photography, film, book arts, and writing, we encourage projects that combine artistic images with the printed word in innovative book forms. We ask that the recipient of the Book Artist in Residence donate two pieces from the edition to the Maine Media Gallery, one for our permanent collection and one to benefit our scholarship fund. The Book Artist in Residence will also be asked to give a public lecture on their work, in addition to hosting several open studio events for the community.

The deadline for first-round submissions is June 2, 2023.

  • Finalists will be notified by June 12, 2023, to submit a maquette/prototype.
  • Finalists’ Maquette/Prototypes are due to Maine Media by July 14, 2023.
  • The Resident(s) selected will be announced by July 28, 2023.
  • The 2023 Residency is from October 14 to November 11, 2023.

QUESTIONS?

Please feel free to email Richard Reitz Smith at rsmith@mainemedia.edu with any questions about this residency and/or the application process. Please email to give notice that you intend to submit an application is helpful; we can confirm receipt of your complete application.