DOn Wright Scholarship

Call Open

Each year, St. Michael’s Printshop offers one emerging artist the Don Wright Printmaking Scholarship (DWS), to one emerging artist. The focus of the scholarship is to provide year-long access to the printshop for an emerging artist, as well as learning opportunities through mentorship and access to classes offered at the studio. The scholarship is designed to allow the scholar space, support and dedicated time to develop their practice. The DWS includes 24 hour access to the shop for one year, a stipend of $1500, introduction to an awesome arts community and an exhibition in our gallery at the end of the residency.

First awarded in 1991, the Don Wright Scholarship was established in recognition of visual artist Don Wright for the valuable contribution he made to the development of St. Michael’s Printshop and the visual arts in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Deadline: April 30th, 2024

Notification of results: Mid May 2024

All applicants will be notified of the outcome

Application Support:

See above video. If you have any questions please submit them to stmichaelsprintshop@gmail.com.

How To Apply:

St. Michael’s Printshop (SMP) accepts applications to our Don Wright Scholarship in multiple formats. Our preference is for artists to apply with the google form. Proposals can also be emailed to SMP in written, audio or video form, or pitched to SMP in the form of a zoom interview, which will be recorded for the jury.

Option #1

Written Application: Fill out the google form, and follow instructions on how to submit your support material.

*If you do not have a Gmail (to access the google form) please download a preview of the application form link) (and email us a separate written response as a doc (email: stmichaelsprintshop@gmail.com)

Option #2

To schedule a Zoom pitch:

Please contact SMP Executive Director Christeen Francis, at info@stmichaelsprintshop.com no later than April 10th, 2023 to schedule a date/time for a 10-minute pitch of your ideas. The zoom pitch meeting will take place no later than April 30th, 2024.

Please fill out this online form by April 30th, 2024.
For your Zoom pitch/presentation you will be required to answer the project proposal prompts supplied below
Maximum of 10 images/slides in your Zoom pitch
*If you do not have a Gmail (to access the google form) please download a preview of the application form link) (and email us your response as a separate doc (email: stmichaelsprintshop@gmail.com)

Project Proposal Questions & Prompts:

*indicates required

Project Summary* (50 words max) please provide a clear and concise overview of your project.
A detailed project proposal* (500 words max) that includes the following:
- a. What are the themes/ideas/interests you wish to explore during your residency?
- b. What are the processes/techniques you wish to use during your residency?
- c. What are the goals you have for your project beyond the time of the residency?
Artist Statement* (250 words max)
- What are the general themes/ideas/interests that you explore in your practice beyond the scope of the residency?
What is your experience working in shared spaces?* (150 words max)
- Note: SMP is a community-based space where you work alongside others! We share space, equipment, and support one another in our individual and group endeavours. If you have worked in a community-based space before, tell us about your experience! If you haven’t had a chance to work in a community-based space, what draws you to working in one?
Do you anticipate requiring any support from SMP in the execution of your project? If so please explain. (75 words max, optional)
Are there any accessibility requirements that SMP should be made aware of? Or, Is there any other information you wish to share to support your application? If so, please use this space. ? (150 words max, optional)
- Note: SMP has several physical accessibility barriers. The shop is located on the second floor of an old building without an elevator. If SMP can make adjustments to our space to make it more accessible and inclusive please let us know here.

Eligibility:

This program offers an emerging artist the opportunity to develop ideas and technical skills in a professional printmaking facility. One scholarship residency is offered each year. In order to qualify, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

Must reside in or near St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador, or be willing to relocate in order to maintain a consistent presence in the printshop for the duration of the scholarship.

SMP defines emerging artists as an individual who has recently undergone experience building opportunities towards being an artist. This includes:

Those who have recently graduated from a Fine Arts Program of study (major or minor in printmaking) in the last four years.
Those who have recently graduated from a Post-Secondary Diploma with a Fine Arts/printmaking focus in the last four years.
Those who have independently developed expertise and experience in printmaking without a formal education within the last six-eight years (first workshop, exhibition, or other defining moment as defined by the artist).
MFA students and graduates are not eligible for our Don Wright Scholarship (but please look into our Visiting Artist Residency Program)

All applicants must demonstrate technical competence in one or more print processes available at St. Michael’s and/or must demonstrate innovation in printmaking more broadly: About Page

Conditions of the Residency

The scholarship recipient agrees to:

Maintain a consistent presence in the shop for the one-year duration of the residency. Residencies typically start in October and run for 12 consecutive months.
Donate two prints from each edition* printed during the residency to St. Michael’s Printshop. One of these prints will be retained in the printshop’s archives, the other is used for fundraising purposes.

* We appreciate that not all contemporary print practices conform to traditional editions and in such instances, we can work out alternative arrangements.

Benefits of Scholarship:

Free membership and rent-free 24-hour access to the Printshop for 12 months
$1,500 Artist Fee
Free enrolment in SMP Workshops
Access to mentorship(s)
Exhibition in the SMP Gallery space at the end of the residency (Optional)
Option to teach workshops (artist fee provided) throughout the scholarship
SMP will provide letters of support to the recipient for applications to other funding sources

SMP Staff and the Programming Committee are committed to working with the successful applicant to support them to address their individual needs during the duration of the residency.

Additional information

If you have questions that aren’t answered here, feel free to contact St. Michael’s Printshop (email: stmichaelsprintshop@gmail.com). We will do our best to reply to all queries, but keep in mind that as the deadline approaches we may not have time to get back to you.

Studio Expectations:

The Don Wright scholar is required to familiarize themselves with the studio guidelines and to complete a mandatory studio orientation
The Don Wright scholar must be able to work independently
All artists are responsible for obtaining and using the personal safety equipment needed for the proper handling of materials (gloves, respirators, etc.)
The behaviour of artists must be in compliance with our (Code of Conduct link)
Year-long personal storage space is available for Don Wright scholars
St. Michael’s provides black and white inks, rags, solvents and chemistries to all studio users
Artists are responsible for their own plates, paper, coloured inks, drawing materials etc.

Relocating to St. John’s NL:

If you are in need of relocating to St. John’s please reach out well in advance of your residency and we will help you in any way that we can!

Jury process and considerations:

Jurying is done by the Programming Committee, which is made up of artists at different stages of their careers. We understand that the applicants come from diverse backgrounds and have different experience and skill levels in writing proposals as well as developing their work, and we take that into account in our consideration.

The jury considers these aspects of the applications:

Clarity of ideas
Image documentation
- High quality, well lit images of your work.
- Images do not necessarily have to relate to the proposed project, but they should highlight potential.
- You may also include sketches and works in progress related to the proposed project.
Feasibility of the project plan
- Please ensure that the project can be accomplished within the one year scholarship and that it is doable with the resources available at SMP.

The jury may select and interview a shortlist of potential applicants.