About ProjectArt
ProjectArt is a national award-winning arts education nonprofit that provides free, after-school art classes for underserved youth while supporting practicing artists through residencies. We partner with public libraries to activate spaces where artists teach, create, and engage communities. Our work addresses the growing opportunity gap in arts education, impacting over two million students who lack access to visual arts programs in their schools.
Over the past 14 years, we've served 315 artists, 64 libraries, and over 13,000 students nationwide through artist residencies and weekly, holistic art programming.
The Residency
The ProjectArt Teaching Artist Residency is designed for emerging, local visual artists who want to engage with youth, libraries and communities while expanding their artistic practice. Residents have a strong interest in developing career-building skills and connecting with a growing local and national network of artists. They are eager to learn through professional development opportunities and explore how public libraries can serve as a resource to inform and support their art-making. Above all, they possess a genuine, enthusiastic appreciation for teaching and mentorship.
This residency runs from August through May, culminating in a joint student and artist exhibition at a professional venue. It allows artists to refine their teaching practice, develop new work, and play a vital role in ProjectArt's mission to increase visual arts access to youth who need it most.
Commitments
A ProjectArt Resident's commitment is two-fold. The teaching component includes paid weekly classes, regular communication with staff, and some administrative responsibilities. The artistic development component provides a supportive framework to create new work for a professional exhibition, build career skills, and leverage the library as a resource throughout the 9-month residency.
Teaching
Weekly Classes
Facilitate 2-3 classes per week for youth ages 4-7, 8-12, and 13-18 years at an assigned public library branch over a 35-week period.
Schedule
Classes are generally after-school between Tuesdays and Thursdays, although they may vary.
AfterschoolHQ
Diligently use AfterSchoolHQ (AHQ), ProjectArt's student database platform, to monitor rosters and maintain accurate attendance records.
Curriculum
Develop a series of seven 3-6-week long projects aligned with ProjectArt's Curriculum Framework, following a designated timeline.
Administrative Tasks
Ensure timely completion of all administrative tasks, including curriculum development, weekly attendance tracking, and periodic submissions of:
- Class photos
- Student stories
- Student Surveys
Communication
Maintain proactive communication with the City Program Manager regarding all aspects of the residency, including classes and administrative tasks.
Student Exhibitions
Assist in preparing students for participation in the end-of-year library showcase and professional joint exhibition, incorporating class projects into final selections.
Individual Professionalism
Act as a dedicated representative of ProjectArt when engaging with students, families, library staff, donors, and the ProjectArt team. Maintain a solution-oriented, collaborative, and respectful approach in all interactions with supervisors.
Artistic Development
Art Practice
Sustain an ongoing artistic practice that consumes a minimum of 15 hours of work per month, while exploring how library spaces, resources, archives, and digital tools can inform and enrich art-making.
Studio Time
Submit and engage with documentation of your art practice on Discord through ProjectArt's Studio Time component, where residents share progress and exchange feedback while developing new work for the end-of-year exhibition.
Discord
Use ProjectArt's Discord as an active space for support, cohort engagement, tracking professional development webinar announcements, and studio time submissions.
Internal Artist Forums
Attendance and participation in Internal Artist Forums (IAFs) to present artistic and community-oriented achievements PechaKucha-style to the National Cohort/ProjectArt members, refine pitch delivery, receive designated feedback, and engage in discussions on their work and impact.
Exhibition
Begin with exploratory ideas that can evolve over time and ultimately culminate in work for the final exhibition. With guidance from ProjectArt staff and feedback from the national cohort—through Studio Time, Individual Artist Focus (IAF) sessions, and three city-wide check-ins beginning in the spring—residents are expected to develop a new body of work and participate in the exhibition.
Professional Development
Attend ongoing webinars: Strategic Planning, Jobs in the Arts (Building Your Career Toolkit), and Applying to Grants and Residencies. Hosted in partnership with New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).
Networking
Take part in local in-person and national virtual meetups (via Zoom and Discord Live) to build relationships with fellow resident artists, ProjectArt staff, alumni, and arts professionals.
Applicants who show genuine interest and a clear commitment to engaging with these residency offerings will be prioritized.
Partnered Libraries and Locations
Applicants may apply for the residency at one of the listed city library systems and select a preferred branch. Final placements will be based on availability, fit, and overall alignment with program needs: one artist per branch. Depending on the applicant pool, you may be assigned to an alternative branch upon selection.
Cincinnati Public Library Branches:
- West End
- Avondale
- Bond Hill
Benefits and Compensation
- Exhibition: End-of-year joint artist and student exhibition hosted at a professional venue, including a $500 materials honorarium and ongoing logistical, artistic support to create new work
- Teaching Rate: $75 per class ($60 for teaching + $15 for prep), bi-weekly payment processing
- Resources: Teaching supplies, comprehensive curriculum planning guides, open-ended support from program administrators, and priority access to exclusive library resources, equipment, archives. If desired, studio space can be explored as a possibility, depending on the library branch.
- Professional Development: Three pre-program training sessions, Internal Artist Forums (IAFs), New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) webinars, and Classroom Management support from professionals in Educational Psychology.
- Networking: Connection to the national art community of fellow residents, and local cohort meet ups.
Proposal and Interview Process
Timeline and Details
April 7: RFP Available for Viewing
April 22: Information Session
May 6: Applications Open
June 3: Applications Close
June 11: Interview Scheduling
We highly encourage applicants to join our upcoming Information Session on April 22nd at 6:30 PM.
During this session, you'll get:
- A first look at our new residency promotional video, featuring alumni interviews and behind-the-scenes classroom moments
- A walkthrough of the Request for Proposals (RFP)
- A 20-minute Q&A to get your questions answered
Proposal Guidance
Each year, ProjectArt selects new local artists of all backgrounds through a structured application and three-stage interview process designed to assess artistic practice, teaching abilities, technological capacity, and professionalism.
Strong applications will demonstrate thoughtful responses, a clear vision for the residency year, and careful attention to the guidelines below.
Ultimately, we seek Resident Artists who are both dedicated practitioners and socially engaged community members, with a genuine passion for working with youth.
Proposal Checklist
Personal Details
The application will first ask for basic information: your name, email, phone number, city, artist website (if applicable), links to your work online, and any relevant social media handles.
Resume
- Resume or CV
- 3 pages max
- Single PDF
Artist Statement
Submit an artist statement that covers the following criteria:
- What drives your art practice
- Your primary mediums and concepts
- Role of teaching and community in your artwork (if any)
- Minimum 200 words - max 500 words
- Single PDF
Portfolio
- 5 high-quality images of artwork made within the last five years
a. 1 image (minimum) from the past year
b. Image captions must include the title, medium, and year of each artwork
c. Optional: Artwork or series descriptions
- Single PDF
Essay Responses
Please respond to each of the following questions in a single PDF document. Number your responses to match the questions below and include each question above your corresponding answer:
1. Why is arts education important, and what do you want students to take away from your classes?
2. What is your library branch of choice? Tell us why you are interested in working within that neighborhood.
3. What role does empathy play in the classroom? Briefly share 1–2 ways you believe it can meaningfully impact diverse, young learners.
4. ProjectArt residents participate in a final exhibition that reflects the connection between their residency experience and their artmaking.
How do you imagine being a library's resident artist will influence or inform your art practice? Feel free to reference current or upcoming work to illustrate how this experience might shape your process, themes, mediums, etc.
5. Why is the ProjectArt Teaching Artist Residency a good fit for you at this stage in your career?
Please include any ongoing or upcoming projects and commitments that may overlap with or align with the
residency period (August 2025 – late May 2026).
- Single PDF
Guidelines
1. Essay responses: 150–350 words each
2. Submission: Compile all 4 PDFs into a zip folder, upload on the application's Proposal section..
3. File naming: [First Name] [Last Name] [Document Name] (e.g., Jane Smith Artist Statement).
4. Zip folder naming: Name as [CITY] [First Name] [Last Name] (e.g., New York Jane Smith).
5. Deadline: Upload to this application link by June 6, 11:59 PM.
All materials must be submitted in the specified formats to ensure consistency and ease of review
Interview Process
Stage 1: Initial Interview
Candidates with strong applications will be invited to a 30-45 minute Zoom or in-person discussion of their qualifications, experience, and interest in the residency.
Stage 2: Engagement Trial
Selected Stage 1 candidates will join a private Discord group for two weeks to connect with ProjectArt staff, explore program resources, and submit a 15-20 minute mock lesson plan— with plenty of support along the way.
Stage 3: Mock Lesson
Selected candidates will present their 15–20 minute mock lesson from Stage 2, teaching as if to youth (ages 4–7, 8–12, or 13–18). ProjectArt staff will participate as students, using the materials outlined in the lesson plan.
Final Decisions
A jury panel, in collaboration with ProjectArt staff, will review candidates' application, interview, engagement trial performance, mock lesson, and overall fit before making final cohort selections.
Offer letters will be sent between July 21 and July 31, 2025.
Eligibility Requirements
- Must have a strong portfolio and an active, ongoing artistic practice.
- Must be able to commit to the full program duration (August – May/June) and balance teaching and residency responsibilities.
- Legally authorized to work in the United States.
- Basic technological fluency with PDFs, email, Google Calendar, and the ability to use—or willingness to learn—Discord.
- Full-time graduate students should ensure that their coursework and commitments for both semesters will not conflict with ProjectArt's fixed residency schedule.
- Strong communication skills, reliability, and ability to engage effectively with a wide range of people, including youth, families, librarians, donors, their fellow artist cohort, and supervisors.
- A commitment to arts accessibility and enthusiasm for working within public library spaces.
- The ability to work independently while being proactive in communication and problem-solving.
- Possess strong interpersonal qualities that contribute to a supportive and engaging learning environment for youth, including:
- Patience, empathy, and adaptability
- Clear articulation and presence
- Warmth and attentiveness
- Organization and responsiveness
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience teaching or mentoring young artists (ages 4-18) in community-based programs, educational settings, or public institutions, or other age groups.
- Experience teaching in non-traditional learning environments.
- Experience developing arts curricula.
- If the candidate lacks teaching experience, they should demonstrate a strong interest in teaching and be prepared to explain what draws them to this opportunity.
- A strong interest in professional development, particularly in refining teaching methods, expanding community engagement, and developing career-building strategies.
- Familiarity with ProjectArt's mission and enthusiasm for contributing to its approach to arts education.
Next Steps
1. Submit Proposal
Applications Open: Tuesday, May 6th, 2025 at 10 AM
The ability to apply on this page will become available on the 6th.
2. Attend our Residency Information Session
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Registration is required. A recording of the session will be available afterward.
3. For any further questions, please contact:
Danielle Steele
Vice President
Lindsey Whittle
Residency Director
We thank you for your interest and look forward to reviewing your application!