The Nueva Luz Study Center Commissioning Fund 2024

Application Opens: Wednesday, May 31, 2023 | 12:00AM

Deadline: Wednesday, July 26, 2023 | 11:59PM

The commission recipients will be announced in September 2023

Description:

En Foco is embarking on a new initiative, commissioning three artists to create new work using the Nueva Luz Study Center as a catalyst to explore historical contexts, artists, and themes from a contemporary point of view. We seek to fund proposals that inspire and re-contextualize artworks, themes, and issues contained or referenced within the archives and propel the original compositions into exciting directions that inform audiences anew and add to our long-lasting legacy of excellence in the arts.

First published in 1985, Nueva Luz is produced twice annually and highlights the work of contemporary photographers with essays by fellow cultural writers. Nueva Luz is a valuable cultural, social, and political document—an evolution of voices from diverse backgrounds that is used by artists, gallerists, curators, academics, activists, and social historians. The Nueva Luz Study Center has been formed to make the digital archives more accessible and activates the material through programming.

Nueva Luz Study Center Digital Archive comprises:

75 issues of Nueva Luz from 1985 – Present
Features the work of over 500 artists, writers and curators
Contains “Critical Mass” sections from 1997 to 2009 that set the context with additional commentary
Highlights Photography Fellowship and Media Arts Fund artists

We are open to projects that take varied forms and we encourage all artists including visual artists, choreographers, composers, poets, curators, activists, etc. who reside in New York State. The final project will be published in the fall issue of Nueva Luz, and will become part of the Nueva Luz Study Center and it’s digital archives. The Nueva Luz Commission Fund is En Foco’s new funding source for artists that adds to existing Fellowship and Media Arts Fund programs and previous New Works artists from 1996 to 2007.

Eligibility

Who Can Apply

We encourage all artists of any discipline including visual artists, choreographers, composers, poets, and curators or activists who reside in New York State. The final project will be included in Nueva Luz in print and digital.
We seek archivists, photographers, sculptors, writers, new media artists, dancers, actors, playwrights, musicians, filmmakers, fashion designers, craft artists, podcasters, poets, DJ’s, muralists, graphic artist, installation artists, sound artists, graphic designers, multimedia visual artists and more may apply.
Collaborating artists are eligible to apply, but only one artist can submit the application.
Must be a New York State resident and must show proof of residency.
Must be at least 18 years of age.

Who Can Not Apply

Graduate or Undergraduate students matriculated in an arts or related degree program at the time of application submission.
En Foco’s Board members and staff are ineligible to apply.
2023 Fellowship and Media Arts recipients may not apply this year.

Submission Requirements

Create or use an existing account with submittable.com
A written description of your intended project (Minimum of 300 words) and how it involves or relates to the Nueva Luz Study Center. What about the Nueva Luz Archive interests you? Which era, theme, or issue speaks to you, and how does it tie back to the commissioned work?
Identify how the $1,000 production expenses are intended to be spent.
A one-page resume/CV
150-word biography.
Headshot (300 dpi)
Brief Artist statement (100-word or less)
3-5 work samples that support your proposed idea.

Accepted files: PDF documents (up to 10MB each), images (jpg or png; up to 5 MB each), video (mov or mp4; up to 250MB each, or link to embedded files on YouTube or Vimeo), sound files, and links to social media.

The application form does not have to be completed in a single session; the system will save your draft application. We suggest you save often as you fill out the form and save a copy of any narrative texts.

Selection Criteria

Contributes to an existing idea, artist and/or theme based in the Nueva Luz archives.
Presents a clear concept that can be realized by the applicant.
Demonstrates the ability to complete the project within time and allotted financial resources.
Presents a clear project budget with appropriate costs related to the final outcome.
All application requirements are complete.

Selection Process

Proposals will be selected exclusively on the clarity and quality of the proposal submitted using the criteria above. All proposals will be reviewed by a panel that includes creators working in various disciplines, curators, writers and people who are experienced working with archives.

Award Notification

The three commissioned recipients, and all other applicants will be notified by email in early fall.

En Foco reserves the rights to use final artworks for marketing/promotional and educational purposes. Participating artists will be asked to sign a contract that defines the mutual rights and usage of final artworks.

How-to-Apply Sessions:

Tuesday, June 13, 2023 | 6-7pm Live via Zoom

To RSVP, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nueva-luz-study-center-commissioning-fund-how-to-apply-session-1-tickets-631042363697

Tuesday, June 27, 2023 | 6-7PM @ KreateHub, 15 Canal Place, BX 10451

To RSVP, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nueva-luz-study-center-commissioning-fund-how-to-apply-session-2-tickets-631081701357

Tuesday, July 11, 2023 | 6-7PM w/ recording via Zoom

To RSVP, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nueva-luz-study-center-commissioning-fund-how-to-apply-session-3-tickets-646518844267

Doctors Hours

Thursdays, June 15, 29 & July 13. 3-5PM via Zoom.

15-minute Sessions
Prior Sign-up via Google Form required: https://forms.gle/q8XkZhEXDAAekjer5

ABOUT EN FOCO

En Foco is a non-profit organization that nurtures and supports contemporary fine art and documentary photographers of diverse cultures, primarily U.S. residents of Latino, African, and Asian Heritage, and Native Peoples of the Americas and Pacific Islanders. Since it was founded in 1974, En Foco has been an outspoken leader and advocate for equitable support and access to resources for photographers of color. It has distinguished itself through its sustained commitment to providing its primary constituency and the communities they represent financial support, public programming, information services, and cultural advocacy initiatives.

En Foco is supported in part with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by The Joy of Giving Something, Inc., the New York Community Trust, the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, Mellon Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.

ABOUT NUEVA LUZ STUDY CENTER

Nueva Luz Study Center is En Foco’s hub for information about its rich history. It includes access to the digital database programming to make these resources accessible to a wide array of people.

To access the Study Center, please visit: https://enfoco.org/study-center/