The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) has been designated as a Culture Hub by THE OFFICE performing arts + film as a part of their Artists At Work (AAW) initiative. THE OFFICE has partnered with the LA County Department of Arts and Culture to implement AAW in Los Angeles County. 

MOAH has developed two distinct residency opportunities for artists to consider: Civic Engagement Residency and Community Engagement Residency. For a period of one year, each participating Artist will receive a living wage salary of $36,205 (calculated using the MIT Living Wage Calculator for the region less medical expenses), plus healthcare benefits. Artists will be enrolled in THE OFFICE performing arts + film’s payroll and national healthcare plan. The Lancaster Museum of Art and History will provide studio space at its Cedar Center for the Arts campus to one or both artist upon request. 

The Civic Engagement Artist-in-Residence will be embedded with a non-arts related department/division within the City of Lancaster. The selected Civic Engagement Artist will work directly with department directors and division managers to identify strategic opportunities within their department/division to utilize and implement creative practices such as placemaking/keeping, public art, outreach within their day-to-day and long-term operations. 

The Community Engagement Artist-in-Residence will work with the Lancaster Museum of Art and History and the City of Lancaster's Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Community Services Department (PARCS) to engage directly with neighborhoods identified as sites for public art. The Community Engagement Artist-in-Residence will work with community members to engage and develop the public art projects in accordance with the City of Lancaster's Art in Public Places policy.

Artists At Work is a workforce resilience program designed to support the rebuilding of healthy communities through artistic civic engagement. Conceived as a public/private partnership, the program will provide a salary, plus full health benefits and professional development resources directly to participating artists; provide financial support to participating local cultural organizations; and connect both to the work of local social impact initiatives in areas such as antiracism, justice reform, sustainability and equitable development, health, economy, homelessness and housing, child welfare, and immigration. It is designed to impact the whole ecosystem of a community.

Extended Deadline: All Applications must be received by 10/22/21. 

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Artists At Work was an idea inspired by the WPA and founded by THE OFFICE performing arts + film with an initial pilot in Western Massachusetts in 2020. Following that success, AAW was recently awarded $3M by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to expand its program in other parts of the country, starting in Los Angeles County in Fall 2021. More information can be found at artists-at-work.org.

Artists At Work is produced and administered by THE OFFICE performing arts + film with generous support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. THE OFFICE extends special thanks to the FreshGrass Foundation for their partnership and support and thanks to local partner Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture and AAW national partners International Storytelling Center, Sundance and Theater of War Productions.

Application Requirements

To apply for this program, submit the following information to this call: 

• A cover letter answering the following questions:
  • Are you a resident of Los Angeles County and have you been financially impacted by COVID-19?
  • Are you interested in applying for the Civic Engagement Artist Residency or the Community Engagement Artist Residency? Why?
  • What is the nature of your current employment status?
    • Full-time at one company, organization or academic institution? (if so, are your furloughed?)
    • Part-time at one or more of the above?
    • Freelance artist / Self-employed
    • Unemployed
    • Other? (please explain)
  • Please describe your current arts practice. Is there a social component in your current practice. If not, describe what social aspects your would like to add to your practice.
  • Are you currently involved in working with a Social Impact Initiative or are you currently involved with a local organization working on any of the following: antiracism, justice reform, sustainability and equitable development, health, economy, homelessness and housing, child welfare, or immigration?
  • If not, which of the aforementioned initiatives would you be most interested in working with and why?
  • How will you participate in an arts in education or community outreach initiative suitable to your practice and in partnership with the chosen social impact community partner?
  • Please briefly describe your initial ideas for a project you would intend to work on throughout the residency, and what the final product or presentation would be.
  • How will you actively document your process with an online community and its social media? (i.e. Virtual field trips, video blogs, remote studio visits etc.)
  • How would you integrate members of the community into your work and process?
  • Please describe what your needs would be (i.e. Workspace, materials etc.)
• A resume
• A short artist bio
• A portfolio of current work
• Links to a website/page where your work can be found.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible artists must be:

• Resident of Los Angeles County
• Be in need of full-time employment (not a tenured artist)
• Have, or are interested in, developing a social practice (i.e. antiracism, justice reform, sustainability, and equitable development, health, economy, homelessness and housing, child welfare, or immigration)

Through this residency, participating artists will: 

• Engage with their studio practice daily.
• Work in partnership with a local Social Impact Initiative or Community Partner to help bring focus to issues that are relevant and responsive to the needs of Los Angeles County, specifically, the Antelope Valley (approximately 15-20 hours/week).
• Commit to a project, or area of work, as the focus during the 12-month residency.
• Create new work as part of an ongoing project in partnership with MOAH, the selected Social Impact Initiative, with a commitment to exhibit work, or participate in events to be presented free and open to the public.
• Attend monthly Professional Development workshops and Artist Work Shares.
• Be responsible for monthly progress surveys (via email) to be submitted to THE OFFICE performing arts + film.
• Keep a video, audio or written journal and/or other documentation of the work created during the residency.
• Be employed by THE OFFICE performing arts + film for the 12-month term and receive a salary and benefits.

The Lancaster Museum of Art and History (MOAH) will:

• Select qualified artist candidates through an ad hoc committee comprised of the museum's and City of Lancaster's staff, board, and local organizational partners.
• Assist with marketing, outreach, curatorial and administrative support.
• Assist with the selection of a Social Impact Initiative/Community Partner.
• Assist with organizing exhibition/event opportunities for community engagement with the artist, their assigned project, and Social Impact Initiative.