Published by 90.5 WESA
August 11, 2023
by Bill O’Driscoll
When Lena Chen first came to Pittsburgh for graduate school several years ago, she felt disconnected from the city. Then this daughter of Chinese immigrants, who grew up in Los Angeles, learned about Yuen Yee — the unofficial mayor of Pittsburgh’s Chinatown, himself an immigrant, who died in 2008.
Pedantic welcomes artists from all parts of the globe and has hosted many residents who are based outside of the United States. We recognize that traveling into the U.S. has become a larger challenge due to the current administration. Pedantic will support visa applications and offer assistance as needed and able. However, we encourage prospective residents to research their country’s immigration and travel policies ensuring there is a potential path forward prior to applying.
Pedantic Arts Residency is a 4 week collective program that welcomes 3 creatives in visual art, organizing, and writing. It emphasizes an exploratory experience and fostering connections with the Pittsburgh arts community. It is not production-focused.
Pedantic Research Grant is a 1-2 week independent program for a creative in visual art, organizing, or writing. It is an opportunity to conduct self-motivated and Pittsburgh-related research on a specific subject or project.
Visual Artist: Anyone working in a creative field of the Fine Arts be it painting, craft, performance art, social practice, etc.
Organizer: Anyone working professionally or independently in a role centered on organizing, curating, producing, or facilitating Fine Arts exhibitions and/or programs.
Writer: Anyone working in a creative field of Writing be it nonfiction, cultural criticism, memoir, poetry, etc.
Pronouns are used to refer to a person when we’re not using their name. These might be he/him, she/her, they/them or other pronouns.
In English, pronouns are gendered, which means that the pronouns often refer to that person’s gender. However, because we can’t always tell someone’s gender just from looking at them, we can’t really know what pronouns to use for someone until we ask them.
Please list all pronouns that apply to you so we can know which to use and respect who you are.
For art objects PDF should include 5–10 high-res images (JPEGs, 300dpi at 3000×3000 max on either side) of 5–10 different artworks along with an image sheet detailing object titles, creation dates, medium descriptions, and dimensions.
For video or performance-based work PDF should include 3 links to video excerpts or documentation. We will watch up to 6 minutes of video per link.
For organizer applicants PDF should include 5–10 high-res images (JPEGs, 300dpi at 3000×3000 max on either side) documenting 1–5 exhibition(s) or curatorial program(s), along with the exhibition or event title, descriptive text (i.e. proposal brief or introductory text), checklist of artists and/or objects included, as well as the venue name and year of each exhibition or program.
For writer applicants PDF should include writing sample texts with any related illustrations as well as mention of where each piece has been published, if applicable. We will read up to 10 pages of content total (examples do not have to be full texts). Note that translation is not available at this time. Texts must be submitted in English.
NOTE: We require applicants to send PDF or compressed ZIP files of application materials. To learn how to create a ZIP file on your operating system, please read the instructions here.
Applicants must be 18 or older. Applicants must be non-Pittsburgh residents* at the time of application.
Residents will receive free furnished housing in a newly-constructed 3-bedroom apartment. Residency at the Pedantic apartment for the duration of the program dates is required. Residents will have access to private bedrooms, individual desks, shared bathrooms, full kitchen, living space, outdoor spaces, laundry, and street parking. One bedroom and bathroom are ADA-compliant, and there is an elevator. You can view floor plans and images of the building and apartment here.
Residents will receive a $2,000 stipend to cover cost of living expenses, half of which will be given upon arrival and half upon completion of the term.
Residents are responsible for their own travel to and from Pittsburgh.
Each resident’s program will include facilitated access to Pittsburgh’s creative community, professional development opportunities, tickets and passes to Pittsburgh institutions and events, and free time for individual pursuits.
Residents will be assigned to a Pittsburgh-based guide working in a similar field who will help create a schedule, offer suggestions for activities, and connect the resident to a network of local professional contacts. They will be in touch with residents both prior to and during the residency stay.
The duration of the residency is 4 weeks. The duration of the research grant is 1 or 2 weeks. Marketing and promotional materials will be handled by Pedantic, which will also aid in any public reception or program.
*Are you a Pittsburgh resident wanting to be involved in Pedantic Arts Residency? Please complete the get involved form to be added to our list of local creatives to invite into our programming. Pittsburgh is defined as the counties considered part of the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland.
If you are interested in becoming involved with Pedantic Arts Residency, fill out the form below and we will be in touch as opportunities arise
