Encore! Mt. Morris
Artist-in-Residence Application: Deadline April 8, 2017

Thank you for your interest in applying for Encore! Mt. Morris’ first artist-in-residence program. This document will provide you with basic information about our region, the Encore! Mt. Morris organization, the residency program itself and the application. If you have any questions, please direct them to residency@encoremtmorris.com Please allow up to 48 hours for a response.

Description of Mt. Morris and the Region
Mt. Morris is a rural community (~3000) in northern Illinois, two hours west of Chicago and five miles west of Oregon, the Ogle County seat. For over 100 years, our community was best known for education (Mt. Morris College and excellent schools), printing (Kable Printing Co), publishing (Kable News, Watt Publishing) and agriculture. In recent years, the digital and global commerce world has fueled company mergers and big changes in the printing and publishing world. As a result, Mt. Morris is in the position of re-defining itself for the future.  The historic college campus and uptown, summer concerts, the Let Freedom Ring festival, and community pride, as well as the area’s state parks and the Rock River still exist to build upon! See photos and more information at http://www.mtmorrisil.net  and https://www.facebook.com/MMCommunityEvents

Encore! Mt. Morris
In the spring of 2016, the Mt. Morris Economic Development Group (EDG) hosted 80 area residents and experts for a 3-day retreat to establish a plan for building on Mt. Morris’ strengths and assets to spur new economic development through the arts. The vision of Encore! Mt. Morris was born; six committees with specific goals were formed. Since that time, the committees have worked hard to create the Old Sandstone Gallery and host several shows, evaluate uptown and campus properties for potential businesses or art venues, begin fundraising efforts, and put plans in motion for upcoming festivals, gallery shows, art classes, and this new artist-in-residence program. Mt. Morris is on its way to being an arts destination! See photos and more information at http://www.encoremtmorris.com 

ENCORE! Mt. Morris will focus on the ENCORE! vision to create a destination for the arts, education, creativity, innovation and a vibrant business community, building on our heritage and existing strengths, pursuing sustainable and scalable goals, supporting current and new businesses and inspiring the greater community to participate.

Artist-in-Residence Program

Focus
Encore! Mt. Morris is seeking artists with a particular interest in community-based artwork (broadly defined) for the Artist-in-Residence program. Specifically, the program will give preference to artists with an interest in:
•	Integrating your community development ideas through the arts with Encore’s vision and goals.
•	Researching a regional community of artists to partner with Encore.
•	Designing art experiences for all ages, including younger citizens and families, the retired and all ages in between.
•	Contributing to arts-oriented community festivals, events and public art initiatives already on the summer Encore schedule.
•	Strengthening the “Color Me a Memory” initiative or other arts activities at Pinecrest Community.
•	Assisting Encore’s Steering Committee in structuring future artist-in-residence opportunities.

Logistics
The A-I-R program provides a full-time internship-like experience between June 1 and August 11, 2017. Scheduled hours may vary week to week, depending on the number and types of events going on, but will almost always include Friday commitments. It is unpaid, but provides a studio apartment and meals at no cost.  Bringing your own car and bike are highly recommended, as no public transportation is available and some work will involve networking in the region. A modest budget will be provided for supplies and resources needed for the summer projects. 

Encore! Mt. Morris leaders will provide orientation to Mt. Morris, the Encore project, area resources for arts-oriented activities, and specific goals for this summer. Your personal interests and skills will be taken into account when developing activity plans. The Encore leaders will also provide weekly supervision, assistance and feedback on progress toward targeted outcomes. A final evaluation of the experience and accomplishments will be completed at the end of the summer.

Artists who successfully complete a full application may be invited for an in-person interview, or if unable due to distance or cost, may use Skype. Final selection is expected to be made by the middle of April. 

Requirements/Criteria for Selection
This community-oriented experience for artists is looking for someone with:
•	Demonstrated interest in the visual arts and art education.
•	Ability to work collaboratively and independently.
•	Strong organizational skills, reliability and punctuality.
•	Completion of at least 2 years of undergraduate study or professional experience as an artist.
Other preferred criteria include:
•	Demonstrated interest in community development, organizational development or long-range planning.
•	Demonstrated additional interests in the performing arts or culinary arts.
•	Experience in digital marketing.

See the full Encore Artist-in-Residence Application form elsewhere on this web page.