Residency Program

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The museum's residency program, now in its fourth year, is an opportunity for artists to create works that build on and resonate with the museum's themes, exhibits, and collections. The idea is to use the museum as a starting point for creative interpretation of its themes, usually in different media, such as video, artist books, or written works.

The 2024 program is winding down, with 6 projects and a show opening on September 13th at the 1122 Outside Gallery in Portland, Oregon. See here for details. You are welcome to apply any time for the 2025 year.

Background
The residency program was inspired by projects that have been done over the years by various artists based on museum exhibits and themes. Projects done before the formal advent of the program include a mini-mockumentary, a poem cycle, color studies, a kid's guide, and an artist's book. They can be seen here.

You can check out what residents have created in previous years:
2021 - Five artists each created works using materials from the museum's archive of animal parts, gnarled sticks, fungus, and other materials.
2022 - Five installations extrapolating on museum themes and objects
2023 - Explorations in chemical and biological art, as well as traditional assemblage
2024 - Three new and three continuing residents with a variety of projects

We are looking for projects that do any of the following:
- evoke the spirit of the alchemist or the mad scientist
- extend the mythos of the Zymoglyphic region
- use the Wunderkammer or museum exhibit format as a medium
- incorporate, or are produced by, living things such as bacteria, algae, fungus, or ants
- explore life-like processes using chemistry, alchemy, artificial life or robotics
- involve miniature ecosytems with living components
- use an aquarium/terrarium/diorama motif
- create a surreal natural history

Gallery Show
The 1122 Outside Gallery is an informal backyard gallery in southeast Portland. It is suitable for site-specific installations or traditional gallery hanging. There are a number of outbuildings that can be used - a former chicken coop (currently a mini-theater), an enclosed shed, and a carport have all been used to display projects. The gallery show will be up for a month.

Details
- There are no application fees or stipends.
- No accommodations are available ("residency" is used rather loosely here). Residents not in the Portland area are responsible for arranging accommodations.
- All art produced belongs to the artist
- The museum requests right of first refusal if works produced during the residency are offered for sale.
- Multiple people may work on a single project
- The residency is open to all creative persons, whether or not they are established in the art world.
- Work at the gallery show need not be for sale.

Application
To apply, send an email to zymoglyphic@gmail.com with answers to the following questions:

Are you currently living in Portland or nearby?

Have you visited the museum?

Describe what you would want to work on as your residency project

How do you see your work relating to the museum?

List any relevant web site(s), social media, or other online presence