May 2023 ARTx Festival Calls for Entry

Apply to be part of the city-wide pilot festival

Summary

Information session link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/k4581a4r49ep01p/video1777491471.mp4?dl=0
Honoraria ranging from $500 to $10,000.
Proposals can be submitted by persons or entities from anywhere in the world.
Proposals can be but not limited to lectures, panels, performances, installation art, visual art, demonstrations, or hybrid experiences that combine multiple formats.

SPACE

ARTx Call for Entries

Creative Flagstaff is soliciting project or presentation proposals for the ARTx launch event to be held Friday and Saturday, May 26 and 27, 2023.

The event introduces ARTx: Art + Ideas Experience Arizonato the broader community with two days of events, presentations, and art-centered experiences, building momentum to the inaugural 5+ day festival to be held in May 2024.

About ARTx

What happens when you pair a poet with an astronomer, a performance troupe with a forest service expert, a renowned installation artist with students from the Boys and Girls Club, or a traditional Native dance group with an emerging playwright? Unexpected experiences emerge that are authentic and evocative of the diverse lived experiences of the Southwest. ARTx invites the creative contributions of many to create a current, experiential, interactive, and ever evolving festival. Think SXSW (South by Southwest), TEDx meets Scottsdale’s Canal Convergence, Edinburgh Fringe meets Miami’s Art Basel. The shape, color, and energy of the festival is rooted in an annual call for entries that juries 100 or more events, activities, and installations and then is further extended by a crowd-sourced fringe — five days of choosing your own adventure.

Several years in the making, ARTx is ready for prime time – supported by the Arizona Community Foundation, the Arizona Office of Tourism, City of Flagstaff BBB Tax Revenues, and others.

The festival, both immersive and interactive, showcases the convergence of art, science, and culture, from Flagstaff, the Southwest, and the world. In 2024, it is expected that dozens of traditional and non-traditional venues and more than 100-200 artists and contributors will transform the city for five days, elevating Flagstaff as a sustainable and accessible community for creative practice, artmaking, placemaking, and exploration.

What can Flagstaff learn from the world? What can Flagstaff teach the world?

ARTx is a catalyst. It builds on Flagstaff’s legacy as America’s first STEM City (science, technology, engineering, math) and other important legacies such as the discovery of Pluto, and star-filled skies. We have an excellent symphony and a museum dedicated to the intersection of art, science, and culture. These, and more, are made even richer by the many artists and creative professionals that call this region and city home.

Flagstaff is at an important crossroads, experiencing incredible artistic, natural, and economic forces. This festival simultaneously invokes joy and creative thought, helping our community respond with strength and vitality.

Who can respond?

ARTx welcomes proposals from curators, mission-driven organizations, artists, thinkers, thought leaders, and collaborations. Proposals are welcomed from all over the world; however, a portion of funding is reserved for proposals from the greater Flagstaff area.

Funding

A total of $40,000 is available for the launch event in May 2023. It is anticipated that honoraria awards will range from $500 to $10,000 with 3 awards of $5,000 or above. Approximately 15 awards will be $1,000 or less. The largest awards are reserved for the highest impact and signature programming that exemplifies the festival concept. Proposal budgets must meet or exceed funding requested. Contributors may include their time on the proposal budget.

The most competitive proposals/ideas will be:

Proposals are expected to range from pure ideas-based presentations such as lectures or panel discussions to purely art-centered experiences. The most competitive proposals will be immersive or interactive, be multi-disciplinary or collaborative, and/or address contemporary issues.

Proposals can be for fully developed concepts with all identified collaborators (if any) or in development. If a project is not fully developed, please include on the application how the applicant will be successful at bringing in additional collaborators or fully developing the project.

Project Geography

For the May 2023 launch event, it is preferred that funded projects be accessible within the downtown Flagstaff footprint. It is not expected that every project will have an identified venue. If the proposal is venue-specific, a letter of support from the venue (if not being proposed by the venue) is requested.

Presenters that have physical locations in Flagstaff, outside of the downtown Flagstaff footprint, are encouraged to apply with the understanding that for the launch event, the majority of programming is to be within the downtown district. For the inaugural festival in 2024, programming can and is encouraged to take place all over the City.

Project Support

Creative Flagstaff staff will provide support services including project delivery coordination, venue coordination, marketing, and day of services, as needed. Proposal should identify where support may be needed or requested.

Final Project Proposal

Selected proposals may be required to submit additional information about their proposal prior to a final agreement.

Selection Committee and Jury Process

Not all projects will be selected, even if projects are strongly aligned with the festival goals. Utilizing a jury of respected professionals from a range of disciplines, projects will be curated to present the most cohesive launch event representative of the types of presentations and experiences the festival hopes to inspire for the inaugural festival in 2024.