Apply Now | Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program: Oakland

September 11, 2018byAmy Aronoff

The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is pleased to announce the second year of the Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program: Oakland, presented in collaboration with Oakland local partners through the support of the Ford Foundation.

The program’s goal is to foster a local community of artists sharing the immigrant experience and provide resources through entrepreneurial training, access to other artists, arts professionals, and organizations. Conducted in an inclusive, safe space, the program offers immigrant artists the opportunity to focus on their creative practice and gain support and exposure for their work while upholding their distinct cultural identities.

The program combines two of NYFA’s professional development programs: the Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program, which provides access to artist mentors and arts professionals via panels and workshops, and the Artist As Entrepreneur Boot Camp, which provides artists with the fundamental principles of sustainability in the arts. Featured topics include strategic planning, finance, law, marketing, and fundraising. Additional material will be drawn from NYFA’s newly-revised popular textbook The Profitable Artist (Allworth Press, 2018).

In collaboration with Oakland-based partners, the program will offer two weekend entrepreneurial boot camps, one-on-one mentoring, an informal gathering between weekend sessions, and an individual consultation with an arts professional.

This is a competitive program open to artists from all disciplines (Performing, Literary, Visual, Multidisciplinary, Video/Film, Folk and Traditional Arts) based in Oakland, CA, and provided free of charge to accepted participants. The program will run from January 2019 to April 2019, and will bring together Oakland artists to nurture a productive environment for collaboration.

Testimonials:

I wholeheartedly recommend the NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program to any immigrant artist! First off, the content is invaluable and taught by experts in the field. More importantly, the people are fantastic! From the program administrators to the guest speakers to the mentors to my fellow artists – I felt welcomed, supported, and valued by all. This community of artists is a network of people who truly want you to succeed. – Melissa San Miguel (Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program: Oakland ‘18)

I am so fortunate to be one of the participants in the NYFA Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program. In the first weekend of the Boot Camp Workshop, we learned about fundraising, basic marketing, goal setting, and so on. Learning the right way was a success to our organization; we were fortunate to get two grants this year. The last workshop was about finance and some legal regulations for artists. The teachers were very talented and I learned a lot from them. As an immigrant artist, I suggest this program to all. – Hamere Seble (Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program: Oakland ‘18)

Eligibility:

Live within the Oakland area (within commuting distance of Oakland)*
Either you or your parents were born outside of the United States or in United States territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
Refugees are welcome to apply
Are NOT currently enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate degree program**

*Priority will be given to artists living and working in Oakland; however the program is open to artists in the Bay Area within commuting distance of Oakland.
**Students who will graduate before the program starts are welcome to apply.

Mandatory Sessions:

First Weekend Boot Camp Workshop:
Saturday, January 26, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, January 27, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Mid-program Check-In:
Thursday, March 14, 6:00 – 8:30 PM

Second Weekend Boot Camp Workshop:
Saturday, April 27, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sunday, April 28, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Attendance is mandatory to all sessions, so please check your calendar before applying. Oakland-based partners will host meetings.

Application Link: Click here to apply

Deadline: Monday, December 10, 2018 11:59 PM PST

Application Guidelines:

For the application we ask you to provide:

Your long terms goals and why you are interested in applying to this program
A narrative bio of your professional career
A link to your website or online presence
Work samples

To Apply:

Applicants can apply via Submittable; first time users will need to register with Submittable to access the application portal. Electronic submissions should be completed by Monday, December 10, 2018, 11:59 PM PST

Notification: Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Questions? Contact the NYFA Learning team at [email protected] and include “Oakland” in the subject line.

Thank you to our cultural partners in Oakland: