INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

Dirt Palace Public Projects is a non-profit arts organization with two locations, Dirt Palace Classic & the Wedding Cake House, in the Olneyville & Federal Hill neighborhoods of Providence, RI respectively. We began as a feminist artist-run space project founded in 2000 in an abandoned library building in the commercial corridor of Olneyville in Providence, RI. The Dirt Palace has grown to include two facilities, and multiple residency and exhibition programs. The Dirt Palace began as a self organized collective that supported feminist artists by providing affordable studio space, facilities, shared resources, opportunities, a culture of cooperation, and by maintaining visibility in the community through a committed public arts presence and long term relationships. Since 2000 the Dirt Palace has served as an incubator for hundreds of feminist artists, and has become an underground institution. The Dirt Palace is trans-inclusive, strives to be accountable, and works intersectionality.  

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Work/Exchange Artist in Residence opportunity at the Wedding Cake House provides housing, $50 per month towards cell phone expenses & a modest stipend of $650 (for a total of $700/month) in exchange for helping to support programs at the Wedding Cake House.

 

This is a 6-18 month engagement.  At the end of each 6 month period the Work exchange AIR may take up to two weeks of stipended vacation time. 

 

The private living space provided is Room 5 of the third floor of the Wedding Cake House. This room has an ensuite bathroom. The kitchen is on the first floor and shared with business/organizational operations. 

 

Responsibilities fall into the two main categories of Innkeeper support and Residency Program support. 

 

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INNKEEPER DUTIES: 

The W/E AIR will be the Innkeeper on duty Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday nights. Shifts begin at 10am on Monday & end on Thursday at 10am. During this time the W/E AIR is responsible for checking in guests, responding to guests’ needs, managing breakfasts, flipping rooms, doing laundry, housekeeping, and general cleaning, managing inventory, doing guest reviews & communicating regarding future booking inquiries. With the exception of short walks and nearby errands, they are required to be on site this entire time, unless arrangements are made with staff. Guest inquiries are expected to be answered in a timely manner, so having a phone on hand, at all hours during the shift, is a must.

 

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RESIDENCY PROGRAM SUPPORT: 

Provide support in planning and carrying out residencies. Duties include communicating with potential residents,  as well as planning and coordinating the residency schedule. During residencies, with staff, implementing residency tasks such meal preparation and cleanup, and tech and project support to artists. In general during residencies the W/E AIR is expected to be present for dinner & artist talks/discussions & to manage breakfast. Group residencies are clustered in the winter and planned 3-6 months ahead of time. There may be instances of Duo residencies during non-group residency months. The W/E AIR will be consistently improving the suite of documents that explain and help to shape expectations and experiences of Artists in Residence. They include but are not limited to: handbooks, application forms, intake questionnaires, schedules, and feedback forms. 

 

MISCELLANEOUS: 

The W/E artist will meet with Dirt Palace Public Projects Co-Directors at least twice a week to check in, at the beginning of the Monday Shift and end of shift Thursday. We are a small operation and the W/E AIR works very closely as a team with the co-directors, particularly during group residencies. 

 

There may be open houses/tours as frequently as once a month. During open houses the W/E AIR is asked to open their room to visitors touring the house. This can be an opportunity to share work and connect with the public. Their room should be in a state that allows the built in installations and other art work to be viewed in a nice light. 

 

There will likely be some weeks when there is a good deal of free time during innkeeper shifts, and others that involve the completion of more tasks. In general it is estimated that between breakfasts, flips & residency planning there will be about 6 hours of dedicated focused work for each of the three days. From Thursday after the hand-off meeting until Monday at 10am is generally considered personal time for other work or creative projects etc, however when in the process of helping to organize residencies it is asked that communications from artists are responded to fairly quickly (generally within 36 hours) 

 

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EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Affinity with Dirt Palace Public Projects mission and programs

• Ability to communicate clearly & thoughtfully in person and via email

• Organizational skills, fluency with basic office systems and computer programs

• A love of (or at least positive attitude in regards to) cleaning, laundry and other housework

• Attention to detail and an ability to take direction 

• Customer service experience not required, but a plus

• A personal creative practice that is compatible with the realities of this opportunity and space

• Familiarity with dialogues in contemporary arts disciplines & an interest in supporting artists and artist projects

• Familiarity with the Artist’s Residency field 

TO APPLY:

Please submit a letter of interest of no more than 2 pages to dirtpalacepublicprojects@gmail.com - a traditional resume is not required, however feel free to include links regarding creative projects, work or other relevant experiences in your letter.  Letters will be accepted on a rolling basis, and interested parties are encouraged to apply sooner than later. In an ideal world we would onboard and begin training in April for a May start/move in. However, so long as this page is still visible, we will still be accepting applications!