As part of our advocacy efforts with funders and elected officials, AAC is tracking the current status of residency programs as they navigate COVID-19.
Last week AAC launched a mini-survey exploring the current status of residency session and other programming cancellations, and what these cancellations mean for cohort rescheduling and application deadlines.
Fifty-five artist residencies took the survey in this first phase - initial results are below.
Cancellation of Residency + Other Public Programs
The vast majority of respondents indicated they had officially postponed public programs (82%) and residency sessions (85%) that were originally scheduled for the spring and summer. Most programs had made calls to cancel through June, with close to half cancelling July sessions as well.
CANCELLATION: For which months in 2020 have you canceled residencies?
Rescheduling Artist Cohorts
Cancellations mean a dramatic (and immediate) gap in support for thousands of artists who had planned to be in residence in the coming months. Most programs are working to reschedule artists in later sessions, but with the timeline for this crisis unclear, this process is complicated and not always an option. Some seasonal programs, including Haystack Mountain School of Crafts (Deer Isle, ME) and Skowhegan School of Painting (Madison, ME), will defer the entirety of their 2020 summer season to 2021.
Postponed sessions have far-reaching effects on capacity of sessions moving forward, with smaller numbers of spots available to new applicants. Some residencies have postponed (21%) or cancelled (11%) upcoming open calls.
RESCHEDULING: How have you rescheduled cancelled sessions
Take the Survey
Help us reflect an accurate picture of the COVID-19 impact on residency timelines by participating in this two-minute survey. The survey is ongoing and your responses can be updated as your program status evolves. Complete the survey today based on your current status.
We will be launching a comprehensive impact survey in the coming weeks to track far-reaching effects for artists and organizations. Make sure you are signed up for our AAC News + Field Updates to receive updates and participate in field-wide research.