COVID-19 Student Artist Relief Residencies Fundraiser
Help support this fundraising campaign to get student MFA artists who have lost studio spaces and housing due to the COVID-19 pandemic back to creating art.
Boyd’s Station is launching a GoFundMe campaign to provide MFA student artists with NO-COST housing and NO-COST studio space during the COVID-19 pandemic at the PLACE & SPACE artist residences in Harrison County, Kentucky in order to get student artists back to creating art.
In addition to the no-cost housing and no-cost studio space, each artist will be provided a $500 a month stipend for living expenses and a $500 a month materials stipend to offset creative costs.
The PLACE & SPACE initiative at Boyd’s Station in cooperation with the Ki Smith Gallery of NYC is working to provide a safe workspace and residence for Master of Fine Arts (MFA) students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many MFA students across the country find themselves sheltering in place in small apartments or in different cities away from school with zero or very limited access to any studio or workspace. As the coronavirus crisis continues, private and educational studio spaces will continue to be shuttered with many artists unsure of what is next.
NYC sculpture artist Luke Price spent five months working at Boyd’s Station from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Boyd’s Station director Jack Gruber describes how this fundraiser will impact the lives of student artists.
PLACE & SPACE is an initiative offered by Boyd’s Station, a Kentucky nonprofit focused on promoting student journalism and bringing the arts to rural northern Kentucky. Boyd’s Station will utilize its wide-open rural location in Harrison County, Kentucky, to provide a number of creative residence opportunities during this crisis. Boyd’s Station and the Ki Smith Gallery will work with schools and programs hardest hit by the pandemic to identify those who could most benefit and offer emerging MFA students a NO-COST place to live and NO-COST studio space to create while providing stipends for both living needs and materials. All done while providing a safe environment to social distance and isolate while creating works to sustain the artists and their future endeavors. Visiting artists would agree to adhere to the current local and Kentucky state and CDC guidance requiring social distancing. The safety of the artists and the community is paramount.
NYC artist Luke Price spending five months as the first PLACE & SPACE artist resident during COVID-19
School of the Art Institute of Chicago student Axel Cajas incorporated local Harrison County furniture and bark into his work while at PLACE & SPACE creative residence
Western Kentucky University student artist and photo major Brenna Pepke in-residence at PLACE & SPACE as WKU and many other college programs have moved to virtual classes in 2020
The cows at Boyd Station
PLACE & SPACE artists Ryan Bock and Axel Cajas installing artwork in the hills above Boyd, KY along with Boyd’s Station Mary Withers Rural Writing fellow Margaret Heltzel
Michael Swensen exploring Snake Lick Creek at Boyd’s Station. Swensen, the 2020 Hearst College Photojournalism Championship winner was a Boyd’s Station Project 306.36 grant recipient 2018
Luke Price working during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Boyd’s Station PLACE & SPACE Shop Studio
The ability to work and live with limited interaction with people while still being able to fully work and create art makes Boyd’s Station a wonderful opportunity for displaced artists over these coming months of uncertainty.
Located in Boyd, Kentucky, where cows outnumber humans 3-1, the Boyd’s Station footprint includes a spacious and modern renovated 1950s era three-bedroom home and the renovated former Spicer General Store now the Boyd’s Station Shop Studio Space offering 3,000 square feet of open concept studio space available for creating 24 hours a day with no worry of disruption to the community. The artists would be steps away from additional studio spaces located on the Boyd properties and the ability to have the luxury of roaming this expansive rural property of woods and pastures and wildlife with the safety of distance from others in the community allowing for a secure and safe social distancing environment to work.
How can you help?
This artist relief effort came about as the need arose and our goal for PLACE & SPACE has been modified to help as many artists as possible in the coming months. Supporting the arts and future generations of creators are as important as ever. Any contributions you are able to make will have a huge impact on emerging artists in need.
All donations go directly to the nonprofit Boyd’s Station for the PLACE & SPACE COVID-19 MFA Artist Relief effort which will benefit emerging artists during this pandemic.
If you have the means to take action, your tax-deductible donation would be most appreciated. If sustaining funding exceeds fundraising goals for 2020, Boyd’s Station will continue with these relief residences into 2021 for as long as the funding resources will allow.
Levels of giving: (Goal of $40,000)
$2500 & Up – A tree planted and dedicated in your name with a plaque at Boyd’s Station and a selected piece of work selected from an MFA student in residence plus an amazing Boyd’s Station hat!
$1000 - Selection of 3 works on paper from different MFA students in residence
$500 - Drawing from one of the MFA students in residence
$250 - Photo from past Reinke Grant Project 306.36 recipients
$100 - Boyd’s Station Swag (hat)
$50 - Letter of appreciation and Boyd’s Station Swag (sticker)
$25 - A very heartfelt thank you email
100% of your contributions to this PLACE & SPACE COVID-19 MFA Artist Relief Residence program is allocated for this artist relief program entirely. No Boyd’s Station volunteers, the board of directors, or other individuals receive any financial compensation.
Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months, if conditions become unsafe or due to the future State of Kentucky and CDC mandates, Boyd’s Station reserves the right to cancel or postpone current or future residences at any time due to safety concerns. All donations for the PLACE & SPACE COVID-19 MFA Artist Relief Residences will be allocated for future PLACE & SPACE COVID-19 MFA Artist Relief Residences when conditions allow.
Projected funding and budget needs:
How we will help artists in the coming months:
Boyd’s Station and the Ki Smith Gallery, in discussion with directors and faculty of schools across the country, will seek out and select MFA artists for 8 week and 5 week residencies.
Ki Smith of the Ki Smith Gallery in New York City is a major supporter of young and emerging talent offering gallery shows and exposure while offering guidance to countless artists over the past 5 years. He will make safe and appropriate in person and virtual studio visits and communicate with each artist personally during the residences to offer his valuable experience and knowledge of taking the artist’s work to the next level of a combined gallery show in NYC allowing for important exposure and future means of sustaining a career in the arts.
Boyd’s Station will provide ample workspace and living space for visiting artists to adhere to the current local and Kentucky state and CDC guidance requiring social distancing.
In addition to the no-cost housing and no cost studio space provided to each artist, the artists will be provided a $500 a month stipend for living expenses and a $500 a month materials stipend to offset creative costs.
Boyd’s Station and all visiting artists would agree to adhere to the current local and Kentucky state and CDC guidance requiring social distancing and safety in order to take part in these residence opportunities. The well-being of the artist and the community is paramount.
An initial 2-week self-isolation on arrival in Harrison County would be required.
Artists required to follow established guidelines regarding KY workplace safety.
PPE and other health and safety measures would be provided and utilized.
Absolute limits to visitors in Boyd, Kentucky, and to all living and workspaces.
Artists would have to agree and sign specific terms and agreement waivers in order regarding residence requirements and safety measures.
Please note: Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months, if conditions become unsafe or due to the future State of Kentucky and CDC mandates, Boyd’s Station reserves the right to cancel or postpone current or future residences at any time.
The goal is to provide 8-week residences combined with 5-week residences through 2021.
Work produced in Harrison County by these COVID-19 MFA student relief residents during the pandemic will be exhibited in the gallery space of the newly renovated Boyd’s Station Gallery in Cynthiana, Kentucky for the residents of Harrison County to experience and enjoy before a future combined gallery show in NYC at the Ki Smith Gallery in 2021.
How it got started - PLACE & SPACE & COVID-19 MFA Artist Relief Residences:
Before the coronavirus crisis, Spring 2020 was to be a soft-launch season for the PLACE & SPACE program to prepare for its official and full roll out in 2021. That plan has since been modified to offer immediate help to as many artists as possible during this difficult time.
The overall goal of Boyd’s Station and the PLACE & SPACE creative residence is to offer emerging artists housing and studio space at no cost to the artist in order for them to create work which would not be possible due to lack of studio space and high cost of housing in other parts of the country.
Boyd’s Station invited NYC based artist, Luke Price, to take part in February of the soft-launch phase of our future artist residence program at Boyd’s Station. The goal was for Price to create work while evaluating best practices for Boyd’s Station artist residence program called PLACE+SPACE to launch fully in 2021.
Due to safety and uncertain times in NYC, Luke Price continued to shelter in place in Boyd for five months during the coronavirus pandemic while continuing to produce work.
This was the catalyst of the idea of just how beneficial opening up the Boyd’s Station facilities now would be for artists in hard-hit areas of the country during this crisis. These opportunities would afford emerging artists a lifeline to continue to create and a possible lifeboat for their artistic careers.
Who we are:
The Boyd’s Station team is made up of a group of passionate volunteers, and along with the creative partnership of the Ki Smith Gallery, help the nonprofit succeed and grow, promoting and encouraging the next generation of student journalists and artists year after year.
100% of contributions for this program to Boyd’s Station are allocated directly to this artist relief program. No Boyd’s Station volunteers, the board of directors, or volunteer staff receives any financial compensation.
If you would like to contribute to this GoFundMe fundraising campaign or share the campaign on behalf of Boyd’s Station PLACE+SPACE please visit the the GoFundMe site.
Questions?
To learn more about Boyd’s Station programs, please visit our website. www.boydsstation.org
Please email Jack Gruber at jack@boydsstation.com with any questions or comments.
Thank you for your continued support!