High Concept Labs Announces Call for Artists for the Spring 2016 Season

High Concept Labs (HCL) announces a call for artists and collectives to take part in a residency during HCL's Spring 2016 Sponsored Artist Season, March 1 through June 30, 2010. HCL is an arts service organization dedicated to supporting working artists and engaging the Chicago community with arts and culture. HCL fulfills its mission through the Sponsored Artist Program. The Spring 2016 Sponsored Artist Application is due by midnight on Sunday, January 10, 2016.

Successful applicants will be emerging or established artists or collectives with a history of work (need not be in same discipline as application project) and with clear goals for their residency. Accepted artists will be chosen to represent an array of artistic practices and will be chosen by the HCL staff and HCL's Artistic Advisory Committee (AAC).

The Sponsored Artist Program is designed to promote the growth of artists and their work through the donation of customizable, no-cost support services including: access to the High Concept Labs studios (located in Mana Contemporary Chicago); participation in HCL critique sessions; use of production equipment; design, marketing, and administrative support; documentation services; audience development; artistic consultation; production assistance; and more. No direct financial support is offered with the residency.

Artists accepted into the Sponsored Artist Program will be placed into one of three tracks:

• ? Incubation - projects that require services to support the long-term development of a body of work and are not geared toward a public showing.

• ? Workshop - projects that are geared toward a workshop-showing of work after a period of incubation. The purpose of the showing is to gauge the development of the work and see how it changes in the presence of an invited audience.

• ? Exhibition/Performance - HCL acts as a producing partner to present a formal exhibition or performance for the public (may or may not also include a period of incubation and/or workshop).

HCL's Artistic Advisory Committee is composed of an experienced panel of arts practitioners, critics, writers, and thinkers who work with our staff to guide the artistic direction of our programs. The AAC is instrumental in the selection and growth of the Sponsored Artist Program, making HCL a prime resource for artists who lack the support structures of Chicago's larger cultural institutions. Committee members also recommend artists to the program, devise creative methods and partnerships, and support occasional large-scale creative projects. The AAC provides invaluable contributions in support of HCL's mission to support working artists and audiences. Learn more about the members of the AAC at highconceptlabs.org/artistic-advisory-committee.

Applications for the Spring 2016 Sponsored Artist Program are due by midnight on Sunday, January 10, 2016, and may be submitted at highconceptlabs.org/sponsored-artist-program. Fees are $15 per application.

About High Concept Labs: High Concept Labs is a Chicago-born not-for-profit arts service organization and cultural platform dedicated to supporting working artists and engaging the Chicago community with arts and culture. Partnering with artists at every step of the creative process, HCL offers high-quality custom support services through its Sponsored Artist and Institutional Incubation Programs. HCL also curates and hosts Cultural Conversations, hosts artist showcases, presents special community events, and facilitates educational arts partnerships. With a vibrant cycle of programs, and process-support, High Concept Labs grows community alongside culture and fosters new audiences for the arts. highconceptlabs.org

HCL is supported in part by the generosity of Mana Contemporary Chicago, the Chicago Community Trust, MacArthur Funds for Arts and Culture at The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, the Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Norwottock Charitable Trust, the Samuel J. Baskin Charitable Trust, the Chicago Dancemakers Forum, the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation, and individual donors.