Founded by artists for artists in 1998, Locust Projects is Miami’s longest running nonprofit alternative art space. We produce, present, and nurture ambitious and experimental new art and the exchange of ideas through commissioned exhibitions and projects, artist residencies, summer art intensives for teens, and public programs on contemporary art and curatorial practice. As a leading incubator of new art and ideas, Locust Projects emphasizes boundary-pushing creative endeavors, risk-taking and experimentation by local, national and international artists. We invest in South Florida’s arts community by providing artists with project grants and empower creative careers by supporting the administrative work of being an artist through an onsite artist resource hub and access to pro bono legal services.
Please review all available info at www.wavemakergrants.org before submitting.
Deadline extended to April 15th, 2023.
There is no application fee. Locust Projects is committed to making WaveMaker Grants accessible to all applicants. Should you need any accommodations or assistance to complete your application, please reach out to programs@locustprojects.org.
Join us for the first WaveMaker INFO SESSION of the year on Monday March 20th, at 6pm via ZOOM. Learn about the next cycle of WaveMaker Grants for Miami-Dade artists and how you can apply for up to $6,000 in one of three categories: New Work / Projects, Long-Haul Projects, and R&D + Implementation.
You'll also get to hear from current WaveMakers Loni Johnson and Roscoè B. Thické III about their #WaveMakerInProgress. They will talk about their WaveMaker experience, the opportunities and challenges they encountered along the way, and share insight into how you can make your idea happen.
Build the World You Imagine!
Applications are now open for 2023 Locust Art Builders (LAB): Summer Art Intensive for Teens. The deadline to apply is Saturday, June 10.
About Locust Art Builders (LAB): Now in its 13th year, LAB is a unique summer art intensive for high school students with an interest in art, design, and exploring creative careers. 30 students will be selected from across Miami-Dade County to learn from professional artists in a dynamic program on-site this summer. They will dive right into the creative, and practical, aspects of completing a collaborative full-scale exhibition at Locust Projects!
Want to learn more about what makes LAB so special? See this video created by past LAB students!
Program Dates & Times: This year's program will be led by artist and educator Loni Johnson. The program will be held June 20-July 21, 2023, Tuesday - Friday, 10am-2pm, with the exhibition opening on the final day: Saturday, July 22. Students will meet in person at Locust Projects with take home activities and field trips.
LAB is FREE for all students.
- Students will be provided with free lunch daily.
- Students may request a transportation stipend to assist with travel to and from Locust Projects.
- Students will receive a Builder Box with art supplies and more as well as an artist edition shirt.
- Students may be able to receive community service hours for their participation; please ask your school for details.
What's on the application?
- WHY IS LAB FOR YOU? Express your interest in LAB via text or video. We'd love to know what you want to learn this summer and why you are a good fit for this opportunity!
- SHOW US YOUR CREATIVE SIDE: Share up to 8 recently completed art works, designs, or projects. You can upload photos of your work or show us your work in a short video!
- IMAGE CAPTION SHEET: Please include a PDF with the title, media, date, and a brief description of each art work.
- OPTIONAL: Letter of recommendation from a teacher, mentor, or advisor.
FAQs
Who is eligible? Students currently enrolled in public or private high schools in Miami-Dade County. Students must have completed at least one year of high school by June 2023. Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders as well as graduating 12th graders are all eligible to apply.
Who is not eligible? Students who are in middle school, entering ninth grade in the fall, or who graduated in 2022 or prior.
Can I apply if I am not sure I want to go to art school? Of course! LAB is the perfect place to explore your interest in art or design, learn how to make things using new skills and tools, and learn all about careers in the arts. Whether or not you go to art school, LAB can help you gain confidence and learn how to problem solve creatively.
Can I work on my personal projects as part of LAB? While some activities will involve working independently, working collaboratively with other young artists is a crucial part of LAB. Most projects, and the final exhibition, are produced as a team. Personal art practices often feed into this final result, but it is important that applicants understand that they will also be required to work closely with other young artists during LAB. If you are not open to working collaboratively as part of a team, this program might not be the right fit for you.
Can PDFs include links? Yes, they may include links to websites, video hosting services like YouTube or Vimeo, as well as links to galleries, previous exhibitions, and/or past reviews, if applicable.
Can I submit my application without using the online submission system Submittable? Unfortunately, no. All submissions must be submitted through Submittable. Submittable accounts are free. If you need assistance completing your application, please let us know by reaching out to programs@locustprojects.org. We're happy to help!
Who can I speak to if I have more questions? For more info, please contact: programs@locustprojects.org or 305.576.8570. Locust Projects is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. If you need support to participate in LAB, please let us know.
Opportunity: LAB MFA - Summer Residency | Commissioned Project
Application Deadline: April 16th, 2023 midnight EST
Eligibility: Artists currently enrolled in MFA art programs in the U.S. during spring 2023
*Residency opportunity dates: June 20-July 21, 2023
Opportunity Description:
Locust Projects, Miami’s longest-running alternative art space, invites graduate-level artists to submit project proposals for the LAB MFA: R+D Mobile Studio program. With a milestone move to a new home, Locust Projects is revisioning LAB MFA in 2023.
This year’s residency and exhibition opportunity focuses on art and social practice offering current MFA students across disciplines the time, space and resources to be in residence for up to 4 weeks as part of the ongoing R+D Mobile Studio series. The goal of the residency is to allow for experimentation that creates a jumping off point for staging performances, convenings, artist activations, or happenings working with the available spaces in our new home. This is not a dedicated exhibition installation commission, but an adaptable and responsive multi-layered project responding to the new facility and neighborhood.
Proposals should reflect an expansion of an artist’s practice in conceptual scope, scale, or media. Proposals can reflect new work that will be created during the residency that has never been presented before. Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate exceptionally unique methods, processes, or concepts, particularly those that could not be presented in a traditional gallery setting. Please review the past R&D Mobile Studios projects to get an understanding of this program. https://locustprojects.org/programs/rd-mobile-studio.html
Artists can apply as individuals or two-person collaboratives presenting a singular project. Special consideration will be given to artists who are presenting work that is directly related to their MFA studies. Please keep in mind, we are not a traditional gallery space. If the exhibition could easily be presented in a traditional gallery setting or could be realized without the support of our organization, it is unlikely for us to consider your proposal. We are not a commercial gallery, we do not offer artist representation.
All artists must be currently enrolled in an MFA program during the spring of 2023 to apply for the LAB MFA program.
Locust Projects provides an artist stipend of $1,500, production budget up to $1,750 Production Costs may include (but are not limited to): production/fabrication, equipment rental, materials, specialized lighting, professional/technical support, public programs and activations and related participant fees based upon W.A.G.E. fee calculations, artist travel above and beyond the provided stipend, shipping, disposal, and any other costs required to realize and de-install the project beyond basic infrastructure and artist fees provided by Locust Projects. Selected artists are also eligible for a $500 stipend towards travel costs to and from Miami (for artists from outside of the area), and free accommodations for approximately 4 weeks located near Locust Projects.
As part of production budget, selected artists will commit to the creation of public programming which consists of conversations, performances, collaboration or other program presented in conjunction with their project and residency paying collaborators for their time based upon W.A.G.E. standards. Cross-disciplinary collaborations with other Miami-based organizations or individuals is encouraged.
The residency will occur in conjunction with the summer co-hort of Locust Art Builders, an art immersive for up to 30 Miami-based teens that takes place in the Main Gallery simultaneous with LAB MFA.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS. Please provide the following information in Submittable.
- Artist resume or CV. Please include artist contact information.
- Project proposal (250 word max.)
- Artist Statement - (max. 150 words); can also be a 1 min video submission
- Images: 4 images of recent/ related work with captions accompanying all images. Up to 3 Video links can be submitted for video based works. 5 minutes maximum will be reviewed.
- Letter of recommendation from a current professor
Please send questions to submissions@locustprojects.org.