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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, a modest stipend of $800 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 0 on the 1st floor of the Wedding Cake House. This room has an ensuite bathroom. The kitchen is adjacent to this room and is 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  Thursday - Monday, 3 weeks in a row followed by a week off. Shifts begin at 10am on Thursday & end on Monday 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 (Note: while many of the products that we use are “eco-friendly” we do use a variety of cleaning products including some with bleach, and windex). 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 the work cell 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( in conjunction with other staff), implementing residency tasks such meal preparation and cleanup, and tech and project support to artists. During residencies the W/E AIR is expected to be present for dinner & artist talks/discussions & to manage assigned breakfasts or lunches. 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.

 

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 Thursday  Shift and end of shift Monday. 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. 

 

Room 0 is the only first floor accessible (ADA) suite in the building. Because of this there may be times when we need to host an artist or guest in this suite. In these instances W/E will be housed in one of the other suites in the house. 

 

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 6-8 hours of dedicated focused work for each of the four days. From Monday after the hand-off meeting until Thursday at 10 am is generally considered personal time for other work or creative projects etc.

 

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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:

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. Applications received by Feb 5th will be given priority consideration. In an ideal world we would onboard and begin training in late Feb for a March start/move in. However, so long as this page is still visible, we will still be accepting applications! Even if you can’t start until May, it's worth applying!