Zócalo Artist-in-Residence Program

Located on the Beautiful Campus of Zócalo Apartments

Zócalo Artist-in-Residency program is committed to celebrating the creative spirit by incorporating a fully funded artist residency program in Houston — a key pillar within a vibrant community that encourages the interaction between artists and community. With community-engagement and creative placemaking values at its core, Zócalo Artist Residency debuted its inaugural flagship program in 2020 with the primary goal of enabling artists-in-residence to meaningfully engage with community while granting artists the freedom to explore critical ideas outside the studio as within.

Located on the beautiful residential campus of Zócalo Apartments in the Spring Branch area of Houston, Texas, a single one-year and two six-month residencies are offered each annual cycle. Applicants chosen by a rotating selection panel of local artists, curators, and arts administrators are granted fully-funded housing in a private apartment studio, a monthly working stipend, need-based project funding, and hands-on support from our full time residency Program Director.

As a community-immersive program which strives to strengthen the connection between people and the places we share through the power of art and creativity, a focus is placed on granting artists the opportunity to develop community-based projects while providing artists with dedicated time, space, and the financial leverage to create new work in a supportive environment of open inquiry. Given the ample size of Zócalo's 10-acre campus, artists are welcome to re-imagine everyday spaces and push the boundaries of their creativity with site-specific installations or participatory creative projects on Zócalo’s campus and within the surrounding areas of the Spring Branch neighborhood. Emerging to established US-based artists and artist teams who have a strong interest in deepening a collaborative, community-engaged creative practice are invited to apply.

Applications for the 2021-2022 Season

Are Now Open Through October 26th!

APPLY NOW

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Download Here

VISION & MISSION

Vision

Our vision is to imbue Zócalo Apartments with “a sense of place” by creating an environment that strengthens the connection between people and the places they share through the power of art and creativity.

Mission

Our mission is to build community through dynamic art & ideas. We focus on providing artists working in community contexts with stable housing, a supportive work environment, and professional resources to help advance their artistic careers and develop their practices in ways that help build a vibrant and engaged community with and for Zócalo residents and the greater Spring Branch neighborhood.

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Support artists working in community contexts.
Encourage the development of a wide variety of interactions between artists and community members.
Support frameworks for creative collaboration between artists and communities.
Encourage and support artistic projects that leave a physical or social legacy in the community.
Make our communities more vibrant by inspiring participation and relationship-building.
Engage communities and people, even those who don't see themselves as artists, as creators, producers, performers, and active audiences.

VALUES & MOTIVATIONS

Supporting Artistic Excellence: We believe in supporting the important work artists do and we understand the multifaceted challenges artists often face throughout their careers. We’re focused on providing talented and deserving artists with monetary and non-monetary support in the form of no-cost housing, space, project and materials funding, artistic freedom, and tailored administrative support to help artists achieve their vision and goals.

Artist-Led Community Building & Civic Enrichment: We believe art plays a critical role in building a strong and connected neighborhood. As a multifamily residential community, we believe in putting art at the heart of our community to enhance the lives and well-being of our neighbors through placemaking projects that promote creativity, are culturally relevant, and most importantly, unite the community in a way only art can.

Accessibility to the Arts: We believe everyone deserves access to arts programming within their communities. It is our intention to invest in the arts and increase accessibility through community-based arts programming in our area.

Meet our Director

Ileana Yordan

As Program Director, Ileana is responsible for ensuring the ZAIR program is a valuable and engaging experience for everyone involved. She brings to this role experience in both arts non-profit and commercial gallery management and holds a Masters in Arts Leadership from the University of Houston.

Our Program Director serves as a full-time liaison throughout all residencies and works hands-on with each artist to navigate project development and offer guidance to help ensure all residencies are relevant, beneficial, and feasible for both artist and community.

Meet our Current

Artist Residents

Input Output // Billy Baccam // Alex Ramos

Input Output is an experimental, new media lab duo comprised of Billy Baccam and Alex Ramos who each bring innovative approaches to the application of art and technology along with unique human experiences that shape their artistic process. Born out of a collaboration that lit up the inaugural Illectric River Festival in 2017, Input Output researches, designs and develops digital-physical experiences. Together, they bring inanimate structures and spaces to life by combining art, technology, science, and architecture with the creative implementation of light and sound. They work to create stimulating experiences that blur the lines between the digital and the physical world.

"The Zócalo Artist-In-Residency program has been a fantastic experience. The support and resources from ZAIR have given us the space and time to refine our artistic process, explore unfamiliar technologies, and engage the Zócalo community with new art installations and experiments that spark conversation. To be fully immersed in an environment that gives complete artistic freedom and the ability to share that creativity with a curious community has been a dream come true" - Billy Baccam

Full Artist Profile

Theresa Escobedo

Theresa Escobedo is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and arts administrator from Houston, Texas. She manages the City of Houston's Civic Art Program through the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and has curated, coordinated, and executed public programs and projects designed to activate public spaces that offer artists the opportunity to impact neighborhood experiences through creative place-making and social inquiry.

Throughout her residency, Theresa has developed an ongoing virtual series of collaborative workshops and conversations featuring artists and multidisciplinary creatives in (or from) Houston, TX. This series, called Zócalo CoLabs, was created in response to COVID-19 to share artist perspectives, artistic practices, and activities that are fun, easy, and enriching for those staying safe at home.

"I've really appreciated the support this residency offers in terms of planning and logistics, as well as the openness to try new things and embrace (and learn!) new practices - like virtual live streaming. That willingness and flexibility go a long way to support and encourage emerging ideas from artists and has made me feel that I have an ally in my success." -Theresa Escobedo

Full Artist Profile

Meet the 2021-2022

Judges

Theresa Escobedo

Theresa Escobedo is one of Zócalo's current artists-in-residence. Through her current appointment, Escobedo has valuable insight & intimate knowledge about the residency & the cultural context of Zócalo. Theresa Escobedo is recognized as a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and arts administrator from Houston, Texas. She currently manages the Civic Art program for the City of Houston through the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs and has curated, coordinated, and executed public programs and projects designed to activate public spaces and to offer artists the opportunity to impact neighborhood experiences through creative place-making and social inquiry. Her past experience includes diverse curatorial and administrative roles at MECA, Arts District Houston, Manteca HTX, and Main Street Projects.

Ángel Quesada

Artist, Ángel Quesada has been making artworks for over 25 years. His decades-long connection to music, visual art, and martial arts have all influenced his approach. Upon his return to Texas in 2005, he has worked as a public visual artist, producer, curator, exhibition designer, musician, arts administrator, digital editor, ethnographer, and muralist. Given his multidisciplinary background, Quesada understands and feels strongly that art is a succinct and powerful way to improve and enhance living conditions for all people. Art facilitates communities to literally visualize their neighborhood and help cultivate a sense of place in an ever-changing landscape. In beautifying a community, pride and self- identification in a place is elicited.

Sixto Wagan

Sixto Wagan is the inaugural director for the Center for Art and Social Engagement (CASE) at the University of Houston. Prior to this role, he led the contemporary art center DiverseWorks, serving a multitude of capacities including Artistic Director, Co-Executive Director and Performing Arts Curator. During his tenure, he nurtured artists, communities and emerging arts organizations through commissions and place-based initiatives. Wagan is known for collaborating with performers whose works tackle prescient cultural, social and political issues. He currently serves as the Board President of the MAP Fund. He is a celebrated commissioner and producer of contemporary art works, and has served on the boards of Dance/USA, Dance Source Houston, The M.A.T.C.H. (Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston), the National Performance Network, The MacDowell Colony and QFest, in addition to previously serving as a Hub Site for the National Dance Project and on the advisory board for the Texan French Alliance for the Arts.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

2021-2022 RESIDENCY DATES

ELIGIBILITY

Zócalo AiR welcomes emerging to established regional and national individual artists & collaborations who have a strong interest in developing or deepening a community-based creative practice.

Applicants must:

Be at least 21 years old or older;
Be a U.S. based artist or artist collaboration;
Be able to pass a criminal background screening in compliance with Zócalo Apartments housing guidelines;
Be fully committed and available to live in the provided housing throughout the duration of the residency term.

The ideal candidates for this program are open-minded, multifaceted, progressive artists who are self-directed, motivated, and passionate about creating new work and engaging community throughout that process. They are excited about interacting with the Zócalo and Spring Branch community and working closely with fellow residents and staff. This residency is an opportunity for visual artists and interdisciplinary creatives to make a difference through their craft.

Zócalo AiR warmly welcomes all eligible persons regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity, religion, spiritual beliefs, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.

If you have questions about our eligibility criteria, contact us at zairinfo@zocaloliving.com

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

All of our residencies are offered free of charge to awarded residents. The awards for all residencies include fully-funded housing in a private apartment studio, paid utilities, a $250 monthly stipend, and access to all of our community amenities including on-site pool, gym, clubhouse coffee bar, laundry facilities, free weekly fitness classes, a yoga studio, dog park, valet trash service, & easy access to public transportation.

• The one-year artist-resident will reside in an 867 sqft. two-bedroom / one-bathroom apartment which includes basic kitchen supplies, linens, in-unit laundry, and furniture upon request.

• The 6-month artist-resident will reside in a 713 sqft. one-bedroom / one-bathroom apartment which includes basic kitchen supplies, linens, and furniture upon request.

Please know it is required for artist-residents to live in the housing provided throughout the entire duration of the residency. Fully furnished apartments (as pictured below) can be requested if needed.

For more pictures and details about our apartments click here

Great looking living room with high-end stucco textured walls, brand new baseboards and new outlets for a choice of high-speed cable or fiber access.

The galley kitchen has everything you need including stainless steel spotlights to highlight the apartment's designer finishes and easy clean faux wood flooring.

Ample dining area off kitchen, perfect for a delicious meal, a place to study or work from home in a fresh, tranquil environment. New white ceiling fan with light.

Big comfortable, relaxing bedrooms with plush carpet, high-end stucco textured walls, all new baseboards and a large closet.

Zócalo's colorful exteriors are a wonderful background to the lush landscaping found near the Zócalo's clubhouse and throughout the property.

Sunset view of Zócalo's on-site resort-style pool and central recreational area.

Our community clubhouse balcony where we love to relax and look out over the pool and recreational area. A great place to meet neighbors while having a fresh cup of coffee.

WHAT EXPENSES ARE NOT COVERED?

WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS?

Artists are invited and expected to fully commit to the program by establishing a presence at Zócalo and engaging the public with their work throughout the duration of the residency term. This is a long term process-based residency that allows for experimentation and flexibility, therefore no specific quotas are in place. However, artists will be responsible for implementing community-wide, on-site art programs, and creative enrichment opportunities that bring community together.

Our expectations can be summarized by the following items:

Continued presence & active engagement for the duration of your residency
Adherence to Zócalo’s code of conduct for the duration of your residency
Attendance at onboarding orientation & formal ZAIR gatherings
Maintain regular communication with Program Director & attendance at quarterly review meetings.

This residency is about stepping out of a comfort zone into a new context, pushing oneself to explore and experiment, therefore artists are expected to bring a sense of openness, vulnerability, and energy to this residency.

In return, artists can expect to be provided housing in a clean, safe, and comfortable environment in addition to being fully supported, cared for, and treated with respect and dignity within our community and by our staff.

HOW CAN I APPLY?

Applicants are required to apply online through our SlideRoom portal HERE starting September 1st, 2020. The deadline to apply is October 26th, 2020 11:59 pm. No applications will be accepted before or after this timeframe.

In response to COVID-19 and the unprecedented economic impact it has had on the arts sector, the $25 application fee has been discounted and is now $10 to apply.

Required Application Materials

General Contact Information
Artist Bio
Artist Statement
CV/ Resume
60 Second “About Me” Video
A headshot & up to 10 digital work samples (which may be any combination of still images, video, audio, and writing)
Five Short Answer Statements
Two Professional References
Additional Questionnaire

Download Application Guidelines HERE

Artist Team applicants: Collaborations are between two people. Preference is given to artist teams with a history of successfully working together, but new collaborations will be considered. Only one application is required per team and applications must reflect the work of both members.

Before applying, we ask all applicants to consider their own cultural sensitivity, privileges, emotional intelligence, and the ways in which they will personally contribute to and benefit from engaging in this environment.

A $10 USD non-refundable SlideRoom application fee is due at the time of submitting an application which can be paid via credit card or by PayPal.

APPLY NOW

WHEN CAN I APPLY?

WILL YOU HAVE AN INFORMATION SESSION?

HOW WILL THE SELECTION PROCESS WORK?

Once the application period closes, a three-person expert panel of judges will review each application and make recommendations for three artists who best meet the selection criteria. The general scoring criteria includes four key elements:

Originality & Artistic Merit of Previous & Current Work
Demonstrated Experience & Ability to Engage Community
Potential for Positive Impact on the Community
Potential Impact on the Artists’ Career

Next, the finalists will be contacted and asked to complete a background screening before final placements are made. Notifications will be sent out mid-December, 2020.

WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY AT ZÓCALO LIKE?

To help applicants better understand the community and who the residents at Zócalo are, we have compiled a few basic demographics to give you some insight.

General Demographics:

Total Number of Apartment Units: 236
Total Number of Residents: 329
Household Size: Single Female, Single Male, Unmarried Couples, and Other Small Family Households (up to four persons)
Full Age Range: <18-73 years old
68% of residents are Millennial-aged individuals between the ages of 22 to 37
12% of residents are children under the age of 18
Average Individual Income: $33,000 | Average Household Income: $58,000
Geographic/ Ethnic Origins:
- Residents are from Spring Branch
- Non-Houston Native (No Neighborhood Affiliations)
- Multi-ethnic diversity is reflective of Spring Branch's predominantly Latinx, & multi-cultural population
Most Common Languages Spoken: English & Spanish
Most Common Occupations: 1) Self-Employed 2) Professional 3) Construction 4) Education 5)Service Industries

General Interests:

Arts & Culture
Food
Health & Wellness
Community & Socializing
Entrepreneurship (many of our residents are small business owners)

Current Issues:

COVID-19 social isolation
Unemployment due to COVID-19
Homeschooling Challenges

For more information about Spring Branch, check out our Community Guide HERE

HOW CAN ARTISTS ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY?

We celebrate how approaches to community-engaged art-making can be as varied as urban interventions, guerrilla architecture, curatorial work, public art, project-based community practice, interactive/innovative media, and performance. Artists who are interested in applying are encouraged to think about how their practice can interact and collaborate with community members and neighborhood public spaces in order to effectively engage our culturally diverse audiences and stimulate social transformation and community building.

Can I host an exhibition, performance, workshop, or event of some kind while in residence at Zócalo?

Absolutely. We are committed to supporting our residents’ creative experimentation, professional growth, and public engagement with our community by offering free spaces to host events and free marketing of these events to help foster interest and attendance of events. In order to best execute these kinds of events, we require residents to submit proposals for consideration by the Program Director at least three weeks in advance of the proposed event. The Program Director will evaluate proposals and help residents navigate project developments.

WHAT SPACES ARE AVAILABLE TO DISPLAY MY WORK?

We invite applicants to consider our 10-acre residential campus as a blank canvas to display your work in unconventional or unexpected ways. While we do have indoor spaces such as our clubhouse, leasing office, and vacant apartments where artwork can be displayed gallery style, we encourage you to think about how you can utilize public space to engage the community with your work.

If you are a muralist seeking large-scale wall space, we are open to offering a wall on our campus. We are also happy to help you find wall space in the Spring Branch neighborhood

IS THIS PROGRAM PET & FAMILY FRIENDLY?

Yes! We love pets & welcome family & friends. Artist-Residents are allowed to live with pets, family members, and other chosen individuals following Texas occupancy law and Zócalo Apartment Community Guidelines:

Children, spouses, family members, significant others, and roommates are welcomed with some restrictions. The maximum number of residents permitted to dwell in an apartment may not exceed two (2) persons per bedroom plus a child under the age of 24 months.

1-Year Residency: limits occupants to 4 persons & one child under 24 months.

6-Month Residency: limits occupants to 2 persons & one child under 24 months.

The individuals you choose to live with are not required to be relatives. They can be any individual you choose to room with as long as any person over the age of 18 is able to pass a criminal background screening in compliance with Zócalo Apartments Housing Guidelines.

PETS: We love pets! Just FYI- only dogs, cats, fish, and birds are permitted & no more than 2 pets of any kind are permitted per apartment. Dog breed restrictions apply. ESA and service animals are not considered pets and do not apply to breed or pet restrictions. Please review the Application Guidelines for details.

IS IT REQUIRED TO LIVE IN THE APARTMENTS?

Yes, an important aspect of this residency is about community immersion. Living on campus gives artists an opportunity to be a part of the community as opposed to being a guest simply stopping by.

We are seeking artists who will enjoy and benefit from living rent-free. Artist-residents who are selected and accept the residency will be required to live on campus throughout the entire duration of the residency term. The apartments are non-transferrable and cannot be sublet or rented out.

Site visits are welcome and encouraged. To schedule a time to visit Zócalo and speak with our Program Director, please email zairinfo@zocaloliving.com to set up a date.

WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION?