Graduate Arts Fellowship
Summer 2023
Deadline to apply: Wednesday, January 25, 2023
The Digital Scholarship Lab at MSU Libraries is a place for collaboration where technology is used to enhance and challenge how we do our work and how we share it. Because we are excited about how this space and technology can be used for creating new work, we invite graduate students to experiment and develop new works of art. The DSL is a space with technology, but it is at its core a nexus of expertise, with librarians and library staff available to assist and collaborate with graduate student artists, whether in the physical space or through virtual conversations. The Fellow will receive a $5000 summer graduate fellowship funding award from the College of Arts and Letters. Note: This fellowship is open to any graduate student in the College of Arts and Letters. Students graduating in May 2023 are not eligible for this Fellowship. We have at your disposal:
- 360 Visualization room (includes video/still/sound/CAD etc rendering)
- VR equipment (Oculus, HTC Vive, computers with graphics/processing to create VR/AR experiences)
- 3D printers (PLA, ABS, and resin printers available)
- Soldering station
- Sewing machine
- Cricut cutter
- Vacuum Former
- Computer stations with high processing power and specialized software (see list)
- 360 cameras
- Whiteboards and digital whiteboards
- Website hosting space and support
Any graduate student artist interested in working in this space is welcome to apply, including but not limited to visual artists, musicians, multimedia artists, data designers, creative coders, AR explorers, game designers, storytellers, and researchers. Applicants should include a proposal (max 500 words; may also submit links to supplemental materials) that describes the artwork on which they plan to work during the fellowship period. The proposal should also articulate how the space and/or technology of the DSL will be used in the production and/or display of the artwork. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated on the following criteria:
- The project is reasonable / possible in the timeframe provided
- The project is a creative / exciting endeavor of artistic or scholarly worth
- The project is helped by having access to these specific resources
- The artist is committed to contributing to the lab
The fellowship will take place throughout the summer and will begin with a kickoff meeting in early May, including the Fellow, DSL and CAL staff, and the Fellow’s advisor. The Fellow will have full access to the DSL during the summer, including office space, technology, and consulting support from librarians and library staff. Access to some technologies will be made available by appointment, via checkout, and/or remotely. By the end of September, the Fellow will conduct a 60-minute workshop on their use of a technology available in the DSL. The Workshop will be open to the community and offered either in person or virtually. The Fellowship will culminate in a public showing in the Digital Scholarship Lab of the artistic work by the end of September. This public showing will include an open house and artist’s talk. The Fellow may also have the opportunity to deposit a copy of the artwork in the MSU Libraries’ collection.
Applications are due by the end of the day Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Applications will be reviewed by the DSL Fellowship Committee. Notifications will go out in mid-February.