Kala Art Institute’s mission is to help artists sustain their creative work over time through its Artist-in-Residence and Fellowship Programs, and to engage the community through exhibitions, public programs, and education. The heart of Kala’s mission as a vital, California art-making hub is supporting artists and engaging the community. Kala offers professional facilities to those working in and across print and digital media, new media, and performance. Artists at Kala are encouraged to work across disciplines, produce innovative artwork of the highest quality, and are given total freedom to realize their artistic vision using media that span the Gutenberg to digital eras. Kala offers access to equipment, time, and space to cultivate creative projects. Kala’s studios provide tools for printmaking, photography, video, performance, installation, and digital media. Kala fosters a fresh approach to experimentation, as artists investigate the interface of digital work, work made by hand, work made in the studio, performance-based work that engages the community, and everything in between. A spirit of exchange and education is nurtured through all Kala’s community programs.
Kala Fellowship
For over 30 years, Kala Art Institute has annually awarded artists time, space, and financial support for their work through the Kala Fellowship award. The Kala Fellowship award is an international competition open to artists from the U.S. and around the world. Artists producing innovative work in all mediums including printmaking, digital media, installation art, social practice, photography, and book arts are encouraged to apply. Fellowship Awards are given based on conceptual creativity, originality, and artistic excellence as well as technical knowledge.
In 2020, Kala will award six artists a $3,000 stipend, unlimited access to Kala’s facilities for up to six months, one Kala class, and a culminating show in the Kala Gallery. The award is geared towards supporting artists in completing specific projects or bodies of work that would benefit from Kala’s specialized equipment in printmaking and digital media.
Parent Artist Residency Program
We recognize that each artist-family has its own set of challenges when seeking a residency program. Families with multiple children of varying ages have different needs than families with older, more independent children. By offering a flexible residency experience in addition to our standard residency programs, we hope to create multiple entry points for artists to create artwork amidst the ever-evolving and diverse demands of family life. The Parent Artist Residency Program at Kala is generously supported by Sustainable Arts Foundation.
In 2020, Kala will offer an eighth round of Parent Artist Residency Awards to two recipients. Each parent artist awardee will create an individual residency plan with up to $1000 worth of services that cover the residency, classes, Camp Kala for their children, or consulting with Kala staff about professional development opportunities.