George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) released today a request for proposals for the Young Alumni Commissioning Project, which provides crucial support for the artistic development of recent alumni.
This is the fourth year of the program, which will award up to five grants to CVPA alumni for the creation of original work that will be presented by the College at a Mason venue during the 2022-23 season. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, February 11, 2022. The recipients will be announced in May 2022.
“The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is bearing fruit so beautifully after our first three rounds, adding new work to the world's store of artistic creation and helping advance the careers of Mason’s outstanding arts alumni,” shares Rick Davis, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “As we enter cycle four, I am excited to see what our community of artists brings forward for consideration. Each cycle represents and reflects a moment in time for both the artists and the world we work in, and I know that our alumni are busy doing what artists do: seeing, feeling, and thinking deeply about their world, and transforming those perceptions into significant work.”
All potential applicants are invited to participate in an online grant writing workshop designed and executed by CVPA staff, taking place on Wednesday, January 26 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Individual applicants can also reserve time to speak with CVPA staff about their project and the application process during scheduled office hours, offered during the week of January 31 and February 7.
During the 2020/2021 award cycle, Jada Salter (’20) received the Young Alumni Commissioning Project Award and $5,000 in support for Just the Two of Us, a documentary about multi-Grammy award-winning musician and her grandfather William “Bill” Salter. Nicole Daniell (Dance ‘17), Nicholas Horner (Theater ’18, MFA Candidate ‘21), Cristian Perez (Music ‘12), and Katherine Thompson (Visual Art ‘15) were awarded Young Alumni Creative Development Awards and each received $2,500 in commissioning support.
The Young Alumni Commissioning Project is made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of Linda E. Gramlich for the support of young artists, and by donors to Mason’s Giving Day, including Shugoll Research. Young Alumni Commissioning Project recipients may receive up to $5,000 in commissioning funds; as well as venue, production, and marketing support for a public showing of the work.
To be eligible, applicants must be a graduate of the College of Visual and Performing Arts from the class of 2011 and after. Proposals should be for original new work in any art form suitable for performance, exhibition, or screening in a Mason venue. The size, length, duration, magnitude, and content are at the artist’s discretion. Potential venues include Mason’s traditional theater spaces, galleries, and cinemas, but proposals for non-traditional venues will also be considered.