CALL FOR ARTISTS! → 

Recovery Artist-in-Residence Program: Application here.

Recovery AIR at Bridge Way is a unique opportunity for artists interested in creating with youth who are on their journey of recovery from substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders which includes (1) leading twice-weekly artist workshops with two cohorts of scholars (4 sessions total per week) and (2) use of our art studio for personal art practice.  Recovery AIR participants use their days on campus to engage with our youth both in workshops and in full school events.  Artists also lean into professional development opportunities immediate to our work.

We are selecting TWO artists for the 2024-2025 school year; one artist will join us in late August-January. 

The second artist will join us from January-June.

Artists of all mediums are welcome to apply.
 
What makes this opportunity a “Recovery” Artist-in-Residence program?
The Bridge Way School is a recovery-friendly workplace devoted to serving a community of diverse youth engaged in their healing process. Our students have often experienced significant trauma, and we hold to holistic values of accountability and academic practices. We wish to engage with artists who can identify with our students and mission with significant vibration. Therefore, in our selection process, we are committed to prioritizing artists in recovery from substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. Artists who do not identify as in recovery may still apply- please be sure to reflect transparently on your connection and experience to our work in your letter of interest.

Honoring Lived Experience
We aim to select an artist who represents and reflects the identities of the students we serve. We encourage applicants of color, especially artists who grew up in Philadelphia or are graduates from an alternative high school. We welcome applicants who have been touched by the justice system,* survived domestic or community violence, grappled with unhoused status, or managed being a young parent during their high school years.

What else besides art?
Resident artists will engage in other school-based events with students and staff including mandatory overdose prevention and reversal training, mental health first aid training, and more. We aim for this residency to provide space for artists in recovery to grow and learn just as much as they mentor and share their gifts with our youth.

Our Equipment
Our studio currently boasts a range of materials for both 2-D and 3-D art workshops as well as MacBook pros and XMLR cameras for digital photography. We do want to know what you are thinking when it comes to materials and medium. Please itemize a general budget for your project when submitting your proposal.

Compensation: $5,000 stipend (+ workshop materials)

 Selection Process

1. Submit this form by April 15, 2024.

2. Submit a portfolio of up to 5 work samples directly to recoveryair@thebridgewayschool.org.

3. Complete an initial phone interview.

4. Engage in an in person interview with staff, students, and at least one outside panelist.

5. AIR Invitations - no later, but likely much sooner, than June 30, 2024.

Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis.

*Bridge Way is required to ascertain background checks for employees and volunteers– including PA criminal history, child abuse, and FBI fingerprinting. We adhere to PA Department of Education requirements when selecting staff and volunteers; certain findings may disqualify applicants. Please inquire directly to Erin if you have concerns about your eligibility.