In 2019, Michigan Legacy Art Park, a nonprofit arts and culture organization in northern Michigan, honored Charles McGee with our Legacy Award for his lifetime of contributions as an artist and a mentor.

As the arts community learned of the passing of Charles McGee at the age of 96, we all mourn for his loss, and also seek to also celebrate his incredible accomplishments in his lifetime and career.

The Charles McGee Art Fund was created in 2019 to inspire the next generation of sculptors and artists from the Detroit area.

The no-cost application is now open for submissions for the two-week Artist Residency program, presented by Michigan Legacy Art Park, supported by the Charles McGee Art Fund, is dedicated to supporting emerging artists from the Detroit area.

The first open call for applications launched for this new residency to honor Charles when news of his death arrived. The Michigan Legacy Art Park | 2021 Residency is seeking artists to apply now for the 2021 residency program.

The online application is free and available here.

“The Charles McGee Art Fund was established to inspire young and emerging sculptors who live in the Detroit area — a region where McGee has spent the majority of his life. McGee’s career has been intimately tied to Detroit, the city he arrived in as a small boy and lives in to this day at age 96. McGee has not only contributed public artworks that have shaped Michigan’s landscape, he has made a decades-long impact as a teacher, mentor and gallerist, supporting young artists. It’s in this spirit of place inspired by McGee that the residency is designed, and dedicated, to supporting Detroit area artists.”

The Art Park’s mission is to be a showcase for experiences that combine Art, Nature and Michigan’s history together. The park hosts a thirty-acre outdoor space with 2 miles of hiking trails, in a wooded preserve located at Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa in Thompsonville.

The park’s collection features over fifty monumental works of sculpture, an outdoor amphitheater and concert series, over thirty poetry stones in seven languages, and hosts thousands of students each year on educational field trips to the park.

Residency Details: http://bit.ly/2NYVRPL

February 1, 2021 — Online Applications Open
March 31, 2021 — Application Deadline at 11:59 PM EST
April 16, 2021 — Notifications Sent to All Applications
October 11 to 24, 2021 — Residency at EMU Parsons Center, Lake Ann Michigan

Funded by the park’s new Charles McGee Art Fund established in 2019, the residency will award one emerging artist from the Detroit area a two week creative retreat that includes lodging, studio space, and an honorarium for living expenses, travel and materials. Artists will also enjoy the nearby inspiration of the park and artworks, spectacular in Autumn’s peak color season.

Locations:

Jean Parsons Center for Arts & Sciences (Residency and Studio)

Michigan Legacy Art Park (Host Organization)

What Is Provided:

• Exclusive use of the Private Residence with two bedrooms, living spaces, kitchen and bathrooms. The residence was Jean Parson’s beloved home for much of her life as an acclaimed artist and educator. It’s been lovingly restored in Mid-Century style and has a view of Parsons Lake. There is wifi connectivity at the property.
• Exclusive use of the center’s primary Studio Spaces, located a short walk across the property and featuring spaces and tools* for artists to create .
• Eighty-six acres of outdoor space to walk, think and be inspired by nature. We believe nature is a huge ingredient for inspiration and a vital part of our mission is to celebrate it.
• $1,500 honorarium to contribute against your travel, living expenses and materials during the residency. Upon acceptance of the residency offer, half is mailed in advance to help you plan, and the balance is paid at your arrival to the Parsons Center.

• Located just 20 minutes southwest of Lake Ann, the thirty acre Michigan Legacy Art Park provides you creative inspiration with over fifty sculptures along 2 miles of hiking trails, open every day of the year from dawn to dusk. Autumn is a spectacular time to experience the park, and we’ll give you a private guided tour or you are welcome to explore the park on your own.
• There is no expectation that you must create or deliver any artwork during your residency — the gift of time, space and focus is yours to utilize in any way that is most beneficial to you and the projects you are working on. However, you may choose to exhibit work within the Art Park’s potential sites during or after the residency. It’s another canvas and sandbox at your disposal, along with the work spaces at the Parsons Center.
• The Art Park hosts a welcome reception and meal for you with our staffers, Board of Directors and supporters upon your arrival.
• The Art Park hosts a departing breakfast for you with our staffers to receive feedback on the experience and to explore ways we can continue to support your projects in the future.
• You can decide how much engagement or solitude you’d like, but the Art Park staffers are always available to help you and the Parsons Center also has a full time caretaker onsite.

More about the Charles McGee Art Fund Residency

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