2025 Laureate Program
Ends on
2024 Cultural Arts Laureates
SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
January 31, 2025
Cultural Arts Laureates
The City of Murfreesboro is seeking Cultural Arts Laureates for 2025 (term begins February 2025 and ends February 2026).
The Cultural Arts Laureates shall be considered a civic appointment and one of honor. The Cultural Arts Laureate Program was founded with the intent to give experienced individual artists an opportunity to share their talents with their community, offer youth citizens and emerging artists role models within their own community, and to encourage and nurture the growing arts and creative culture in Murfreesboro. The desired outcomes of this initiative are as follows:
• that each year the selected Laureates will use their creative practice to impact their community in a way that they find rewarding,
• that the Laureates will continue to give time to their community projects after their term ends,
• that this program will encourage artists to set goals within their own community,
• and that the community will be enriched by the Laureates’ contributions.
The Laureate program is designed to acknowledge the work and contributions of a local artist. The selected artist will receive a year’s commitment from the City of Murfreesboro involving 1) exposure for the artist’s work 2) support for the artist’s community project(s) for 2025 and 3) a $1,000 monetary award. The laureates will be responsible for exhibiting their creative work and expertise at city events. Laureates serve for one year with the opportunity to continue serving for a total of three years if invited and pending an evaluation at the end of each year.
To gain a better understanding of the Murfreesboro City Laureate program or past or current Laureates, please review the information on the Murfreesboro City Laureate webpage https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/1611/Laureate-Program.
To be considered for the Laureate Program candidates must live or work in Murfreesboro, fill out the requisite program application, and agree to the responsibilities of the Laureates laid out below.
***Applicants are only eligible for one category of the Laureate program: Poet, Visual Arts, or Performing Arts.***
OBJECTIVES:
The Cultural Arts Laureates will serve a term beginning in February 2025 and ending in February 2026. The objectives of the position are as follows:
• Serve as a Cultural arts advocate for the City of Murfreesboro to a wide demographic of audiences within the City.
• Raise the profile of artists and contemporary Cultural arts discourse in Murfreesboro.
• Create an artistic legacy through public exhibitions and civic interactions.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Have the ability to fulfill their term in residence;
• Enrich the community through "arts advocacy" by participating in events Hosted by Cultural Arts Murfreesboro and interacting with non-traditional audiences;
• Raise the profile of Poet Laureate and contemporary arts discourse in Murfreesboro;
• Attend/Participate/Exhibit in select ceremonial/civic engagement events of our choosing as the Laureate’s schedule permits;
• Submit semi-annual reports on their work to the Cultural Arts Department;
TERM:
The application period is open through January 31, 2025. The Cultural Arts Laureates will serve a term beginning in February 2025 and ending in February 2026. Laureates will be evaluated at the end of each year. Pending the results of that evaluation Laureates may be invited to return for the next years term. Select Laureates may have the opportunity to serve their community for up to three years. Each laureate will receive a $1,000 monetary award for each year they serve. Additional project funds may be available to support Laureates activities dependent upon available financial resources.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
Candidates Must:
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Available to attend various city events as designated
• Be a professional artist with a well-established performance/technical history
• Work or reside in Murfreesboro
• Have an established body of work or have been recognized for notable contributions to the Cultural arts
• Some of their work should be relevant to Murfreesboro and/or subjects that reflect the life of the city at this particular time in history, or candidate must be able to create this type of work during their term.
SUBMISSIONS:
Submission Deadline – January 31, 2025
Eligible artists and nominators are invited to submit proposals that include the following:
1. A sample of your work/your professional portfolio (please limit video clips to 3 minutes).
2. Curriculum Vitae or resume
3. Confirmation of current place of residence or employment
4. Letter of Intent of 1,000 words maximum detailing:
• The Cultural artist’s professional accomplishments and community outreach activities in regard to sharing their love of the arts, and professional resources.
• Why the artist feels they are the best candidate for the Cultural Arts Laureates for the City of Murfreesboro.
• How the artist envisions fulfilling their key responsibilities through leading classes, public speaking, and/or other means of representation at different community events.
5. An artist bio of no more than 250 words to be used on the City’s website if the application is selected.
6. Three references that can attest to the artist’s talents and their ability to engage others in their craft.
Submissions are accepted through www.culturalarts.submittable.com
For questions about submissions contact: smayo@murfreesborotn.gov 615-893-7439 ext. 6111
SELECTION PROCESS:
Appointment will be by a selection committee comprised of arts professionals from the community and the previous year's laureate. Submissions will be reviewed on the following criteria:
• The artist has made a significant contribution to cultural arts in Murfreesboro
• The candidate has influenced other artists
• Artistic merit of the submission
As part of the selection process, candidates may be asked to participate in an interview with Cultural Arts staff.
RESERVED RIGHTS OF THE CITY OF MURFREESBORO:
The City of Murfreesboro, at its sole discretion, reserves the following rights:
• To request clarification or additional information, as it deems necessary to evaluate submissions
• To determine suitability of the submission and capability of the prospective artist(s)
• To select the artist(s) that it deems most appropriate for the project
• To make no selection or to cancel this process at any time
• To issue public announcements regarding the competition.
This document and any submissions in response to it by prospective artists do not create any binding obligations on the City, the prospective artist, or any other party.