What is the main goal of the Arts Interchange program?

• The goal of the North Louisiana Arts Interchange is to facilitate opportunities of collaboration between artists that open them to new discoveries in their craft, themselves, and their communities.

How many participants will be involved in the program?

• Each year the cohort consists of eight artists.

Are there any prerequisites or qualifications needed to join the program?

• There are no distinct prerequisites/qualifications needed to join the program other than being an artists who is looking for an opportunities to branch out and engage with fellow creatives.

What will be included in the discussion at the kick-off event?

• The kick-off event will be a chance for everyone to meet each other in person, meet the RLCF staff, ask questions, and be given prompt information about the beginning of the program.

Are there specific activities planned for participants to get to know one another during the kick-off?

• During the kick-off, each artists gives a short overview of their art background and body of work. Artists are invited to bring small works and/or photographs of their work that can help introduce the other artists to their craft.

What types of topics will be covered in the weekly discussions?

• The weekly discussions will involve debrief among the cohort of the past week’s exercise, guest speakers with topics relating to collaboration, and discussions around work creation as it related to the audience and physical/digital spaces. There will likely be other topics/tangents the group discusses based on what organic emerges from our conversations.

Can participants choose their partners for weekly assignments, or are they randomly paired?

• During the initial exercise period, partners will be randomly assigned by RLCF, until everyone has worked with each other.

Are the weekly assignments collaborative or independent, and how are they structured to be accessible to all experience levels?

• The weekly assignments are intended to be collaborative so that you are able to get to know your partner and learn from each other. The descriptions of each exercise will be provided at the start of the program. Each week as a new assignment is given, an overview will be provided and any questions will be answered. The assignments are designed to be approachable by any skill level, limited only by your imagination and effort.

What criteria will be used in the closed survey to assign partners during week 9?

• Each participant will complete a private survey rating how excited they would be to be partnered with each of the other artists. Ratings will be on a one to ten scale, with one meaning you would really not like to partner and ten meaning would you love to partner with them.

How are the artist stipends distributed, and what expenses are they intended to cover?

• After partners have been determined and announced, a stipend request form will be provided that must be completed by both partners independently. Each pair may decide how the funding will be distributed (common splits are 50/50 and 100/0). Upon receiving both requests (and the information is both matching) checks will be disbursed as requested.

Will there be specific guidelines or themes for the art displayed in the final exhibition?

• There will installation guidelines relative to the gallery provided once pairs are established. There will also be a theme announced at the start of the program that should inform the works created. This will not be announced until the cohort meets in March.

Who is responsible for the installation of the works at the Gilbert Center Gallery?

• Installation is the responsibility of the artists, but RLCF staff will be on hand to help.

Will the public reception during the Ruston Art Ramble include presentations or activities involving the artists?

• During the reception, there will be a small amount of time for each artist pair to speak briefly on their work (think 3 to 5 minutes). If any pair desires, there is the possibility of scheduling a artist talk night separate of the reception for more in depth presentations/conversations to occur. This will need to be coordinated between RLCF and the pair and may be hindered by other Gilbert Center scheduling.

Are there accommodations for participants in different time zones for the weekly meetings?

• The Zoom meetings are at 6pm Central time. The schedule is only ever changed if the entire cohort is in agreement of an alteration.

Is there support available for participants who may have technical difficulties with Zoom or accessing resources?

• Participating artists must be able to reliably join the Zoom calls as that is a core aspect of the program.