The City of Tacoma is taking an innovative approach to raise awareness and build community engagement around the issue of homelessness and develop creative solutions to reactivate open spaces to be safe and welcoming to the whole community.

The City is seeking an individual to act as an Artist in Residence beginning November 1, 2017 – December 31, 2018. The Artist in Residence will be embedded within the City working with Neighborhood Community Services and collaborative teams addressing issues related to homelessness in our community. The position will be managed by the Office of Arts & Cultural Vitality.

This residency is both proactive and responsive – the successful artist will be expected to create meaningful opportunities for community engagement that help engage dialogue, encourage empathy, and inform design strategies for site reclamation.

“Having an artist whose specialty is social practice embedded within City will enable us to engage more deeply with community, garner different perspectives, build empathy and connect with input that will help inform decisions and design of public space” states Amy McBride, Tacoma Arts Administrator.

The City is accepting applications for the artist in residence position now through September 6, 2017. The selected artist will receive a stipend of $4,000 per month and with a budget of $40,000 to implement community engagement efforts.

For more information about the position or to apply, visit tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit.

-City of Tacoma