What is CLEVELANDtm?

CLEVELANDtm is a program created to engage an international product designer and will be located in the District of Design in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The program provides living space, studio space, showroom opportunities, manufacturing resources and networking opportunities for the participating designer with the goal of fostering a cultural exchange between Clevelanders and the visiting artist. This program is made possible through the leadership and generous support of the Cleveland Foundation. www.clevelandfoundation.org.

Design, fabrication and craft-based education are at the core of the CLEVELANDtm residency. This program offers the visiting artist an opportunity to share his/her craft with the community, create new work with support from the local art and design community, and see that work through to fruition through a funded production run. Visiting artists will network with local artists and craftspeople through dialogue and product design charette, participate in collaborative design opportunities and incorporate the Cleveland experience into his/her own work. One local artist will be engaged to work closely with the international artist to provide opportunities for creative exchange and collaboration with the local arts community.

In the planning stage of this program, CLEVELANDtm is issuing a call for entries. Pending full program funding, the designer-in-residence program will operate as follows:

CLEVELANDtm will select one international artist who will be a designer-in-residence for a six month period, dates to be determined. The first four months will be the resident designer’s exploration phase and will focus on problem solving, experimentation, education and community interaction. The resident will be able to explore his/her own work individually but will also be encouraged to participate in collaborative activities with the local designer engaged by the residency. During this time, the resident designer will be required to spend a minimum of 3 hours per week in educational settings. These might include lectures, demonstrations, studio tours or other formats determined by the resident.

The last two months will consist of a production BLOOM, during which the resident designer will depart from the exploratory format and focus on design resolution and production of a work in limited run. The culmination of the residency will be a release event for marketing and sale of the item.

All product designers are welcome to apply and upper level degrees are not mandatory.

PHASE 1: DESIGN EXPLORATION

During the Design Exploration Phase the resident designer will:

• Become familiar with the city, its resources, and get to know the local designer
• Develop and implement a variety of educational experiences at schools and throughout the community
• Be available for public lectures
• Develop a product concept to pursue in PHASE 2

PHASE 2: PRODUCTION BLOOM

During the Production Bloom Phase, the resident designer will:

• Work within an agreed-upon budget for materials and manufacturing
• Revise and finalize the product for fabrication
• Produce a limited run of the item in collaboration with the local community
• Sell item through the web site and/or shop

CLEVELANDtm is issuing a call for entries while the program is in development. Pending full program funding, selection for this designer-in-residence program will be conducted as follows:

• Round 1: Letters of interest are reviewed by panel
• Round 2: Phone interviews are conducted with top candidates
• Round 3: Site visits to designer’s studio made by panel
• Round 4: Final selection made

Letters of interest should be submitted electronically by April 15, 2010 to: apply@clevelandtm.org