Open Call: Cage Match I/O Residency in Austin

Cage Match Project in Austin has announced an open call for its I/O Residency, inviting Central Texas artists to work with and within an unusual space. The eight-week residency culminates in an exhibition inside a 20-foot metal trailer, enclosed by metal fencing and parked in a gravel lot on the city's east side. The I/O name, short for Input/Output, refers to the studio and the gallery, the places where art is traditionally made and then shown.

A selected artist or artist group will have access to a studio at the nearby Museum of Human Achievement to create work for an exhibition running September 5 to 26. Because the trailer is exposed to the elements and viewable at all hours, the work must be able to withstand constant outdoor conditions. The program encourages artists to explore themes of struggle, history, place and process, and to treat the unusual setting as intrinsic to the show.

Selected artists receive a 3,000 dollar stipend, individual mentorship from a Cage Match Project alum, access to shared tools in the Museum of Human Achievement space, and installation support from its staff. Priority goes to emerging artists, including current undergraduates and recent graduates, as well as queer-identifying, female-identifying and BIPOC artists. Applicants must be located in Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis or Williamson counties.

The application, due Thursday, June 18, requires a drawing or media collage illustrating ideas for how the space will be used. The successful applicant will be notified on Monday, June 22. Visit the Cage Match Project website for full details and examples of past projects.