This year's Premio New York selection will take place in the autumn. Please watch this space for news beginning in September 2008. The text below refers to last year's program.
An annual Premio New York has been established by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America and the School of the Arts at Columbia to allow two promising young Italian artists to spend one or two semesters working in New York. The Prize is intended to encourage the exchange of ideas and create a sense of community between contemporary Italian and New York artists.
Fellowship Guidelines for the Sixth Edition (2007-2008) of the Premio New York
1. Premio New York 2007-2008
The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation, together with the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies at Columbia University in New York, has established the "New York Prize," a scholarship program for young Italian artists. The prize offers the opportunity to spend a maximum of eight months in New York, corresponding to one or two academic semesters, at the Italian Academy at Columbia University (September-December 2007 and January-April 2008), to develop their own creative capacity while being in contact with the artistic world of the United States and particularly of New York. The two winning artists shall participate in the cultural activities organized by the Italian Academy, and at the end of the Fellowship the two artists will organize an exhibition of their work at the Italian Academy. (The Italian Academy may decide to hold a joint exhibition for the two artists.) For the Sixth Edition of the New York Prize, a final decision by a commission will award two eight-month long Fellowships (or four four-month long Fellowships) and will provide the following benefits:
1. A monthly allotment of US$4,000 intended to cover costs of housing and other living expenses (provided by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and by the Italian Academy, which will also provide the selected artists with an office and a work-atelier);
2. A roundtrip plane ticket to the United States (provided by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs);
3. A health and accident insurance coverage (provided by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
2. Requisites of the applicants:
Applicants must be:
(a) artists specialized in visual arts (without any topic or technical restriction);
(b) Italian citizens;
(c) born after December 31, 1971;
(d) have already had at least one personal exhibition;
(e) have a good knowledge of English language.
3. Exclusion Conditions:
Those who meet either one of the following conditions are not eligible:
a) Members of the selecting commission, members of the technical secretariat, their spouses, relatives and siblings up to the sixth degree (inclusive); or
b) Dependents and assistants of the members of the commission and the Italian Foreign Ministry
4. Applications Material:
Applications and related annexed documentation must be addressed by registered mail to: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate General for Cultural Promotion and Cooperation, Office II, Bando "Premio New York", Piazzale della Farnesina 1, 00194 Roma (Italy). The application must be received by May 7, 2007. The date postmark will constitute proof of the date. Applicants may also send the application by fax (without attachments) to 011+39 (06) 36 91 37 10. The evaluating Commission will adjudicate any applications
The applications must explicitly declare that personal data can be shared for the purpose of this selection (see form below). The application materials shall be sent in a single envelope and shall comprise:
1. Four signed copies of the applicant's Curriculum Vitae (in Italian and English);
2. Two recommendation letters from distinguished art critics, contemporary historians and museum directors or experts in the fields relating to the applicant's personality and work;
3. Documentation of the applicant's activity in the field of visual arts, without any restrictions by technique or topic. The documentation shall consist of no more than 20 photographs or of a CD-Rom and/or of video or DVD (maximum duration 10 minutes);
4. Any press reviews of no more than 10 pages of past artistic activity;
5. Applicant's project (in Italian and English) specifying the institutions and colleagues who will be involved in order to accomplish the project;
6. Photocopy of valid identity document.
Applications which do not respect these requirements will not be considered. Artists who are not selected may not retrieve their applications, which shall remain at the disposal of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
5. Selection Procedure
The Fellowship recipients will be selected by a Commission made up of one representative from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, one from the Italian Academy and one from the School of Arts at Columbia University, as well as two professors of Art History specializing in Contemporary Art, two directors of public art galleries for modern art, and two art critics. The names of the members of the commission will be posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website after May 7, 2007.
The appointees will be notified by June 30, 2007, through direct notification and through publication on the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website.
For further information, please contact:
Directorate General for the Cultural Promotion and Cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office II, Tel. 011 +39 (06) 36 91 40 62; Fax. 011+39 (06) 36 91 37 10; E-mail: premionewyork@esteri.it
