Carolina Record Shop Creative Residency
Founded in 2020, the Carolina Record Shop Creative Residency Program provides an annual opportunity for artists in Buncombe County to create new, research-driven creative work using BCSC’s historic resources, and to present their work in the Carolina Record Shop, a dedicated exhibition space in the BCSC reading room.
The goals of the Carolina Record Shop are to
- offer new, diverse perspectives on our shared history,
- identify and address gaps and/or amplify narratives that are historically underrepresented in our collection, and
- educate and inspire non-traditional users of archives and special collections to engage with the collection in new ways.
Call for Proposals
We are currently accepting proposals for the 2023-2024 round of this program!
Applications are due by midnight on Monday, November 27, 2023. Applicants will be notified by end of day on Tuesday, December 19.
Eligibility
Creative practitioners ages 18 and up, based in Buncombe County, working in any medium (including visual arts, sound/music, dance/performance, creative writing, social practice-based art, or any combination of disciplines) are invited to apply.
Projects of any discipline should include a visual component that makes use of the Carolina Record Shop display area. Please read the call for proposals carefully. We strongly encourage applicants to visit BCSC in advance of submitting a proposal to get a sense of the space and resources available to you.
Timeline
September 18: Application period opens.
November 27: Application materials due by midnight.
December 19: Creative resident is selected and all applicants receive notification.
January-April 2024: Creative resident is publicly announced and begins performing self-paced research in Special Collections.
April 2024: Exhibition opens.
April-June 2024: At least one public program (such as a talk or workshop) to be held during this window.
The 2024 Creative Residency is made possible in part by the Trust Fund for Buncombe County Public Libraries.
Past Carolina Record Shop Creative Residents
Miles Lamberson (2022-2023) curated the exhibition Belonging & Non-Belonging: The History and Futures of Zines in Western North Carolina, featuring new collections of DIY self-publishing from the region, including the archives of the Asheville Zine Fest. He also led a research talk and hands-on zine workshop.
Visit the digital exhibition or visit in person–exhibition on view now!
Honey Simone (2020-2021) was artist-in-residence during the inaugural creative residency launched in partnership with Engaging Collections. The inaugural project included large-scale changes to BCSC’s space, the creation of the Carolina Record Shop space, and an exhibition on Black history in Asheville.
