We’re absolutely thrilled to announce our inaugural writer in residence program in partnership with Wa Na Wari in Seattle, WA.
Sited in a fifth-generation, Black-owned home, Wa Na Wari is an immersive community art project that reclaims Black cultural space and makes a statement about the importance of Black land ownership in gentrified communities. Their mission is to create space for Black ownership, possibility, and belonging through art, historic preservation, and connection. Referred to as a “container for Black joy,” Wa Na Wari incubates and amplifies Black art and belonging while providing a safe space for organizing and movement building. By renting a house from a vulnerable Black homeowner and giving that space back to the Black community, Wa Na Wari is an active model for how Black art and culture can combat gentrification and displacement.
About the residency:
True art criticism goes beyond surface-level description or regurgitating press releases. It puts art in context with the world around it and asks Why? How?
Inspired by T.J. Clark’s 2008 book The Sight of Death: An Experiment in Art Writing, this art writing residency will place two writers in deep engagement with Wa Na Wari over twelve months and produce twelve pieces of critical writing about the organization’s programming.
WHO: Two writers will be chosen by a panel of local art experts unaffiliated with the Wa Na Wari or Variable West.
WHAT: During six-month residencies, writers will each produce six 600–800-word pieces about Wa Na Wari’s programming to be published on Variable West. The writers may cover an exhibition, a single object, an event, or a contextual theme. The rate for each piece is $600.
WHY: The purpose of the residency is to provide an opportunity for deep looking and thinking about Wa Na Wari’s programming, as well as regular, well-paying assignments for local writers. The resulting writing will open conversations between art at Wa Na Wari and the public while harnessing Variable West’s reputation as a top source for superlative writing on West Coast art.
WHERE: Writers will commit to visiting Wa Na Wari at least twice per month.
HOW: Washington-based writers are encouraged to apply to our open call by end of day Wednesday, August 6, with three writing samples demonstrating their engagement with arts and culture. Final decisions will be made by the end of August. Writers from the African diaspora are strongly encouraged to apply. Send your application to hello@variablewest.com with the words Wa Na Wari in the subject line.
Want to set up a writer in residence at your organization? Contact Amelia Rina at hello@variablewest.com to get started.