Arts & Entertainment
Oklahoma City has its first Artist-in-Residence.
OKC native Erica Bonavida will be based at City Hall. Program funded by City's 1% for Art ordinance.
OKLAHOMA CITY - The City Council voted Tuesday to hire Erica Bonavida for the launch of the Artist-in-Residence program. Bonavida will be on site for at least 12 hours per week, and plan and present quarterly public education and engagement activities. The City will pay Bonavida a $750 monthly stipend.
A native of the Oklahoma City metro and a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma, Bonavida holds degrees in painting and French. A painter known for working in the Realistic style, Bonavida will work out of a studio in City Hall for the rest of 2019.
“Erica Bonavida’s work will stand out in contrast with the marble and art deco style of City Hall’s architecture,” said City Arts Liaison Robbie Kienzle. “Realism is one of the most accessible forms of painting, and we are thrilled that Bonavida was selected as the City’s first Artist-in-Residence.”
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As part of the Artist-in-Residence agreement Bonavida will work on art projects, display finished pieces for sale, engage with the public, cooperate with partners downtown to market and promote events and activities, and work to grow her career as a professional artist. Bonavida will handle her own sales and keep all of the proceeds.
Artist-in-Residence programs have been used in public and private settings across the U.S. to support local artists. The City started the Artist-in-Residence program to promote and accelerate the arts in the community, incubate an artistic career and foster an entrepreneurial approach to the business of art. Eligible artists are in the City’s Pre-Qualified Artist Pool.
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The program is managed by the City Planning Department’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs and funded from the General Fund. The plan is to gauge the program’s success this year, and ideally for at least another two years, before making it permanent if it goes well, Kienzle said.
The Artist-in-Residence program complements the City’s 1% for Art ordinance. It requires 1 percent of the construction budget for City projects to be spent on public art, and the artist is often chosen from the Pre-Qualified Artist Pool.
To read more about Erica and see examples of her work please visit : http://www.ericabonavida.com/home.html
(Images courtesy Erica Bonavida)
