The arts are a consistent passion for Harsha Murthy, who knows the importance of nurturing both creative spaces and minds at Duke. “I want the Ruby to not only be a space where students can take classes but a ‘maker space’ where they can both create and be exposed to art.”
Apply for an Arts Project
Use the Ruby for Your Creative Work!
One of the Ruby’s core missions is to provide dedicated space for student and faculty artists to create new work, collaborate, and engage with the wider Duke community and Durham. To that end, the Office of the Vice Provost of the Arts—Duke Arts invites individual artists or project teams working in any medium to apply for an arts project.
The major benefits of this award are the space to create and the platform to present the work to the public without explicit production requirements. Certain media equipment and other tools can also provided by the arts center.
The Basics
Tessa Mars in the painting studio. Photo courtesy of Duke Arts.
- Arts projects encompass ready-to-hang gallery exhibit proposals, working residencies in our painting or multipurpose studios, a combination of closed work time and public exhibit, or if you are a Duke faculty and staff member bringing a visiting artist to campus this framework can help host the artist.
- Projects typically last 3–4 weeks. You must select from an available time slot when you apply.
- There must be some public component to the work (such as an exhibit, art installation, performance, or talk). If it is primarily a closed working residency, you can offer an open studio or give a talk at the arts center at a later date.
- If you are an undergraduate student, you are required to have a faculty “sponsor” for your arts project residency or gallery exhibition.
- We invite artists not affiliated with Duke to apply for a visual arts project. (We are currently developing the infrastructure for artists not affiliated with Duke to apply for a performing arts residency.) Please understand that during the academic year, applications from Duke students, faculty and staff receive priority.
- Before you apply, please review arts project procedures and possibilities in the Ruby. After review, if you have questions about the program or your application, please contact Bill Fick, assistant director of visual and studio arts, at bill.fick@duke.edu.
Art + Tech
The Innovation Co-Lab provides small seed funding and mentorship for innovative projects combining technology and art. If your proposed art project is applicable, you may qualify for additional support. More information.
Preview Application
Our spring and summer 2020 art project application period is now closed. We expect to open applications for fall 2020 and beyond in April. If you have questions, write bill.fick@duke.edu.
There are many other sources of support across Duke that may also be matches for your project needs. These include:
- For students: apply for a Creative Arts Grant
- For students: apply for a Kenan-Biddle Partnership Grant
- For faculty: co-lead a Bass Connections project team in the arts center
- For faculty: apply for a Collaboration Development Grant
