New Grad Program

The VANS Board of Directors is doing a program review with the goal of making VANS programming more helpful for artists. We are looking at ways to improve and rework existing programs including the New Grad Program.

We will be suspending the New Grad Program for 2022 and will not be accepting applications for this Fall.

See information about the previous program here and check this page for updates.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia’s New Grad Program is a 14 week program is designed to help recent graduates navigate the transition from a full-time student to a professional artist.

During the program, all participants will be given the opportunity to take weekly professional development workshops on topics such as budgeting, applying for grants, writing about your work, and networking. Participants will have access to a shared studio space in Halifax; studio visits from artist/curator Julie Hollenbach; and will be mentored by Michael McCormack (artist and curator).

After the three and a half month program, the participants will have:

  • A proposal that could serve as the basis for a grant, festival, gallery or residency application
  • A résumé and an Artist CV
  • Connections to the local arts community
  • The skills to navigate through the next step in their career
  • A built-in peer network

Dates: Program participants will meet weekly on Wednesday evenings from 6 – 9pm between September 15 and December 15, 2021. Participants must be available for all meetings in order to participate in this program and should be able to use the studio space. DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

COVID- 19: Last year was challenging for everyone, and caused some unexpected delays and adjustments to the New Grad Program schedule (including switching the Open Studio to an online exhibition). We plan to have as many in-person workshops as possible (with masks and distancing) but will offer a Zoom link for artists who can’t be there in person, and we will switch all workshops to Zoom if restrictions change. Two studios will be rented at Wonder’neath to allow for distancing, and participants will have 24/7 access to the studio space so they can work when they feel comfortable.

Read about the 2021 New Grad Program participants here. Check out their online exhibition here.

Read about the 2020 New Grad Program participants here. You can also check out the 2020 New Grad Program’s Online Exhibition that we created in lieu of an in-person Open Studio event. Read about the 2019 New Grad Program participants here. Read about the 2018 New Grad Program’s Open Studio event here.

2021 Schedule (subject to change)

Week 1: Orientation

Week 2: WORKSHOP 1: Building Confidence, Talking About Your Work & Networking with Sarah Maloney

Week 3: Info Session: Writing your Artist CV, Résumé, and Cover Letter with Carri MacKay

Week 4: Group meeting with mentor 

Week 5:  WORKSHOP 2: Writing Professional Applications and Proposals  with Melanie Colosimo

Week 6: WORKSHOP 3: Grant Writing with Becka Barker

Week 7: Meetings/ Studio visits with Mentor and Group Check in with mentor

Week 8: Studio time

Week 9: Studio visits with Curator 

Week 10:  WORKSHOP 4:  Community Connection & Collaboration with Melissa Marr & Heather Wilkinson

Week 11: WORKSHOP 5: Taxes, Budgets & Student Loans with Sally Wolchyn-Raab & Benny Welter-Nolan

Week 12: Individual meetings with mentor and group check in 

Week 13:  WORKSHOP 6: Entrepreneurship for Artists with Zorica Kelly Markovich

Week 14: Open Studio Event (if pandemic restrictions allow)

Cost: There will be studio fees of  $15/ week for each of the program participants. There may also be a one-time key/ security deposit payable at the start of the program, which will be returned upon receipt of the keys/ satisfactory walk through of the studio at the end of the program. Participants must be able to work in the studio on a regular basis.

Eligibility: Any recent art school grad (within 3 years of graduation) can apply but a maximum of 10 will be accepted, in a non-juried process. Applications are considered in the order they are received. If you have not graduated from an art school but you are an artist in the very early stages of developing a professional career, please get in touch. Current students are not eligible. You do not have to be a VANS member at the time of application. Must be 19+ and living in Nova Scotia.

Application: Applicants with questions should get in touch with the Programming Coordinator in advance of applying with any questions. The applications are not formally juried and are reviewed in the order in which they are received. Please send the following in your application to communicate@visualarts.ns.ca with the subject line New Grad Program Application:

  1. a paragraph outlining why you are a good candidate for this program, your chosen art project/medium during the program, and why it is a good fit for you at this time.
  2. the name of the art school from which you graduated, along with the date of the graduation to confirm eligibility (if you did not attend/ graduate from art school, please get in touch as you may still be eligible).
  3. your name, full mailing address, email address, and phone number.
  4.  3 – 5 images of your work. These can be sent as jpgs, you can include your website, or your Instagram. Applications will not be judged on the images.

We are not accepting applications because we will not be running this program for the Fall 2022.

Location: All meetings will take place in HRM (primary at VANS or the Studio), and the studio space is located in North End Halifax. Participants do not need to reside within HRM, but must be able to attend all meetings and should be able to use the studio. If you aren’t able to attend the majority of meetings in person or use the studio, this may not be the best time for you to apply for the program.

Studio Space: We will be hosted in the Wonder’neath studios in the Blue Building at 2482 Maynard St, Halifax. For the current year we will be in two studios – a larger 2nd floor studio for 7 artists and a smaller 1st floor studio for 3 artists. Please note that there is no special equipment (such as a kiln, printing press, or easels) available in the studio and toxic chemicals, traditional oil paints, and open flames, are not permitted. Artists will have 24 hour access to the studio facility, use of shared kitchen, gender neutral/accessible washrooms, vent room with fume hood, access to Wi-Fi, accessibility lift, and use of the parking lot while onsite.

Second floor studio (and artwork in progress), 2020.
First floor studio, 2020.

Funding: VANS gratefully acknowledges support for the New Grad Program from The RBC Foundation and the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage’s Cultural and Youth Activities Program.

For more information on this program, contact:

Carri MacKay
Programming Coordinator
Visual Arts Nova Scotia
t:902.423.4694    1.866.225.8267   f:902.422.0881
communicate@visualarts.ns.ca