Due to the impacts and restrictions caused by the pandemic, Gertrude will not be soliciting applications for the 2-year Studio Program in 2020. In a year that has entailed the prolonged closure of our galleries at Gertrude Contemporary and Gertrude Glasshouse to public audiences since late-March, the 18 artists currently in the Studio Program have also been significantly impacted. In recognition of the ongoing restrictions in terms of access to their studios and the communal facilities of the studio complex, Gertrude has implemented a number of measures in direct support of artists in the program. The subsidised studio contributions have been suspended from the onset of Melbourne’s lockdown until the end of 2020, and all of the studio artists have been invited to extend their studio residencies by an additional 12-month period.
In a tumultuous year, Gertrude is pleased to have remained committed to artists contributing forthcoming projects, with all of our planned exhibitions rescheduled into 2021-2022 without cancellation. And with this same commitment to support and care, through the extension of the residencies, Gertrude hopes to provide artists in the Studio Program with a degree of future surety toward the evolution of their practices.
Each year Gertrude invites applications from artists to participate in and contribute to the Studio Program. Through a peer-reviewed open call process, 8 artists are invited into the program annually. Applications for the Gertrude Studio Program in 2022-2023 will be announced in September 2021.
Gertrude would like to sincerely thank our organisational supporters the Australia Council for the Arts and Creative Victoria, our local government program supporters, the City of Darebin and City of Yarra, program supporters Proclaim and River Capital and our dedicated patrons for their valued and continuing support.