The WaterShed Resident Artist Program RFQ (2027)
Date Posted - October 15, 2026
The WaterShed Resident Artist Program
Mural Arts Philadelphia & Philadelphia Water Department
RFQ Released: October 15, 2026
Zoom Info Session: TBA
RFQ Due: November 15, 2026
Decisions: Beginning of December
Residency Start Date(s): Winter (Jan-April), Spring (May-August)
Compensation: $4000 flat fee, $1,000 supply budget, $500 programming budget
For submissions, follow this link.
1. Introduction
The WaterShed is a community hub empowering Environmental Resilience in Germantown through community-driven art, resources, education, and science.
Opened in November 2024 in partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department, Mural Arts Philadelphia and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, The WaterShed, a storefront and environmental resilience hub at 5300 Wayne Avenue, providing flooding resources, paid science research initiatives, and ongoing workshops and events to help community members understand, prepare for, and recover from ongoing flood events in Germantown.
From the outset of the project, artists’ perspectives and practices have played a vital role in shaping how we understand and respond to flooding in Germantown. As we enter our third year at The WaterShed, we continue to affirm this commitment through the second year of our Resident Artist program, based at our storefront location in Germantown.
Each residency will span four months and will include time for independent research, open access & public hours at The WaterShed, and community-facing programs. Artists may apply individually or as part of a collaborative team.
During their residency, artists will be expected to:
- Participate in self-directed research
- Host two to three community-facing programs
- Deliver a culminating presentation
- Contribute a lasting element to The WaterShed for presentation for no less than a month following the Residency
Residents will also attend a Flooding 101 onboarding session, participate in bi-weekly check-ins with organizers, and join meetings with WaterShed collaborators as applicable.
Key dates:
September 28, 2026: RFQ Announced
November 15, 2026: Application due
Early December 2026: Artists Announced
January-April 2026: First AIR Session
May 2027: First AIR Presentation
May-August 2027: Second AIR Session
September 2027: Second AIR Presentation
2. Background (full project description)
In 2023, Mural Arts Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Water Department, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, and Mural Arts Philadelphia developed the Waterway Arts Initiative, bringing together a coalition of community leaders, scientists, artists, and advocates to examine the causes and consequences of flooding in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood–one of the most vulnerable areas in the country for urban flash flooding. These floods occur during heavy rainstorms when sewer systems become overwhelmed, resulting in water flooding into streets and basements, causing repeated property damage and, in severe cases, loss of life.
Through more than a year of research and community engagement, the Waterway Arts coalition developed the The WaterShed, a new storefront and environmental resilience hub at 5300 Wayne Avenue, providing flooding resources, paid science research initiatives, and ongoing workshops and events to help community members understand, prepare for, and recover from ongoing flood events in Germantown. Other relevant projects include Living Within the Watershed, an exhibition at Academy of Natural Sciences featuring oral history, historical photos, community films, green stormwater tools, and science research, to explore flooding in Germantown and what stakeholders are doing to address a climate change issue 150 years in the making.
As The WaterShed enters its third year, we are announcing the 2nd year of our Resident Artist Program, inviting artists of all backgrounds and disciplines to engage in research and use their creative practices to develop projects that illuminate Germantown’s historic waterways and contemporary environmental challenges. Community engagement should be central to both the development and implementation of these projects. Potential programs may include film screenings, workshops, performances, installations, teach-ins, soundscapes, lectures, festivals, or campaigns that bring historic waterways and lived experiences of flooding “above ground,” revealing both the physical and emotional infrastructure of flooding.
3. Scope of Work, Budget, and Schedule
Scope of Work
The resident will be responsible for the following work:
- Attending a Flooding 101 info session
- Demonstrate a general understanding of flooding in Germantown
- Attending bi-weekly zoom meetings with the residency coordinator
- Research a specific aspect of flooding in Germantown
- Support AIR-specific communications materials for The WaterShed
- Lead 2-3 participatory events during the course of their residency with support from WaterShed staff
- Lead a public presentation at the end of their residency, with support from WaterShed staff
- Be on-site at The WaterShed during their residency as desired or is useful for their research
- Produce a culminating project which can be shown/exhibited/demonstrated at the WaterShed, at least for 1 month following their residency
WaterShed Responsibility:
- Manage The WaterShed space and overall project
- Coordinate programming at The WaterShed
- Manage communications of the overall project
- Manage contracts for residents and other participants in The WaterShed
- Liaise with PWD, ANS, and community groups
- Manage the working hours of The WaterShed
- Assist Resident Artist w/ programming and culminating project
Artist Fee and Budget
Two selected Residents will be compensated a $4,000 flat fee for their participation. This includes independent research, leading programming, creating original artwork(s)/outputs, and an event and/or installation at The WaterShed.
Residents will have access to up to $1,500 for supplies to support both programming activities and installation needs.
4. Artist Selection Process
Eligibility
Residents should be based in the Philadelphia area.
Process
The residents should apply via the Airtable form (linked here) and will be reviewed by a panel of WaterShed Team members. Selected residents will be informed in late November.
Qualifications and Review Criteria
We are looking for the following:
- An interest in The WaterShed project
- Enthusiasm to creatively engage with environmental issues in Germantown
- Experience working in community
- Willingness to work collaboratively
- Experience producing creative outputs
- Experience producing creative events, workshops, or performances
- We will prioritize people with an established connection in NW Philly and, or, those with direct experience with environmental justice and flooding.
5. How to Apply
Preliminary Consultation / Information Meeting
Questions or concerns can be addressed to the WaterShed’s Residency Manager via email at gtownwatershed@gmail.com.
Submission Requirements
- Name
- Zip Code
- Phone Number
- Website (personal site, social media, Linkedin)
- Biography
- A statement addressing your creative practice and/or relevant past experience with community-engaged projects. Think about including the following in your proposal (up 350 words):
Why are you interested in working at The WaterShed?
What do you want to accomplish during your residency?
What is your experience with flooding and/or environmental justice?
Have you worked with Mural Arts, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and/or the Philadelphia Water Department? If so, in what capacity? - CV/Resume upload
- Work samplesWe welcome a diversity of practices. Please choose the format which best represents your work.
For example, upload 10 images of previous work in JPEG format or include a link to video documentation or completed works
Submission Instructions
After gathering all materials, please submit your application by 11:59 p.m. EST on November 15, 2026 through THIS LINK.