Buckham Fine Arts Project: Writer In Residence program.
The Buckham Fine Arts Project is predominantly known as the visual arts exhibition space, Buckham Gallery, in Flint Michigan. It is BFAP’s mission to present a broad range of innovative contemporary art, both visual and non-visual, of the highest quality and standard for the enrichment of its surrounding communities. With the launching of the Writer In Residence program in early 2021, BFAP taps into Flint’s rich spring of contemporary literary arts. BFAP has also identified a lack of representation and is intentionally reaching out to Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) writers to be more accessible to a wider audience in our community.
BFAP’s new Writer in Residence program engages literary artists to respond to each of BFAP’s gallery exhibitions in their contemporary literary art form. Each residency culminates in a publication of writing produced during the project. The selected literary artist is awarded a honorarium for their work.
BFAP’s new Writer in Residence program engages literary artists to respond to each of BFAP’s gallery exhibitions in their contemporary literary art form. Each residency culminates in a publication of writing produced during the project. The selected literary artist is awarded a honorarium for their work.
Buckham Fine Arts Project announces Vivian Kao as its 2024-2025 Writer in Residence.
Buckham Fine Arts Project launched its Writer In Residence project in early 2021 to engage contemporary literary arts and Flint’s Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) community. Buckham is pleased to announce the selection of its fifth Writer in Residence: Vivian Kao.
The 2024 - 2025 Writer In Residence collaboration invites Vivian Kao to engage with her interest in visual art, grow her creative practice, and gain exposure for her literary arts. While ensuring representation within its programming, Buckham continues to grow deeper ties within Flint’s BIPOC community. Kao’s compositions will be compiled with Buckham Gallery’s exhibition programming in a publication at the season’s end, fall of 2025.
As the resident literary artist, Kao will attend Buckham Gallery’s ten exhibitions between October 2024 and September 2025. After absorbing the visual presentations, Kao will create written compositions responding to her experience, as a catalyst for her literary practice. In addition to the residency and honorarium, Kao joins the Buckham Arts Collective with a complimentary Artist Collaborator membership.
The 2024 - 2025 Writer In Residence collaboration invites Vivian Kao to engage with her interest in visual art, grow her creative practice, and gain exposure for her literary arts. While ensuring representation within its programming, Buckham continues to grow deeper ties within Flint’s BIPOC community. Kao’s compositions will be compiled with Buckham Gallery’s exhibition programming in a publication at the season’s end, fall of 2025.
As the resident literary artist, Kao will attend Buckham Gallery’s ten exhibitions between October 2024 and September 2025. After absorbing the visual presentations, Kao will create written compositions responding to her experience, as a catalyst for her literary practice. In addition to the residency and honorarium, Kao joins the Buckham Arts Collective with a complimentary Artist Collaborator membership.
Buckham Fine Arts Project announces Jenifer Fernandes Veloso as its 2023-2024 Writer in Residence, with Guest Writer Xzavier V. Simon.
Buckham is pleased to announce the selection of its fourth Writer in Residence: Jenifer Fernandes Veloso.
This cycle will include new perspectives with the residency’s first Brasilian-American writer. Veloso’s compositions will be compiled with Buckham Gallery’s exhibition programming in a publication at the season’s end, fall of 2024. |
40th Anniversary Guest Writer: Xzavier V. Simon
This 2023 - 2024 season presents three artists selected from 2022’s “BIPOC Is The Theme!” national juried exhibition whose awards include future exhibitions and honoraria in support of Buckham’s commitment to building relationships with BIPOC artists. In addition to the resident writer, Buckham chose a Guest Writer, Xzavier V. Simon, to engage with and respond to the solo shows of Kiara Aileen Machado, Ariana Vaeth, and Gerardo Castro. Guest Writer Simon brings a Black Queer-eye perspective to his introspective responses to these artists. Simon also joins the Buckham Arts Collective with a complimentary Artist Collaborator membership.
This 2023 - 2024 season presents three artists selected from 2022’s “BIPOC Is The Theme!” national juried exhibition whose awards include future exhibitions and honoraria in support of Buckham’s commitment to building relationships with BIPOC artists. In addition to the resident writer, Buckham chose a Guest Writer, Xzavier V. Simon, to engage with and respond to the solo shows of Kiara Aileen Machado, Ariana Vaeth, and Gerardo Castro. Guest Writer Simon brings a Black Queer-eye perspective to his introspective responses to these artists. Simon also joins the Buckham Arts Collective with a complimentary Artist Collaborator membership.
Buckham Fine Arts Project is pleased to announce its third Writer in Residence, Bob Campbell
“Serving as a Writer in Residence with Buckham Fine Arts Project is a great honor and will help nurture my growth as a creative writer by challenging my sense of observation and perception. It’s also a tremendous responsibility to the featured visual artists, whose work I will support with the written compositions produced over the next year, and to the Buckham Fine Arts Project for placing its confidence in me.” Campbell said.
Bob Campbell is a local writer who was born and raised in Flint. His debut novel, Motown Man, was published in November 2020 by Urban Farmhouse Press. In The News: Flintside: Bob Campbell explores a "different kind of writing" as Buckham Gallery's 3rd Writer in Residence LINK Flint Beat: Flint Native Bob Campbell selected as Buckham Gallery's Writer in Residence LINK |
Buckham is pleased to announce the second Writer in Residence, Natasha Thomas.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Natasha and promote her literary arts. Buckham is always looking to support artists while providing opportunities to engage with challenging contemporary art and experience new ways of looking and thinking,” explained Buckham Executive Director Michele Leclaire.
Natasha Thomas is a writer, performance artist, political organizer, community strategist, and visual curator with 20 years of experience working in the fields of arts-activism, public administration, public health, holistic wellness, spirituality, and advocacy. She is the current founder/director of The Nadoma Center for Social Justice & Spiritual Transformation and the Genesee County Coordinator for the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health. In both her personal and professional lives, she is guided by the values, principles, practices, and rituals of liberation movements and ancestral wisdom traditions. |
BFAP’s first writer for the residency is Shea Phire Cobb, a.k.a. Phire Sis.
Shea Phire Cobb lives and works in Flint, Michigan, where she was also born and raised. She is an artist, mother, author, musician, and founder of The Sister Tour, a platform that promotes female artistry. In 2014, she began an ongoing collaboration with LaToya Ruby Frazier focused on the Flint Water Crisis. With Frazier and The Sister Tour, Cobb has traveled across the country telling the story of her community and the Flint Water Crisis. She has led programs at, among others, Gavin Brown’s Enterprise in New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where she also performed an original play, Surviving Womanhood. In the news: Flintside: Get to know Buckham Gallery's first Writer in Residence Link |