Studio Assistantships
Join Peters Valley’s supportive community of artists and gain hands-on studio experience assisting instructors, department heads & students during the workshop season. This is an intensive, fully immersive residency program for emerging artists.
Peters Valley School of Craft champions the unifying power of art, craft, and creativity; celebrates the diversity of our shared humanity; and condemns racism and violence in all forms. We are committed to eliminating barriers to participation in all of our programs so that we can create opportunities for creative people and encourage BIPOC candidates to apply.
Deadline to apply is April 1st.
Summer Studio Assistantship Program
We are accepting applications in 5 craft media studios; blacksmithing, ceramics, fibers, fine metals, and woodworking.
We are looking for excited, engaged emerging artists to participate in our summer assistantship program. Each year Peters Valley selects talented and motivated people, to participate in our summer program by assisting our instructors and studio heads. The Studio Assistantship is rigorous, requires long days in the studio and provides invaluable professional development opportunities.
Studio assistants receive a stipend of $4,200 to offset living expenses, materials, etc. In addition to the stipend, assistants receive studio access with all utilities included; a private room in a house shared with other assistants (all utilities included) and meals when the dining hall is open at no charge.
Due to the rural nature of our campus, candidates need to have their own transportation.
Benefits
- Work with, and learn from, outstanding professional artists in your field
- Hands-on studio experience assisting instructors, department heads & students
- On-campus lodging (all utilities included) and meals when the dining hall is open (5 days per week)
- The opportunity to take one workshop in any studio tuition-free
- Opportunities to sell and show your work in the Peters Valley Gallery
- Opportunity to show and sell your work at our Annual Fall Craft Fair which is attend by 4,000 visitors.
- Opportunities to test the market and sell your work at the weekly auctions
- Join a supportive community of artists working in a variety of mediums that will be your professional network long after the program is over
- Participate in field trips and special events
- Spend the summer living in a historic house in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, where our campus is located.
- $4,200 stipend to offset living expenses, materials, etc.
Qualifications
- The program is open to artists 21 years and older.
- Knowledge of studio operations & equipment
- The ability to work independently, take direction and work well with others
- Good communication skills and the ability to address issues diplomatically
- Understands and values racial equity as an organizational operating principle and is committed to continued learning on issues related to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Enthusiasm for your craft!
Duties
- Assist with cleaning and disinfection of tools, equipment and studios during workshops.
- Help with studio preparation before and clean-up after workshops
- Assist visiting instructors and be present in the studio during workshops
- Help students one-on-one with their work
- Monitor evening open studio hours
- Assist with special events when needed
- Act as a representative of Peters Valley
Schedule
Workshops run 9am to 5pm Friday through Tuesday. Studios are open in the evenings for students to work, generally until about 10pm.
Friday evenings visiting instructors talk about and show their work to the staff & students. Assistants are asked to introduce their studio's instructor during these presentations.
Assistants need to be available the day prior to the start of the workshops to help prepare the studio. Most instructors arrive that evening.
Dates
Assistantships are available June - August. Assistants must be available and on-campus for the entire 3-month period. The ability to arrive during the last week of May is ideal, but not mandatory.
Assistants are encouraged to return at the end of September to participate in our annual fall craft fair. This is an amazing opportunity to sell your work in a booth featuring just our assistants and artist fellows.
Apply Now
How to apply:
- Fill out the application form below.
- If you have additional visual documentation to submit beyond what's included in the form you can email us at info@petersvalley.org or mail it to:
Peters Valley School of Craft
Assistantship Program
19 Kuhn Road
Layton, NJ 07851 - Please submit the following via online or in the mail by April 1st: