TED and art materials brand Posca have opened applications for a global artist residency that will select four artists worldwide to develop community-rooted public art projects, each receiving USD $15,000, with submissions closing July 31.
The residency, curated by nonprofit creative studio Fine Acts, forms a globally distributed cohort of artists working in their own communities rather than at a single location. Participants will follow a shared creative framework centred on repair, hope and beauty, with projects unfolding in public space and community participation treated as central to the work.
This year’s theme, “Visible Mending,” draws partly on kintsugi, the Japanese practice of repairing broken ceramics with gold, and asks artists to explore repair as both a creative and civic act. The brief invites applicants to examine how communities mend relationships, restore ecosystems and rebuild trust, translating these processes into public interventions intended to prompt reflection and dialogue.
Four artists selected in 2026 will develop proposals for implementation in 2027. Each will receive $15,000 to cover artist fees, production costs, community activation and documentation. Selected artists will also receive Posca art materials and tools, along with creative direction and storytelling support, and will gain visibility through TED and Fine Acts’ global platforms.
The residency is structured as a multi-year initiative, with the artist cohort set to expand annually through 2029, building what organisers describe as an evolving global archive of civic artistic interventions. Previous participants include Jason Keam and Lope Gutiérrez-Ruiz, residents from the 2024 and 2025 editions.
Applicants do not need fully resolved projects at submission stage; those selected will further develop their proposals with the curatorial team afterwards. Applications require basic biographical information, a project proposal of up to 500 words, a budget breakdown, a community engagement approach, a documentation plan and up to three work samples. Organisers say applications are open to artists worldwide regardless of prior collaboration with TED, Posca or Fine Acts, with submissions reviewed on originality, relevance and feasibility.
Posca is a paint marker and art supplies brand produced by Uni Brands Corporation. TED is a nonprofit platform for ideas and storytelling, while Fine Acts is a global creative studio that partners with artists and movements on social change initiatives. The application window closes July 31, 2026.