Frequently Asked Questions
About MABF
1. What is the Modern Ancient Brown Foundation?
Established in 2019 in Detroit, Michigan, the Modern Ancient Brown Foundation (MABF) supports artists and writers who work across multiple disciplines. Drawing on the personal experiences of its founder, painter McArthur Binion, who has worked across visual and literary arts, MABF celebrates writers and artists at the intersection of creative writing and criticism, visual culture, and complex thought.
The Foundation aims to supplement academic spaces and higher learning, providing opportunities for scholars and writers to expand and experiment beyond their research and for artists to engage in deeper critical analysis of their work through MABF’s Core Programs, which consist of residencies and fellowships with material and intellectual support. The Foundation also stewards McArthur Binion’s legacy and supports expanding scholarship on his practice.
2. What does “Modern Ancient Brown” mean?
Modern Ancient Brown reflects Binion’s interests in art history and his desire to make work that is atemporal and resonant across space and time, both modern and ancient. “Brown” has a dual meaning, reflecting Binion’s identity and the identity of artists he wishes to support through the foundation, as well as his interest in color theory and the color brown, which is underrepresented in modern and contemporary abstract art.
3. Who is McArthur Binion, and what is his relationship to MABF?
McArthur Binion is the founder of MABF and an esteemed painter whose artistic practice spans over four decades. Drawing on narratives of the African American experience in rural America and his presence in the predominantly white world of American Modernism in New York City, Binion has developed a unique style that places personal memory in dialogue with Modernist visual elements.
4. Why did McArthur Binion establish MABF?
Binion was born in Macon, Mississippi, in 1946. At the age of four, Binion and his family moved to Detroit, Michigan. He later received degrees from Wayne State University and Cranbrook Academy of Art. He credits much of his formative years to the robust environment Detroit’s design, art, and labor communities provided in the 20th century. Binion’s foundation offers an opportunity to give back to the city that left such indelible impressions on his upbringing and artistic practice.
5. What is Critical Studies?
Critical Studies is rooted in critical thought: thinking deeply about how art intersects with other disciplines of knowledge. We define Critical Studies as a constellation of thinking and study that engages theoretical, social, political, poetic, and personal elements to inform and contextualize artmaking.
Critical Studies is the scaffolding for all of the work we do at MABF. It is the method and the container by which we engage artists and writers in our programs, challenging them to think critically and stretch beyond their preconceived conceptual and formal limitations. We encourage critical study through consistent individual inquiry and collective exchange, including frequent critique sessions with residency artists and intimate salons for fellows, where new ideas emerge through practices of gathering. Through critique sessions, lectures, public talks, and, in the future, published writing, MABF participants incubate ideas, encounter new perspectives, and deepen their overall practices.
Applying
6. What is the difference between the Artist Residency and Visiting Fellowship?
The Artist Residency is for emerging artists seeking studio space and resources to make art and receive critical feedback in their artmaking process. The Fellowship is for writers and scholars who are experimenting in literary arts across genres and forms.
7. Who is eligible to apply?
Early-career artists and writers.
8. Can students apply?
Yes.
9. Can collectives apply?
No.
10. Do I need to live in Detroit to apply?
No, we welcome applicants from all over the U.S. However, we prioritize applicants who are based in the Midwest or who have an interest in the City of Detroit or the broader Midwest region.
11. Can previous MABF participants apply again?
No.
12. How do I apply?
We make official calls for applications in the first quarter of each year (between late January and March). Applicants have eight weeks to gather materials and submit their applications. Recipients are notified by June each year.
13. Is there an application fee?
We absorb application portal costs, so there are no application fees. We believe emerging artists should not face paywalls to be considered for opportunities.
14. How are applicants selected?
MABF staff and advisory board members review applications and select participants through collective jurying.
15. When will I be notified?
Typically within eight weeks after the application deadline.
Support and Logistics
16. How long are the Residency and Fellowship?
The Residency lasts three to four months; the Fellowship lasts six to eight weeks.
17. What is the stipend for each program?
Fellows receive a $5,000 stipend for the duration of their fellowship.
Residents receive $1,500 per month. Non-local residents receive an additional one-time $1,500 stipend to cover housing expenses.
18. What does the stipend cover?
Stipends cover any costs that help advance participants’ work on specific projects or their overall practices, including, but not limited to, materials, books, equipment, and access to local libraries.
19. Is housing provided?
Housing is provided for Fellows. Non-local Residents receive a housing stipend.
20. What space, equipment, and other resources are provided?
Fellows have access to office space, a loft, and a small library.
Residents are provided with:
A 1,000-square-foot space shared with another resident
A 120-volt small kiln (chamber dimensions: 11.25 × 13.5 inches)
Kiln shelves
Roselli kiln stilts
Speakers
Mixer board
12-foot and 5-foot ladders
Decker tool kit and impact drill
10-foot shipping container for storage
Tea kettle
Espresso machine
Mini-fridge
For all other equipment needs, we encourage residents to make purchases using their stipends, and they may take the equipment with them when the residency ends. If residents need equipment for larger fabrication projects, such as institutional printers or looms, we are happy to reach out to organizations in our community to help source these items. Some local resources to consider include:
Equipment Rental:
Space and audio studios:
The Love Building/Allied Media Projects
Letterpress, binding, and bookmaking:
21. Where do the Residency and Fellowship take place?
The Fellowship is located on the third floor of ALEO Bed & Breakfast on Detroit’s east side, in Little Village. Please note that the building has no elevator.
The Residency is located in Southwest Detroit, adjacent to McArthur Binion’s Detroit studio.
22. Do I need to cover my own travel to Detroit?
The Foundation covers all travel expenses to and from the Fellowship or Residency for participants who are not local residents.
Participation
23. What is expected of me during the program?
Fellows are asked to present a seminar at the end of their fellowship to share the work they’ve been developing during their time at the Foundation. The seminar may take many forms but ultimately serves as a catalyst for bringing the local Detroit community together with scholars and writers, fostering emerging ideas.
Residents are required to participate in two studio-visit critique sessions during their residency. We also ask residents to participate in an Open Studio, which takes place at the end of their three- to four-month stay at the Foundation Studio. The Open Studio can also take on a variety of forms but is often a literal opening of the studio, where participating artists invite local community members to engage with work and ideas incubated during their residency.
For both programs, the executive director is available to fellows and residents to provide guidance and foster connections with libraries, people, and archives.
In addition to the Fellowship Seminar and Residency Open Studio, we host a small dinner at the end of each fellowship and residency period, respectively. This offering gives participants an opportunity to break bread and celebrate their time in the program. Participants are encouraged to invite a small number of community members to join the intimate celebration.
24. What does Critical Studies look like for Residents and Fellows?
Critical Studies takes shape through critique sessions and a series of intimate conversations between residents, fellows, community members, and the MABF executive director. At its core, Critical Studies encourages the incubation of ideas and creates space for reflection among artists and writers.
25. Am I expected to produce a finished work or other final outcome?
No finished work is required at the end of the program. However, we do encourage participants, especially residents, to use the resources provided in generative ways.
Accessibility and Contact
26. What accessibility accommodations are available?
We work to make our programs accessible to all and provide accommodations wherever possible. Please note that the Fellowship space is on the third floor of a former rectory and has no elevator. Applicants with specific accessibility needs are encouraged to contact the Foundation to discuss available accommodations.
27. Who should I contact if I have additional questions?
For all other inquiries, please contact inquiries@mab-foundation.com.