Each artist is selected through a rigorous application process administered through ArtsPath and other AIE partners throughout the state. Selected artists must meet specific criteria, including demonstration of professional artistic excellence and ability to communicate their art form in an educational setting. Applicants present a portfolio, are interviewed by a panel of arts experts approved by the state, and are then observed in a classroom setting.
Information on artists recommended by the panel is then sent to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for final review and recommendation. In addition to artists recommended by ArtsPath, all artists placed on the Pennsylvania Directory of AIE Artists either by the state or other AIE partners are eligible to present residencies in the region serviced through ArtsPath. All artists hold appropriate security clearances for working in a school with copies of their documents available upon request.