An artist-run, non-profit photography and digital media center
Supporting artists since 1973
Supporting artists since 1973
Keliy Anderson-Staley in the lighting studio making tintypes, 2010
Light Work receives support for its programs from the New York State Council on the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts; JGS (Joy of Giving Something, Inc.); Robert and Joyce Menschel; Vital Projects Fund, Inc.; Syracuse University; the Central New York Community Foundation; the Cultural Resources Council of Syracuse and Onondaga County, and our subscribers.
Light Work has supported artists in the creation of new work since 1976, when the Artist-in-Residence Program was formally introduced. Over 350 artists from around the world have participated in this program since then. Artists selected for the residency program come to Syracuse for one month to work in Light Work’s state-of-the-art facilities. They receive a $4,000 stipend, housing, a private workspace, and 24-hour access to Light Work’s digital imaging and photography facilities. Participants in the residency program are expected to use their month to pursue their own projects: photographing in the area, printing for a specific project or book, editing their work, and so on. Work produced by the Artists-in-Residence will also be published in Light Work's publication Contact Sheet. Light Work invites 12-15 artists each year.
Light Work's Main Gallery presents primarily solo exhibitions by emerging and under-represented artists who have made significant contributions to the field. Other galleries include the Hallway Gallery, Community Darkrooms Gallery, and the Robert B. Menschel Photography Gallery. Exhibitions are curated by Light Work's staff and guest curators.
Each exhibition in the Main Gallery is accompanied by a 48-page issue of Contact Sheet, which is distributed internationally. Reflecting our exhibition program, the Contact Sheet publication archive depicts a rich history of contemporary photography since the Seventies.
Stephen Chalmers exhibition, Unmarked, 2010
Each year Light Work awards grants of $2,000 to three Central New York photographers, critics, or photo-historians. The Light Work Grants are awarded to encourage the creation of new work and scholarship in Central New York. Submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges who reside outside the eligible geographic area. Grants are awarded on the strength of the candidate's portfolio and application. The work of the grant recipients is presented in a special exhibition at Light Work and reproduced in our publication Contact Sheet.
This grant is only available to the residents of the following Central New York Counties: Broome, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Tioga, and Tompkins. Applications for this program are accepted between January 15 and March 31 each year.
Light Work Grants in Photography exhibition (Karen Brummund), 2009