Artist-in-Residence Program

AIR GRID

Interested in applying for a residency at Light Work?
Please review our guidelines.

Every year Light Work invites between twelve and fifteen artists to come to Syracuse to devote one month to creative projects. Over 400 artists have participated in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence Program, and many of them have gone on to achieve international acclaim.

The residency includes a $5,000 stipend, a furnished artist apartment, 24-hour access to our state-of-the-art facilities, and generous staff support. Work by each Artist-in-Residence is published in a special edition of Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual along with an essay commissioned by Light Work. Work by former Artists-in-Residence is also part of the Light Work Collection.

Light Work will always be an impactful force in the photography community, the community of Syracuse, and to the history of the medium. I am very honored and thankful to have participated in this residency program and know that it will continue to have a positive effect on those who are selected in the future. I learned and grew exponentially due to the care of the entire staff in regards to accommodations, facilities, one-on-one attention, and management of the program. This is the most important photography residency due to the patience, support, and community it provides.

-Aaron R. Turner, Artist-in-Residence 2018

Artists-in-Residence earlier than 1999 are not archived online, however we hope to do so in the future.

Information about earlier artists can be found within individual issues of Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual.