Early Career Artist Residency Program

About the Open Call

The residency is designed for artists whose work engages directly with place and community. Rather than focusing solely on studio production, the programme supports projects that activate public spaces, foster collaboration, and encourage meaningful interaction with local residents. Artists receive dedicated live/work space, staff support, and introductions to local partners and resources, allowing them to develop customized projects rooted in the town’s social and physical landscape. The residency culminates in a public-facing capstone event, which may take the form of a performance, exhibition, reading, workshop, or community gathering. Residents are provided with lodging, studio facilities, and a stipend of $1,250 per week. Projects may take place in theaters, parks, storefronts, trails, farms, and other community spaces throughout Lanesboro. The programme prioritizes experimentation, accessibility, innovation, and public engagement, with a strong emphasis on art as a tool for social connection and community development.

What is Offered

Dedicated live/work space, community engagement opportunities, and time for artistic experimentation.

Requirements

Applicants must be early career artists with at least two years and no more than ten years of professional artistic practice, excluding time spent in degree-granting education. The residency is open to artists working across all disciplines, but applicants must be legal residents of either Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City for at least one year prior to applying. Degree-seeking students are not eligible. The application process takes place in two rounds. Round One requires basic artist information and a short project proposal. Selected applicants are then invited to complete a more detailed Round Two application, for which artists receive a $75 honorarium. Proposed projects should focus on generating new work rather than remounting existing projects and should demonstrate a strong relationship to community engagement and place-based practice.

How to Apply

Submit the Round One application online via the official website guidelines provided by Lanesboro Arts.