Every year Light Work invites between twelve and fifteen artists to come to Syracuse to devote one month to creative projects. Each year one artist is co-sponsored by Autograph ABP and one artist is chosen in conjunction with the Urban Video Project (UVP). Over 360 artists have participated in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence Program, and many of them have gone on to achieve international acclaim.
Artists selected for the residency program are invited to live in Syracuse for one month. They receive a $5,000 stipend, an apartment to stay in, a private digital studio, a private darkroom, and 24-hour access to our facility.

Participants in the residency program are expected to use their month to pursue their own projects: photographing in the area, scanning or printing for a specific project or book, and so on. Artists are not obligated to lecture at our facility, though we hope that the artists are friendly and accessible to local artists and students. Work by each Artist-in-Residence becomes a part of the Light Work Collection and is published in a special edition of Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual along with an essay commissioned by Light Work.

Applications are open to all artists working in photography or image-based media. Submissions are reviewed regularly throughout the year and applicants may be notified at any time.