Light Work Awarded $35,000 Grant From the National Endowment for the Arts

Light Work has been awarded a $35,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The grant for Light Work is one of 958 Grants for Arts Projects awarded as part of the NEA’s first round of fiscal year 2024 grants.

“The NEA is delighted to announce this grant to Light Work, which is helping contribute to the strength and well-being of the arts sector and local community,” says National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D. “We are pleased to be able to support this community and help create an environment where all people have the opportunity to live artful lives.”

The grant will support Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence Program. Light Work invites between 12 and 15 artists to Syracuse to devote one month to creative projects every year. 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 its 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.

“We are thrilled to have the continued support of the National Endowment for the Arts to support our Artist-in-Residence Program,” says Dan Boardman, director of Light Work. “The NEA has been a cornerstone in building the AIR program. With this funding we offer artists a unique experience to develop new and exciting work in lens based media. We are truly grateful.”

For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.