Artist In Residence

Applications for 2024-2025 session have closed.

Year-long residency opportunity for those with a desire to teach and share the experience of art-making: A strong desire to teach is required. Artists with more than one area of expertise and a BFA/MFA or equivalent experience are preferred. This residency can be extended an additional year if both the LUX and the artist agree.

Program Description

The LUX Center for the Arts is dedicated to transforming lives through art. We are a community of art lovers providing education through art classes, artist in residency programs, gallery exhibitions, and community outreach. We believe the LUX can help people make meaningful connections to art regardless of who they are.

Art and community are key elements of our mission and passion. LUX Center for the Arts has been the heart of creativity in Lincoln for more than 46 years through our diverse programs, events, classes, and memberships. We provide an inclusive, community focused environment for artists of all ages and skill levels.

Our artists in residency (AIR) program allows emerging artists to grow and develop by offering them studio space, quality teaching experience, and exhibition opportunities in our gallery. Residents are expected to teach classes throughout the year and during our intensive spring break and summer camp sessions.

This isn’t just an opportunity to focus on creating your own work. It is an opportunity to gain inspiration and perspective in a dynamic multi-faceted contemporary art environment. Come and experience how your work can help us to connect a community to the power of art.

Eligibility

BFA or MFA encouraged. Equivalent experience (residencies, apprenticeships, internships, or other non-traditional education experiences) will be considered. The LUX has a focus on manual arts and does not currently provide residencies for digital artists. Residencies are granted based on quality of work, desire to teach, community-mindedness, and experience. Residents teach a variety of classes to all age levels, but experience and enthusiasm for teaching children grades K-12 is helpful. Experience with teaching, and artists with more than one area of expertise, will have the most opportunities. 

International artists may apply but you must already have a visa that allows you to work. Artists-in-Residence are employees of the LUX and must be able to receive pay for their stipends and teaching compensation. LUX is unable to sponsor visa applications.

Selection Process

Residents are selected by a panel consisting of LUX staff members. The residency term is one year and may be renewed for a second year. We try to have 4 residents at any given time representing a mix of media expertise: one potter, one sculptor, one draw/painter, and one printmaker. Other media will be considered so long as they are physical (non-digital); such as fibers, paper-crafting, metals, mixed media or similar. 

Inclusivity at the center.

LUX Center for the Arts is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We are able to grow and learn better together as a diverse team. In recruiting for our team, we embrace an equal opportunity approach and welcome the unique contributions that each individual can bring in terms of education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs.

Residency Expectations

Teaching Opportunities– Artists in Residence (AIRs) teach a significant portion of the educational programming at the LUX. Teaching hours are paid hours. AIRs can expect to teach anywhere between 1-3 classes per week, based on the desired teaching load of the artist. Those may include but are not limited to:

Evening adult classes: Held Tuesdays-Thursdays, 6:30-9pm, year-round. Offered in multi-week sessions. Residents typically teach 1-2 per week.
Saturday youth classes: Offered in multi-week sessions, year-round. Residents often teach 1 per week.
Private/birthday parties: Scheduled upon request by customer. Offered year-round.
Private lessons: Offered in multi-week sessions, October-April.
Workshops: Typically offered on Monday evenings, Friday evenings, and some Saturday afternoons, year-round. Residents often teach 1 per week.
Summer Camps for grades k-12: Offered in 3-hour, Monday-Friday sessions. Summer camps typically run first week of June though early August. Residents must support summer camps through teaching, curriculum development or other support arrangements. 
Outreach teaching opportunities to bring our programming to partner schools in the community

All preparatory work and staff meetings are paid as well. LUX Staff work to make sure schedules are planned several weeks in advance and most time-off requests are met.

Although the LUX has a set of standard classes that we regularly offer, the Education Department encourages AIRs to propose classes and workshops that align with their specific skills and interests.

COVID Policy: All LUX Staff are required to be vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19. Masks are currently optional indoors for all staff and patrons.

Gallery and Shop Experience – AIRs may work hourly shifts in LUX's gallery and shop. Typical shifts include installing or de-installing shows, uploading work onto LUX's website and standard customer service. Training is provided at the beginning of the residency.

Community Events – The LUX hosts 2-3 annual Community Events per year. AIRs support these events and are expected to set up, lead an activity, and clean up after each event alongside other LUX Staff and volunteers. AIRs are also expected to attend monthly First Friday events and the LUX Annual Art Auction. Hours spent supporting these and similar events are paid hours..

2024-2025 AIR Orientation Schedule

2024-2025 AIRs are expected to arrive before Saturday, August 3rd, 2024.  All training + orientations are paid.

Saturday, August 3rd - Orientation, lunch included.
Monday, August 5th to Saturday, August 9th - Shadow Camps + Saturday Classes 
Coordinate dates between Aug 6th -Aug 17th - Shadow Adult Classes

Residency Benefits

Studio Access – AIRs are entitled to a free private studio space, 24-hour access to the building, and use of all studio equipment. Ceramics residents have access to regularly stocked clay and glaze materials and free use of kilns in exchange for studio maintenance duties. All residents can buy materials from the LUX at cost.  

Housing Stipend - All residents receive a $400 per month housing stipend. A full breakdown of income is detailed below under Financial Support. 

Materials Stipend – Residents receive a $120 a month stipend that is intended to help purchase art supplies. 

Exhibition Opportunities –  AIRs are offered representation in the sales gallery for the duration of their residency. Residents of a year or longer are also given a solo exhibition during one of the final months of their residency. Residents can gain curatorial experience by helping to plan and execute group exhibitions and community shows in our experimental gallery spaces.

LUX Gallery Shop – AIRs are welcome to submit work into the LUX's in-person and online shop..

Conference Attendance – Residents can attend one conference each year of their residency. The maximum registration fee LUX will cover is $300 per resident per year. Additional funds may be available to cover travel expenses and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Additional Benefits – Residents receive 30% off artwork purchases and 50% off classes and workshops. 

Private Resident Studios

90 sq. ft. - 140 sq. ft. private studios are provided for each resident. Private AIR studios are adjacent to our community teaching spaces and all have access to shared restrooms, sink, and kitchenette. Studio assignments are based on seniority and size of artwork. Additional workspace is available in our larger teaching studios as needed. All residents have access to equipment regardless of artistic discipline. Training on other equipment can be provided if needed. Residents are expected to help care for and maintain the shared studio and classroom spaces. .

Facilities

Ceramics Center:
600 sq. ft. hand building studio with small slab roller, wall-mounted clay extruder, and commercial low-fire glazes. We have five electric kilns: one test kiln, one small kiln, three standard size Skutt kilns. All of them are computer controlled.
Gas Kiln - A downdraft, soft brick reduction kiln with 14 cubic feet of stacking space powered with Ward forced air burners (the hot rod of kiln burners!). The kiln is capable of cone 6 - 10 reduction / oxidation firings. Makers of larger scale clay works will appreciate the kiln's front load design that maximizes loading space with a center pivot door as well as the addition of Ransome piggyback pilot burners making long, controlled preheats possible.  
370 sq. ft. throwing studio with 9 electric wheels.
120 sq. ft. Dry materials and clay mixing room with a large selection of dry materials and Peter Plugger mixer dedicated to mixing our teaching studio clay body which is low-fire red earthenware.
100 sq. ft. Dry materials and glaze mixing room with a large selection of glaze materials for community studio and personal use.

Education Wing:
670 sq. ft. classroom with Takach Etching Press (26×40″ bed) silkscreen supplies, and power-washing booth.
600 sq. ft.  mixed media studio with ft.72 sq. ft. basic metals studio with acetylene torches, large metal shear, rolling mill, and sandblaster. 

Galleries:
West Gallery - 36'x27' exhibition space curated by exhibition committee, shows change bimonthly
East Gallery - 15'x20' exhibition space curated by exhibition committee, shows change monthly. Residents have their solo show in this space.
Gladys Lux Print Collection – a museum space where exhibitions change quarterly and are curated out of our historic print collection. Prints were collected by our founder Gladys Lux to use as teaching tools for her university students.
Wake Gallery - 18'x12' exhibition space for student and community exhibitions, shows change monthly
Community Gallery – 40'x30' exhibition space for student and community exhibitions, shows change monthly

Financial Support

LUX is committed to paying artists for their time. While there is the $120 a month materials stipend, $400 a month housing stipend, residents earn most of their money by teaching classes for the LUX, working in the gallery, and selling their work in our gallery shop. Residents are responsible for their own living expenses. LUX Center for the Arts offers no housing for residents, but there are many affordable housing options in our University Place/East Campus neighborhood. 

Income Range - Below is an explanation of expected income based on the number of hours per week worked. Residents can rely on having a guaranteed 15 paid hours of work each week when considering income. All residents are expected to teach a minimum of 1 class per week, but they can decide if they would like to take on additional hours. Additional teaching hours are almost always available. Opportunities to work in the gallery, shop or any other area in support of the LUX will be taken under consideration and paid at the same rate. Special events taking place seasonally, as well as hours in required meetings and supporting gallery shows for First Friday are also paid hours.

15 hours per week: $1600 per month
20 hours per week: $1960 per month
25 hours per week: $2320 per month
30 hours per week: $2680 per month

The numbers above reflect the pre-tax totals of hours worked at $19/hour x 4 weeks per month + $400 housing stipend + $120 materials stipend. LUX residents and employees are paid bi-weekly. 
Residents who desire a second job are advised to work no more than 1-2 days a week at that position as studio time and paid teaching should be their primary focus.