About the program

For more than four decades Bemis Center’s core mission has been to provide artists from around the world dedicated time, space, and resources to conduct research and to create new work across conceptual, material, performative, and social practices. To date, more than 1,000 artists have participated in the residency program.
Bemis offers artists-in-residence unmatched technical guidance, access to interns, and an established network of resources. Participants have the opportunity to create networks, collaborate, and share their work with fellow artists-in-residence, organizational partners, and the public. The Bemis Alumni Program extends artist support beyond their Bemis residency through Alumni Residencies, an annual Alumni Award, and Alumni Convenings. .

Eligibility

Residency opportunities are open to national and international artists 21+ years of age showing a strong professional working history. A variety of disciplines are accepted including, but not limited to, visual arts, media/new genre, performance, architecture, film/video, literature, interdisciplinary arts, music composition, and choreography.
Bemis residency alumni are allowed to re-apply after a five-year hiatus from the program. Alumni seeking residency must submit a complete application including recent work samples and current resume. Preference may be given to applicants who have not previously attended. Learn more about our Alumni Program.

Artists enrolled in an academic program during the time of the residency opportunity are not eligible to apply.
Small collaborative groups are eligible to apply. Please note, if selected, Bemis Center is only able to accommodate two members of a collaborative group to attend the residency and live on-site.

* The Bemis Center also offers Alumni Artists-in-Residence program, Sound Art + Experimental Music Residence program, and a Curator-in-Residence program.

Language

English
Bemis welcomes international artists to apply. Working knowledge of English is helpful as Bemis Center is unable to offer an interpreter.

Duration

2024 Spring residency session
January 24–April 19, 2024
Deadline: March 31, 2023 | 11:59 PM CST
Total Artists Selected: 10
Notifications to all Spring 2024 applicants will be made via email on July 1, 2023.

2024 Summer residency session
May 22–August 16, 2024
Deadline: March 31, 2023 | 11:59 PM CST
Total Artists Selected: 9
Notifications to all Summer 2024 applicants will be made via email on July 1, 2023.

2024 Fall residency session
September 13–November 10, 2024
Deadline: August 1, 2023 | 11:59 PM CST
Total Artists Selected: 9
Notifications to all Fall 2024 applicants will be made via email on December 15, 2023.

Studios and facilities

Located in the historic Old Market, Omaha’s arts and culture district, Bemis Center’s campus accommodates a broad range of artistic activity. Selected residents will also have access to expansive installation and production spaces within Bemis Center’s 110,000 square foot main facility and the Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility, a 9,000 square foot large-scale sculpture fabrication space and workshop. A Bemis residency also includes complimentary laundry facilities, utilities, wifi, and access to an on-site research library.

Financial support

U.S.-based artists-in-residence receive a $1,000 USD monthly stipend and an additional $750 USD travel stipend. Due to the limitations of B2 visas (touring/visiting), international artists-in-residence are eligible to receive reimbursement of qualified expenses, such as airfare, ground transportation, and meals. Selected artists are responsible for organizing travel to Omaha to attend the residency. Additional stipends for studio supplies or materials are not available.

Accessibility

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and disability.
The Bemis Center campus includes two buildings that are ADA compliant with barrier-free access. The main building spans six levels and houses twelve, private live/work studios between the second and third floors, each ranging in size and configuration. There are five live/work studios on the third floor with roll-in shower stalls. Communal installation workspaces are barrier-free. The private residency entrance to the first floor consists of six steps. There are seven stairs and an ADA-approved ramp to the main entrance, which also accesses the first floor. A passenger elevator operates between the first floor and fifth floor.
The Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility is a single-story, ground-level building located directly across the street from the main building. A cobblestone and brick city street separates the two facilities and conjoins the parking lot, which includes accessible parking spaces at the front entrance for visitors and residents. Okada includes two gender-neutral and accessible bathrooms with handrails. Workspaces can be arranged and organized to accommodate a variety of practices and needs.
The lower level, which includes the Sound Studio and LOW END, can be accessed from the east-facing public entrance by 18 steps, the first floor by 18 stairs, or via freight elevator. Located inside the Live Room, the Recording Studio is accessible through a double-door entryway. The doorway dimensions are 83″ wide x 79.25″ tall and has an elevated, sloping threshold that is 2″ tall. The Live Room is barrier free.
In striving to create accessibility for all, Bemis welcomes inquiries from applicants with specific questions to ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of any resident. Please direct residency accessibility questions to Rachel Adams, Interim Residency Program Manager, at 402.341.7130 or Residency@bemiscenter.org.

Opportunities and expectiaations

Residencies are independent, self-directed, and process-based: there are no expectations placed on artists to create or perform. Residents are, however, invited to participate in at least one opportunity to engage our community, such as our public Open House / Open Studios.
Selected artists must attend a minimum of eight consecutive weeks within a residency session to be accepted. Deferring or rescheduling a residency is not permitted at this time. Late arrivals, early departures, or extended absences may result in prorated stipends.

Fees

A $40 USD non-refundable application fee is due at the time of submitting an application through SlideRoom paid via credit card or by PayPal. Submission of completed applications is only accepted online through bemis.slideroom.com. Fees related to visa processes or passport acquisition are the responsibility of the awarded artist.

Applications revien process

SlideRoom will confirm receipt of your submitted application. Residency applications are reviewed by a rotating panel of artists and arts professionals, such as curators, academics, and/or critics. The application review process consists of an online review followed by an on-site panel meeting. The review process takes 12–14 weeks from the application deadline. Notifications to all applicants will be sent via email after the selection panel has made its final decision. If an artist is selected for more than one session, the artist will select one session to attend.

Apply online at bemis.slideroom.com.

Required application materials

• Your website
• Current phone number
• Current email
• Current ZIP code
• Artistic Discipline
• Are you a collaborative?
• Date of Birth
• A brief statement about your creative and intellectual interests and description of how you anticipate using the time and space, e.g. working on current projects, conducting research, reading, writing, etc., if you are selected for a residency. (500 words max)
• Specific resources, facilities, or equipment necessary to your practice you may require while in residency, based on your interests and residency goals previously mentioned. (100 words max)
• Current Resume. If you are a collaborative group, include a combined resume listing all collaborative members and reflecting previous work history and projects completed as a collaborative. Please list all collaborative members at the top of the resume. PDF format preferred.
• Two references including name, email, phone number, and relationship to each reference. References will be contacted by Bemis Center during the review panel process. Letters of recommendation are not required.

Portfolio

• Up to ten media samples of work completed within the past five years including: images (up to 5MB each), video (up to 250MB each), audio (up to 30MB each), PDFs (up to 10MB each), and/or models (Sketchfab).
• Images should be no larger than 5MB each, .jpegs or .pdfs are preferred.
• Each time-based work sample should be up to five minutes in length or less.
• Do not include multiple page .pdfs as one media sample.
• Multiple images in a single media sample are not recommended and can be difficult for panelists to review.
• Text-based media samples should be submitted in .pdf format; approximately one page in length, (i.e., one page is the equivalent of one media sample). Works-in-progress may be included. All samples must be submitted in English.

Apply online at bemis.slideroom.com.

For more information, contact the Residency Program team at 402.341.7130 or residency@bemiscenter.org.

Contact

Address: 724 South 12th Street, Omaha, NE 68102, United States
Tel: +1 402 3417130 / Fax: +1 402 3419791
E-mail: residency@bemiscenter.org

Website: Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Vimeo

* If you see an error or omission on this page, please let us know by e-mail.