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Call for 2026 True Inspiration Artist-in-Residence
Type: Residencies, Workshops, Exchanges [View all]
Posted by: Furman University
Deadline: Fri, May 30th, 2025
CALL FOR ARTISTS:
2026 TRUE INSPIRATION ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE
The Department of Art at Furman University invites applications for the 2026 True Inspiration Artist-in-Residence. The program awards a practicing artist or designer with an eight-week residency on Furman’s campus where they can continue the development of ongoing studio projects and/or embark upon new creative endeavors. The Artist-in-Residence receives a $6,000 stipend, a private studio in the Roe Art Building, access to Furman’s institutional support, and a solo exhibition in the Department of Art’s Thompson Art Gallery. The ideal resident will have a practice that complements and expands upon the Department of Art’s concentrations in drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, graphic design, sculpture, printmaking, and art history, as well as that demonstrates a capacity for interdisciplinary dialogue.
A PDF version of this call is available here
Eligibility
The True Inspiration Artist-in-Residence is open to emerging and professional artists or designers of all media who:
· Reside in North America and/or who currently have a US work permit.
· Hold an MFA by the start of the residency or who have a significant record of exhibition and professional achievement.
· Live outside the upstate South Carolina region.
Residency Themes
This cycle, the Department of Art is especially interested in artists and designers whose work engaged one or more of the following themes:
· Historical memory, archiving, or institutionality (Furman celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2026).
· Immigration, social justice and advocacy, or the lived experience or marginalized social identities.
· HPratices of sustainablility (personal, public, economic, environmental, etc.)
Residency Expectations
During their time at Furman, it is expected that the resident will:
· Be in residence for a period of at least 8 weeks and a maximum of 16 weeks during the Spring 2026 semester (January 12 to May 9, 2026). The resident may elect when and how long the residency takes place.
· Make significant progress on a proposed studio project.
· Provide work for a six-week solo exhibition in the Thompson Art Gallery during the Spring 2026 semester. The exhibited works do not have to be related to the proposed residency project. The selected resident will submit a formal exhibition proposal in December 2025 prior to the start of the residency. The Thompson Gallery is approximately 1100 sq ft with 115 linear ft of exhibitable wall space.
· Give two formal artist / gallery talks. The first will be a welcome talk at the start of the residency and the second a gallery talk at the exhibition’s reception.
· Design and run a one-day workshop for Furman students.
· Hold at least 20 hours of open studio hours per week. Most of these 20 hours should be scheduled during working hours (weekdays, 9am to 5pm) to facilitate engagement with Furman’s students and faculty.
Compensation and Support
For the duration of their residency, the resident receives:
· A $6,000 stipend to offset material and living expenses
· A $500 budget for supplies
· 24-hour access to a private studio in Furman’s Roe Art Building
· Access, pending demonstrated experience, to the Department of Art’s equipment (the resident is responsible for all associated material costs)
As an affiliate of Furman University, the resident also receives free access to the physical and institutional resources of the university’s larger academic community, including:
• James B. Duke Library and Special Collections
• PAC Fitness Center
• Parking pass
• Computer / Software Licenses (such as Adobe) / IT support
The resident is responsible for the cost and arrangement of their housing, food, transportation, materials, and supplies.
About Furman University, the Department of Art, and Greenville
Furman University is a small liberal arts university located in Greenville, SC. With 2,500 on-campus students from across the nation, the university strives to support lifelong learners through inquiry, transformative experiences, and deep reflection. Furman highly values interdisciplinary dialogue and scholarly engagement.
Residents are encouraged to consider their project’s capacity to engage and promote interdisciplinary dialogue. Campus resources and organizations that may be of potential interest to residents include:
· Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities
· Riley Institute of Government, Politics and Public Leadership
· Institute for the Advancement of Community Health
· Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
· Furman University Special Collections
· The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program
The Department of Art has about 60 students majoring in art history or studio art. It inaugurated the True Inspiration Artist-in-Residence in 2016 as part of The Furman Advantage—a university-wide program that aims to build educational value for students through accelerated career exposure. The residency is intended to promote and encourage contact between the resident and Furman’s academic community, thereby providing Furman’s students with the opportunity to witness and engage with a professional, practicing artist or designer as they complete existing creative projects and develop new ones.
The upstate South Carolina area is rapidly growing with a rich history rooted in the textile industry. The New York Times ranked Greenville #12 on their 52 Places to Go in 2017 and Condé Traveler readers named it among the top 5 small cities in 2021. Local arts organizations include:
· Greenville Center for Creative Arts
· Greenville County Museum of Art
· Metropolitan Arts Council Directory of Artists and Galleries
Application Procedure:
To apply for the 2026 True Inspiration Artist-in-Residence, please submit the following materials as a single PDF to thompsongallery@furman.edu by Friday, May 30, 2025. There is no fee to apply.
• Statement of Intent (limit 500 words):
o Outline the project(s) to be explored in the studio during the residency period including the material, conceptual, and creative goals.
• Programming Statement (limit 300 words):
o Broadly discuss potential ideas for the gallery exhibition.
o Propose a potential resident-led workshop for undergraduate students.
§ Explain the concepts with which students will engage and any material / space requirements.
• Artist Statement (limit 500 words)
• Artist Biography (limit 200 words)
• CV with contact information
• Portfolio
o 10 images of recent / existing work with titles, dimensions, materials, and year created.
o Please include an image list.
o Links to videos should be embedded in the PDF.
Timeline:
· Submission Deadline: Friday, May 30 by 11:59pm
· Notification of Application Status: By Friday, June 18
· Formal Exhibition Proposal for Accepted Resident: Friday, December 5, 2025
· Residency: Spring 2026
More Information:
Questions related to the 2026 True Inspiration Artist-in-Residence may be directed to Dr. Stephen Mandravelis at thompsongallery@furman.edu.
Posted on Wed, April 2nd, 2025
Expires on Fri, May 30th, 2025
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