Artist-in-Residence Program

Program Information

The Iowa Lakeside Lab invites artists, musicians, and composers of all genres to apply for a two- to four- week residency. Artists from any region of the U.S. may apply.

The artist-in-residence program is part of an on-going partnership between artists, scientists, and community members in the Iowa Great Lakes Region of rural Northwest Iowa/Dickinson County. Artists whose work engages with ecology, science, and natural history are especially encouraged to apply.

Artists receive complimentary housing. For residencies between May 20-July 12, meals are also provided. In exchange, artists complete a community outreach project (approximately four to eight hours of contact time).

Applications are accepted from January 1 through March 1 for residencies in that calendar year. Selected artists will be notified in early April.

For questions on housing, facilities, and use of natural areas, please contact Peter van der Linden, Director of the Lakeside Lab, peter-vanderlinden@uiowa.edu.

For art-related questions, please contact Lisa Johnson, 14brushes@gmail.com.

Materials and Working Conditions

Artists should plan to bring tools and materials that they need because Lakeside does not have traditional working shops. Instead, labs that are not in use are turned into studio spaces for our artists. Artists are asked to bring all tools with them that they need; the region is peppered with small towns and some supplies can be purchased in the area.

Artists are enouraged to use the landscape as their studio, and to interact with the natural landscape as much as possible. We are a nature preserve, so artists need to consider the environmental impacts of on-site projects. Staff at the Lab will be happy to consult with artists-in-residence on specific environmental concerns.

Transportation

Artists are asked to arrange their own transportation to and from Lakeside. A car is helpful, but not necessary. Bike trails connect much, but not all, of the area.

Community Engagement

Artists are encouraged to think creatively about their projects and asked to commit one day of their residency to a project that engages Lakeside's community. This event might be a lecture, a workshop, an art walk, or another creative project.

The Application Process

Applications are accepted from January 1 through March 1 for residencies in that calendar year. Two to four artists are accepted annually. Artists working in diverse media are encouraged to apply. Selected artists will be notified in early April.

All application materials must be submitted in the manner described.

Your application package should include:

An Artist-in-Residence application form saved on a CD, flash drive, or other external storage device (note: this will not be returned to you after submission).

8-12 images of your work (as .jpg files) saved on the device
- Resolution 100 dpi; maximum pixel dimensions 1600x1600

Please label each image as follows: LastName, FirstInitial, Number (i.e. Smith.K_1)
Sculptors may include three additional images if needed to show multiple views
Sound and video artists may also submit up to 12 minutes/200 MB of material

A List of Works (saved on the device) that includes your name, the title of each piece, its dimensions, and date completed.
A statement describing your work interests and how you see it fitting into art-science-community partnerships (2 page maximum); saved on the device
Mail storage device with the completed application to:
- Artists in Residence Program
  c/o Division of Continuing Education
  250 Continuing Education Facility
  Iowa City, IA 52242