Artist-in-Residence

Our Program

Westfield Memorial Library serves not only as a destination for people to read and learn, but also a place for viewing, creating and exploring artistic expressions in an open, dynamic, and public environment. The Library offers an Artist-in-Residence program in collaboration with the Westfield Art Association. The Westfield Art Association is a non-profit volunteer organization founded in 1922 that provides public art education and public exhibitions with work from its member artists.

The Artist-In-Residence program requires resident artists to offer three programs during their three-month residency. The first program will be a public exhibition with the artist demonstrating their artistic process at the Library where the public can ask questions about the artist and the artistic process. The second program will require the artist to lead a workshop teaching a part of their artistic process; this workshop will be planned and administered by the Library staff with assistance from community volunteers solicited by the Westfield Art Association. Library staff are available to artists to help brainstorm and execute program ideas. The final program will be an interview with the artist to learn more about the artist in residence and their history in the art world, called “Behind the Artist.” All of these events will occur on weekday evenings, weekends, or school vacation days and will be free and open to the public.

The Artist-in-Residence program brings Westfield’s talented local artists to the library for the entire community to enjoy through talks, hands-on workshops, studio hours, exhibitions, and more. The goal of the Artist-in-Residence program is to connect the community with local working artists and to provide creative and educational opportunities to the community in a way that supports cultural and artistic exchange.

Residency Details

We are looking for visual artists (ages 18 and up) who have a direct connection to the local arts community and a desire to help the Library improve the livelihood of our creative community. The candidate to be an Artist-in Residence must be a member of the Westfield Art Association to be eligible. The resident artist will deliver art-making tutorials, creative workshops and artist meet-ups, culminating with a residency exhibition.

The Artist-in-Residence program will feature two artists per year and be in effect for the three-month periods of May 1 to July 30 and November 1 to January 31. The Westfield Art Association Board of Directors will solicit its members for applications to be an Artist-in-Residence and a committee with representatives from the Library and the Art Association will select each Westfield Art Association member artist who will be the Artist-in-Residence. The selection will be based on the details in the application and may require an interview of the applicant. The selection will be determined based on the ability of the applicant to meet the Artist-in-Residence requirements. The goal is to continue this program into the future if funding is available and the program serves the above outlined objectives.

Artists-In-Residence receive:

• A stipend of $2,250 paid to the artist at the end of the residence if all program requirements are met.
• The Library will cover the cost of any materials and supplies the artist needs to provide the public workshop. These costs must be approved in advance by the Library staff and receipts must be provided for any material not purchased by the Library staff.
• Promotion of the artist’s work through programs, lectures, and exhibitions. The Library will dedicate the walls of its downstairs hallway outside of the meeting room to display the Artist-in-Residence’s artwork created during the time of the residency. The Artist-in-Residence will be allowed to sell the pieces displayed on the walls during the show and afterward. The Library will take a commission of 10% of any artwork sold that is displayed on the walls of the library and sold during the residency. The art will stay on display until the beginning of the next residency.
• Updates and recognition in the library’s weekly email newsletter, social media, and other marketing platforms.
• Updates and recognition on the Westfield Art Association’s website and newsletter.
• An end of residency reception (to be held in July for the Artist-in-Residence during May 1 to July 30, and to be held in January for the Artist-in-Residence during November 1 to January 31.) The reception will be planned, advertised and funded by the Library, and will be open to the public.

Residents are expected to:

• Offer at least one public art demonstration so the public can observe the artist’s process and ask questions.
• Lead at least one workshop for the public and/or staff teaching a part of the artist’s process.
• Participate in a “Behind the Artist” interview session to describe their background, artistic process, and answer questions from the public and/or Library staff.
• Create art during the time of the residency with a public exhibition of the artwork at the library.
• Remain current in their membership in the Westfield Art Association.

As noted above, the program consists of one artist per three-month residency, offered twice per year: May 1 – July 30 and November 1 – January 31.

We pose this challenge to our artists: look at Westfield, Union County, and New Jersey as a source of inspiration for your work. This residency is for artists who wish to engage with people of all ages and backgrounds. Art should be accessible to all people, and it is the artist’s role to act as a catalyst for both inspiration and radical inclusion.

We highly encourage applications from artists that are active in socially engaged practice. Our library is open to the public seven days per week and, as such, we require artists to have the ability to fully engage with our visitors, in capacities that may differ from a traditional artist residency.