Workspace Residency
Squeaky Wheel’s Workspace Residency supports artists and researchers working on media arts projects.
The short-term residency is open to applicants from Buffalo and across the United States who are seeking resources, time, and support for ongoing projects or the creation of new work.
Residents have tailored access to facilities, equipment, technical consultation, from Squeaky Wheel, as well as our partners Buffalo Game Space, The Foundry, Mirabo Press, and Silo City. Residents present on their work together in a public event, present a workshop for the Squeaky Wheel community, and participate in tailored activities, such as field trips, critiques, among others.
We aim to support our residents’ careers and continue our relationships after the residency has concluded. Former residents have been invited to present exhibitions, performances, screenings, among other activities.
Open Call: Spring 2024 Application
Application period: Open September 23. Deadline Friday, October 25.
Residency dates: April 4–19, 2025 (two-weeks)
Support provided: $900 stipend, up to $300 in artist fees, accommodations, up to $400 in travel support for non-local residents, up to $900 optional financial assistance for childcare and/or disability support.
Notification date: December 20, 2024
Info-sessions:
• In-person at Squeaky Wheel: Saturday, September 21, 3 pm. Register here.
• Virtual info-session: Monday, September 23, 12 pm ET. Register here.
Book a virtual feedback meeting with the curator
September 24–October 14
Monday–Friday, 11 am–3 pm
Click here to book a meeting
Download the application guide
Click here to apply
Eligibility
- Applicants must have a U.S. Social Security Number in order to receive payment; all payments are made via check. Applicants who are full-time students at the time of the residency are not eligible to apply. Exceptions are made for students in graduate programs who are near the end of their thesis.
- Only one application per applicant.
- Local residents who have received a residency or solo exhibition at Squeaky Wheel must wait a period of two years before applying again to the residency. Non-local applicants must wait a period of five years.
- Squeaky Wheel staff and board members may not apply. Squeaky Wheel contract employees (teaching artists, etc) may apply.
Who is the residency for?
Residents have worked on non-fiction and documentary films, video games, curatorial research, critical essays, experimental film, media art installations, performances, sound work, and much more. The residency attracts practitioners who make challenging and critical inquiries to media art: its possibilities, histories, and the communities it can hold and form. If you are unsure if this is you, we invite you to define how your projects is part of media arts.
You can apply under three tracks:
- Artist Residency: The residency program lends itself to the creation of a wide variety of work including film, video, virtual reality, game development, textile, metal, woodwork, 3D printing, sonic arts, installation, performance, ecological arts, and more, with access to a wide range of equipment, tools, and technologies. Participants can mix and match these benefits according to their needs. Work can be at any stage of production, and doesn’t need to be completed during the residency program.
- Researcher Residency: Artists, scholars, curators, archivists, writers, and theorists are invited to propose new or in-progress research in the area of emergent media arts practices towards the publication of critical texts, scholarly research, or production of curatorial projects.
- Silo City Residency (summer only): People who love cavernous grain silos and ecological arts!: artists are invited to submit proposals to create and present a public performance at Silo City’s Marine A, which utilizes its unique sonic, visual qualities, and/or industrial history and legacy. The Silo City Resident will have access to the properties on Silo City for a performance that utilizes media, sound, and/or emergent technologies. Equipment from Squeaky Wheel will be available to the resident pending availability. Please note: The Silo City Resident is responsible for their own transportation to and from Silo City for site visits; Squeaky Wheel highly recommends the resident have access to a car.
What is the residency like?
The residency is two-weeks long in the Spring, and three weeks long in the Summer. It is self-directed, and you are provided access to equipment and facilities at Squeaky Wheel and our partners based on your needs. Residents are expected to be familiar with the technologies and facilities they use. Residents are expected to work ~30 hours/week on their projects. Out of town residents are provided with travel reimbursements and a private room at a nearby AirBnB.
Residents take part in two public events during their time with us: A 20 minute artist talk, and a 1.5–2 hour workshop or lecture that they propose in their application. Silo City Residents are also expected to present a culminating public event at the end of their residency, produced with Squeaky Wheel. Residents receive artist fees for these events. The curator organizes some activities, such as tours, studio visits, and gatherings.
Along with Squeaky, who are the partners who provide facilities and equipment?
Residents are provided with access to our partners for facilities and equipment use based on their needs. We are pleased to work with several institutions and groups in Buffalo for residents to create media art in their chosen mediums. You can see updated lists of equipment and facilities in the Application Instructions document.
Buffalo Game Space has served as home to a thriving community of artists, designers, musicians, and developers, all sharing a passion for making games.
The Foundry is a hands-on education facility and business incubator for product-based businesses. Our mission is to increase neighborhood prosperity by empowering individuals through education and entrepreneurship.
Mirabo Press is a fine art printmaking studio founded by Bob Fleming, Rachel Shelton, and Mizin Shin. Mirabo is a space where original print-based artwork is made and we offer artist residencies, collaborative contract printing, education opportunities, and one-on-one project sessions.
Silo City is a unique post-industrial landscape, comprised of the world’s largest collection of historical grain elevators, where arts, culture, and ecology meet. We create and host happenings on site through our 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that operates under the legal name Friends of Silo City.
Past Workspace Residents
Since 2016, the residency has hosted over 50 artists, filmmakers, performers and researchers. You can read their biographies here, and view past residency events and workshops here.
