Unlike their student neighbors in Watson Hall, the staff of Light Work — the artist-run photo gallery located in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center at Syracuse University — don’t get their summers off. Instead, they’re spent meticulously sorting through the hundreds of applications they receive for the acclaimed Artist-In-Residence program, carefully selecting 12 to 15 participants every year.

Last week, the nonprofit announced the 13 artists selected for the 2019 season.

Mary Lee Hodgens, associate director of Light Work, said this year’s group of more than 700 applicants was especially difficult to narrow down.

“I wish we could accommodate hundreds of people because that’s how much talent is out there,” Hodgens said.

Since 1976, more than 400 artists from across the United States and from 15 different countries have participated in the program. Much of the program’s prestige comes from its lucrative nature — the selected artists are offered a furnished apartment, access to Light Work’s lab and gallery space and a $5,000 stipend to support their creative needs. Hodgens said it’s important that the artists they select understand the value of the residency and are ready to take full advantage it.

Light Work has a deep commitment to diversity. Hodgens said the committee tries to make sure they select six men and six women, as well as choosing artists from personally diverse backgrounds. The current Artist-in-Residence, Fumi Ishino, is a Japanese immigrant. Much of his work illustrates the contrast between Japanese and American culture.

Upcoming Artists-In-Residence Pao Her and Kris Graves also convey themes of cultural identity and ethnicity in their work.

John Mannion, the master printer and chief artist liaison, said the gallery tries to be conscious of showcasing artists with a breadth of practice.

“We try to be really conscious about bringing artists who do a variety of things in a meaningful way,” Mannion said.

Shane Lavalette, the director of Light Work, said one of the things he’s most excited about for the 2019 season is that many artists expressed interest in putting together books with their photography — a medium he views as “one of the best ways to see and experience photography.”

Light Work releases a “Contact Sheet,” a book of their showcased photography, five times a year. Four issues are dedicated to a single artist, while the fifth, the “Light Work Annual,” showcases work from all artists-in-residence. Hodgens said Light Work’s book is what originally drew her to the gallery in 1995, when she was a printmaking student at SU.

The main purpose of the residency is to provide artists with the time, space, money and other support they need to produce more work, Lavalette said. The residency program is aimed at “emerging” artists in the beginnings of their careers, as well as artists who have been underrecognized. Lavalette said this is an effort to offer Light Work’s resources to those who need it the most.

Artists applying for the residency must submit a showcase of their work along with letters of recommendation, a personal statement and a cover letter. As the selection process moves forward, they answer several questions about their work. The committee does not go into the process looking for something specific, Hodgens said — instead, they allow the artists to convey through their own work what they believe is important.

“We’re trying to make sure that we support photography in all of its measures,” Hodgens said. “We’re trying to represent what’s happening out there.”

Published on September 25, 2018 at 10:23 pm