Open Call for Artist in Residence Program

The Artist in Residence program at West Windsor Arts offers artists a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a dynamic non-profit arts organization through teaching, curation, public presentations, and a featured role in a gallery exhibition. Designed to foster reflection and growth, the residency encourages meaningful exchange with our engaged community of artists, members, and audiences. The selected artist will share their creative vision while also inspiring others—offering insight into the artistic process, from concept development and choice of medium to defining an artistic purpose.

Now in its third year, the program continues to grow, building on past successes to broaden our reach and deepen our impact. Last year’s proposals were exceptional, and we look forward to another exciting selection process. Artists not selected in previous years are encouraged to reapply with a fresh proposal.

About West Windsor Arts

As a non-profit organization, West Windsor Arts’ mission is to cultivate the artist within us all, while inspiring a creative community that is engaged, inclusive and equitable. We present a range of arts programs for all ages including 263 arts and cultural events. This includes 8 free art exhibitions in our beautiful gallery, 57 music, dance, performance and arts events, 32 free community arts and music events, 166 arts workshops, classes and camps in visual, performing, and literary arts, as well as concerts, literary events, social service opportunities, and more. In addition, West Windsor Arts offers arts scholarships based on need and partners with local service organizations to break down the barriers to arts education and participation. We have a staff of 5 very dedicated people, an 11-member Board of Trustees and over 300 volunteers who work closely in all aspects of the organization. 

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

To support an enriched life for all, West Windsor Arts commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, and equitable region. We believe that equity is crucial to the long-term viability of both the arts and culture sector and communities-at-large.

Location

West Windsor Arts is located in Princeton Junction, NJ, within walking distance of the Princeton Junction train station. Our main service area includes people from central New Jersey including Princeton and Trenton, but we attract audiences from all of NJ, including the Jersey shore, northern New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania and New York City. Our community includes a diverse group of people from varying backgrounds and experiences, reflective of the people living and working in the region. We have an engaged membership, including artists and donors, who are passionate about working with us to provide and participate in  arts programming locally. 

Located in a renovated firehouse building, we have a 2028 square foot, multi-use gallery, a lobby with tall ceilings, a bright and clean studio, and an outdoor space set up with picnic tables. The gallery is perfect for art shows of 30 to 35 works. We also have wall-mounted shelves for small sculptures and other works that cannot be hung on the walls, plus TV monitors that can be hung to display digital work. The gallery also has a projection system, speaker system and microphone. The lobby is where our art shows start. We use this space to hang a sampling of art from the current show, and any really large art. The studio is equipped with floor standing and table top easels, and drying racks and shelves. We accept, store and organize materials that can be up-cycled into art projects and are available to the Artist in Residence if applicable to their work. 

REQUIREMENTS AND BENEFITS FOR THE PROGRAM

The Artist in Residence program will run from December 2025 to April, 2026, with 5 specific components: 

1. Artist Talk during our Artist Meetup Collab tentatively scheduled on January 27, 2026, 7:30 to 9pm. The Artist Meetup Collab brings together a lively and thought-provoking group of artists, sharing ideas and recent work, often discussing current trends and the power of art. The Artist in Residence will provide an in person presentation covering topics such as their background and training, their inspirations, significant work, materials, and goals for the future. The exact material being presented is determined by the Artist in Residence. 
2. Workshop for the public presented in February. 
   
   1. The date will be determined by aligning the artist’s schedule with West Windsor Arts upcoming schedule to find a mutually agreeable time. 
   2. The workshop will be inspired by the Artist’s body of work and will be finalized in collaboration with our staff. 
   3. The Artist in Residence will meet with staff to determine needed materials and tools. Equipment and tools are limited to West Windsor Arts’ current inventory.
3. Jury the Member Show. The Artist in Residence will develop the theme, serve as the juror, and their work will be featured in the art center lobby as part of this show. This will involve:
   
   1. Attend one meeting with the Exhibition Committee to discuss the theme. The in person meeting will be held on December 10, 2025 at 7pm. 
   2. Jury of the submissions between February 25 and March 1, 2026. This is done online, on your own time. 
4. Attend the opening for the Member Show, tentatively set for Friday, April 10, 2026 in the evening. The Artist in Residence will speak for a few minutes about the theme and selection process for the show and will share their experiences as our Artist in Residence. 
5. Optional studio space. During the residency from January to April 2026, the Artist in Residence will be offered a small area to store supplies and space to work in our busy studio. Specific days and hours will be determined by mutually agreed upon dates and times with the possibility of public viewing hours.

THE DETAILS:

– Proposals will be reviewed by staff and the Exhibition Committee.
– Once accepted, the Artist will sign the contract for this agreement.
– Honorarium: $1000 total for the Artist in Residence program, with $250 of this paid at the signing of the contract.
– Studio, gallery and all public areas are wheelchair accessible. If you have an accessibility need, please let us know in the application. 

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE 

• Resides in New Jersey.
• Works in any media, including 2D and 3D art, however artists using toxic materials will not be considered due to building limitations.
• Is willing to engage and share their experience, art, and processes with other artists, our members, and the public.  
• Is willing to work with our staff and volunteers to put forward a great program for the community.

TO APPLY

Use the form below to enter the following information:

• Contact information including phone and address
• Bio, including education and training
• Exhibition highlights
• Website or social media
• Attach a few samples of your work
• Proposed topic for the Artist Talk
• Proposed topic for workshop (topic, materials and any special equipment needed, length of time)
• Proposal for theme of Member Show 
• Proposal for what artwork you would want to display for the member show. This does not have to be the exact pieces. It can be a description of your intentions with some samples of what it might look like. 
• Proposed days of week and time you would like studio space and any specific needs you are seeking.