Application due October 5, 2026
Residency runs November 1, 2026- October 31, 2027.
 
Background
To support the opening of the Judy C. Lewent ’70 Science Center on Goucher College’s campus, Goucher College Library seeks a Library Artist-in-Residence to engage with materials in the Special Collections & Archives connected with science and the history of science across all disciplines. The artist will produce an exhibition in Goucher College’s Athenaeum as well as provide two public presentations/student interactions. The exhibition area is the display case outside of the Special Collections Department (measuring approximately 122 x 76 inches with movable shelves) with the option to extend around the 4th floor mezzanine walls.

Possible projects can include but are not limited to painting, photography, sculpture, digital media, or installation art.  Artists will have access to the Library’s main (non-rare) collection of books and its Special Collections & Archives which includes rare books, manuscript collections, and ephemera.
 
Program Goals 

• Connect materials in the Library’s Special Collections & Archives collection with the Goucher community and beyond in a creative and accessible way.

• Provide engaging and fresh ways to look at the history of science and all of its related fields. These fields could include animals, birds, flowers, horticulture, natural history, geology, agriculture, and the history of medicine. 

 
Artist Responsibilities

• Produce an exhibition in the Athenaeum on work done during the residency. The exhibition runs from August 2027- June 2028.

• Select with the committee one finished work that will become part of the permanent collection of the Goucher College Library.

• Participate in an Opening Reception on September 9, 2027 and facilitate/lead at least one more program in the fall of 2027. Programs can include interactive sessions, workshops, classes, artist talks, or other forms of community engagement. 

• May recruit Goucher students to assist with the production of the exhibition and programming.

• Promote residency and exhibition on social media.

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Timeline 
The 2027 residency will begin November 1, 2026 and run through October 31, 2027.  Applications will be accepted from August 20, 2026 through September 20, 2026. The award will be announced on October 15, 2026.
 
Artist Support
$8,000 to support travel, materials, and related expenses incurred by the artist. One half of the payment ($4,000) will be awarded at the start of the residency and the remainder ($4,000) upon completion. This is considered taxable income. The work that becomes part of the Goucher College Library collection is included in the $8,000 payment.
Artist may be currently living and working anywhere in the United States but must travel to work with the collection materials in person and must return to campus for the installation and programming.
 
Application Process
 Interested artists should submit the following information:

• One page project proposal that addresses the conceptual approach of the project, what materials or collections interest you, and how the artist would engage the public.

• One Year proposed timeline (November 1, 2026 – October 31, 2027)

• Resume or artist biography

• Past work samples – 10-15 images and/or up to 20 minutes of time-based media

 
Applications can be submitted via https://goucher.libwizard.com/f/libraryartist. Applicants will be reviewed by a jury of Goucher faculty, staff, and students.
Any questions please contact Liz Faust, arts gallery coordinator, at liz.faust@goucher.edu or Kristen Welzenbach, curator of Special Collections & Archives, at archives@goucher.edu.
 
For more information on items in the Special Collections & Archives please visit the library catalog. 
For more information on the Lewent Science Building please visit the Lewant Science Center webpage.

 

Reference Photographs of Space

 

Exhibit case outside of Special Collections & Archives (glass shelves are removed in this photograph but are available and adjustable if needed)