Artists-in-Residence Fellowships

Personal Information

This section collects your identifying information such as name, preferred pronouns, country of citizenship, and preferred contact information. Please note that citizenship information is collected only for internal reference and is not a determining factor in fellowship selection. You will also be asked to identify if you live or work in the Chicago area. There are no residency restrictions for Artist-in-Residence fellowships.

Demographic Information

1. What is your gender?

This optional section asks for your gender identity. This information is for internal reference only and is not a determining factor in fellowship selection.

2. With which groups do you identify?

This optional section allows you to identify your racial or cultural identity. This information is for internal reference only and is not a determining factor in fellowship selection.

3. How did you hear about the Newberry's fellowship program?

We gather this information to learn how effective our program advertising and sharing has been.

Professional Information

Curriculum Vitae/Resume

Upload your curriculum vitae or resume (maximum 5 pages) as a PDF or Microsoft Word document.

Professional Website

If you have a professional website or digital portfolio you wish to share, provide a link here.

Have you held any fellowships or artist residencies within the last 3 years?

Please list fellowships or residencies of one month or longer held at any institution.

Have you applied for a residency or other fellowship at the Newberry before?

Your answer to this question is for internal reference only and will not affect your fellowship eligibility.

Have you received a Newberry residency or fellowship in the past?

If yes, please provide details such as award type and year.

In this section, you will be asked to describe the project you plan to complete research for at the Newberry.

Project Title

The current or proposed title of your project.

Project Abstract

A short summary of your project. No more than 1300 characters (approximately 200 words).

Project Description

A description that elaborates on your abstract. Maximum of 1,000 words.

About 1/2 of this document should give an overview of your project. The other 1/2 should explain how your research at the Newberry will contribute to the project.

This document should be uploaded in Word or PDF format. You may embed one image in this document, but the document upload cannot exceed 10MB. If you wish to share further images, please see the Media upload section on the next page of this application.

Materials you plan to consult at the Newberry

A list or description of some of the materials that you wish to consult at the Newberry. No more than 2000 characters (approximately 300 words).

You may list particular items or the names or types of collections, as relevant. If possible, greater specificity is recommended.

If you have questions about Newberry materials for your project, you can reach out to our librarians here.

The Artist-in-Residence program requires at least 1 and a maximum of 2 references. 

You will be asked to provide your reference's contact information. SlideRoom will then send a email to them with directions to fill out the reference form.

• Name (required)
• Title
• Email address (required)
• Phone number (not needed)
• Organization
• Relationship
• Personal message from you which will be included in the automated email.

Your reference(s) will be asked the following questions:

• How do you know this applicant? (Maximum 100 characters/15 words)
• How would you describe this applicant's work and their professional reputation? (Maximum 1500 characters/250 words)
• The Newberry Artist-in-Residence Fellowships are intended to support a month of research in the Newberry library collection to support the applicant's proposed project. Do you feel they are well-suited to a research-centered residency? (Maximum 1500 characters/250 words)
• Is there anything else you think we should know about this applicant or their work? (Maximum 1500 characters/250 words)

Reference replies are due 10 days after the application deadline. See dates for the current cycle at the top of this page. You can check your application on SlideRoom to see if your reference(s) have submitted their form.

In this section, you can upload up to 3 pieces of media to support your application, such as samples or work or reviews.

Written works should be 25 pages or under.

You are strongly encouraged to include any relevant reviews of your work by professional critics.

Accepted formats:

• Images (up to 5MB per file)
• Video (up to 250MB per file)
• Audio (up to 30MB per file)
• PDFs (up to 10MB per file)
• .zip files. (up to 10MB each)
• Links to YouTube, Vimeo, or SoundCloud

Artist-in-Residence Awards are open to any artist or writer who wishes to research in the Newberry collection.

Eligible artists and writers include (but are not limited to):

• Fine artists such as painters and sculptors
• Illustrators
• Photographers
• Cartoonists and graphic novelists
• Performing artists such as dancers, musicians, or actors
• Authors of fiction and nonfiction
• Poets
• Journalists
• Playwrights
• Composers
• Filmmakers

There are no degree or residency requirements.

Newberry Artist-in-Residence projects can be any form of creative work or writing other than scholarly projects, which are funded by our other fellowships. The Newberry’s collections should be vital for the success of the proposed project.

To learn more about successful projects, see our list of previous Artists-in-Residence.

All applicants are encouraged to identify particular materials or collections which they wish to work with during their residency. You can learn more about our collection here and search our catalog here.

During reading room hours (10am – 4pm, Tuesday – Saturday), you can contact a Newberry librarian at 312-255-3506. You can also submit a question using this online form or by emailing reference@newberry.org.

We have a small staff who answer a large number of inquiries from researchers all over the world. Response times can vary and may take up to two weeks, depending on the number of requests in the queue.

The Artist-in-Residence program does NOT collect letters of reference. Rather, references are submitted as short answers in our SlideRoom application system. One reference is required, and up to two are accepted.

You will be asked to provide your reference's contact information. SlideRoom will then send a email to them with directions to fill out the reference form.

Your reference will be asked the following short-answer questions:

• How do you know this applicant?
• How would you describe this applicant's work and their professional reputation? 
• The Newberry Artist-in-Residence Fellowships are intended to support a month of research in the Newberry library collection to support the applicant's proposed project. Do you feel they are well-suited to a research-centered residency? 
• Is there anything else you think we should know about this applicant or their work? 

Reference replies are due 10 days after the application deadline. See dates for the current cycle at the top of this page. You can check your application on SlideRoom to see if your reference(s) have submitted their form.

The Artist-in-Residence review committee is an internal panel of Newberry staff drawn from across library departments.

Artist-in-Residence acceptances and rejections are usually sent in May.

No. Unfortunately, as a research library, the Newberry does not have studio space available.

Each Fellow and Artist-in-Residence is assigned their own research carrel where they can page books (with the exclusion of Special Collections materials) and store their research materials. The carrell is furnished with a desk, chair, bookshelf, and reading lamp. They are also welcome to use general reading room spaces.

Please note that in there are strict rules about what types of materials are allowed in Fellows’ carrels - see "What art materials can I use at the Newberry?", below.

To protect our collections, there are strict rules about what materials are allowed in research and reading room spaces, including fellows' carrels. 

You may ONLY use writing pencils (i.e. #2 pencils or standard mechanical pencils).

You may take photographs. See below, "What are the Newberry's photography policies?", for more information.

The following materials are not allowed:

• Pens
• Ink
• Paint
• Markers
• Colored pencils
• Pastels
• Glue
• Tape
• Scissors and other blades 
• Tripods, external flashes, and other photographic equipment

Newberry staff reserve the right to remove any such materials from your carrel. If you have any questions, please reach out to Fellowships staff.

You may take your own photographs of Newberry collection items as well as requesting reproductions from the Newberry. 

Under the Newberry’s open access policy, anyone can use images from the Newberry collection for any lawful purpose without paying licensing or permission fees. 

You are responsible for determining whether the material is in the public domain or whether it is protected by copyright law or other restrictions. 

Some collections may have specific restrictions regarding research use, copyright, citation, photography, or reproduction. The Newberry reserves the right to prohibit photographing or otherwise reproducing any of its collection materials.

Photography Rules

• Do not use a camera flash or any other additional lighting.
• Do not use tripods, templates, or any other equipment.
• Do not use personal scanner equipment.
• Materials must remain flat on the desk or in the book supports provided. Do not push on bindings or otherwise manipulate or put pressure on items.
• Remain in your seat or standing to take photographs. Do not stand on tables or chairs.
• Do not take photographs of library staff or other researchers without permission of the Newberry and those being photographed.

There is no Newberry Artists-in-Residence exhibition or other program of display.

If you produce any written work from your Residency, we ask that you send a copy to the Fellowships office. For visual or performed works, we ask that you send images or recordings. If possible, we also ask that you acknowledge the Newberry's support of your project. More information on these policies will be shared at the beginning of your residency.