Black Image Center’s Artist Residencies provide intimate learning environments for emerging Black photographers and artists. These programs are designed to offer artists the essential components for their creative development: time, space, and resources. Through our residencies, artists get the opportunity to deepen in their work and increase both their visibility and future opportunities.

Our residencies consist of cohorts of 12 artists and run for 4-6 weeks. Each residency has a different theme, with past themes including fashion photography, fine art photography, and environmental photography. Sessions are hosted at Black Image Center and often include field trips to exhibitions or other art spaces. During this time, artists collaborate, learn from each other and various teaching artists, and create networks of care that support their growth and development. Through workshops and mentorship, artists hone their craft and produce final images that reflect their unique perspectives and experiences.

An example of the impact of our residency programs is demonstrated through residencies done in partnership with renowned institutions and organizations such as the Getty and 10K Projects. In collaboration with Getty, inspired by the works of Carrie Mae Weems and Dawoud Bey, our teaching artist Nesanet Abegaze led 12 artists through a six-week intensive exploring themes of ancestral dialogue. This program energized artists' conceptual approaches, fostering fresh perspectives and innovative storytelling, and ended with an exhibit at Band of Vices. Similarly, our partnership with 10K Projects allowed us to explore the intersection of photography, music, skating, and sports culture. Under the mentorship of industry experts, residents learned photography techniques and participated in workshops, culminating in an exhibition hosted at Black Image Center.