2025 Longwood @ Governors Island Open Call
Ends on
Bronx Council on the Arts
Longwood Arts Project
Longwood @ Governors Island Residency Program 2025
We are thrilled to announce our second edition of Longwood @ Governors Island, a BCA/Longwood Arts Project artist residency program to present Bronx-based artists with a free studio space to explore, create, and develop their work. The residency is available to artists of all disciplines who do not have external studio space at the time of the application or during the residency period from May 17, 2025 – November 2, 2025.
Longwood @ Governors Island furthers BCA’s mission to create connections between Bronx artists and others outside the borough. The program will serve a cohort of five to six visual artists by providing each artist with their own studio space from May to early November. There will be two Open Studio Weekends – tentatively July 19 and 20, and October 18 and 19 – allowing the public to engage with the artists and their work. The latter weekend will also feature a celebratory performance by Bronx performing artists, bringing together BCA’s unique cross-disciplinary constituency of artists and audiences. Resident artists will also receive a stipend plus a transportation stipend for materials.
This residency program will provide selected artists with an incredible opportunity for exposure. Aside from the several thousand visitors to Governors Island during this period, BCA will invite curators and other arts professionals out to the Island during the open studios. Additionally, artists will benefit from the Island’s year-round tenant organizations, many of whose interests intersect with the themes of their artistic practice (i.e., climate, architecture, technology).
Longwood @ Governors Island 2025
Application Period: January 15, 2025 – February 25, 2025
Notification of selection
March 10, 2025
Residency dates:
May 17, 2025 – November 2, 2025
2025 Program Guidelines
Eligibility
· 18+ years of age
· Artists of all disciplines will be considered
· Artist must be a current Bronx resident
· Artists will actively commit to participating in the program during the residency time frame offered: May 17, 2025 – November 2, 2025
· Artists must not have existing external studio space at the time of the residency
Evaluation criteria
Artists will be selected by BCA staff, led by the Longwood Gallery Director, and the Longwood Advisory Committee members (composed of local professional artists).
Selection will be based on a balance of the following criteria:
1. Clarity of the proposal
2. Ability to carry out the project
3. Demonstration of need
4. A professional standard of mastery of the chosen medium
5. The work/project is original and presents a unique vision or perspective
Residency participants will be offered:
· Access to free, temporary workspace on Governors Island for six months: from May 17, 2025 – November 2, 2025
· An individual, semi-private studio
· A stipend of $600 for the participation in the Residency Program (paid $300 at the start and $300 at the end of the program) and $100 for material transportation (paid at the start of the residency), total $700.
· Opportunities to build a cohort of peers and engage in peer critique
· Opportunities for connecting with Governors Island tenant organizations & artists
· Opportunities to share work in-person with curators and arts professionals during Longwood @ Governors Island Open Studios 2025
· Free ferry pass during the six-month residency
· A dedicated Residency House Attendant will staff and monitor the house and will be available to assist visitors every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM for the duration of the residency program. The Residency House Attendant and BCA staff will be familiar with resident and exhibiting artists’ work and will prioritize keeping the Governors Island public engaged.
Residency Requirements:
· Residents are expected to be in their studios on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
· Residents are required to present their work and engage with visitors on Saturdays and Sundays during Open Studios Weekends in July and October, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
· Studios will be open to the public the third Saturday of every month from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM for the Governors Island “THIRD Saturdays” event.
· Artists are welcome to use the studios Mondays through Fridays from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
· Each residency artist will teach one workshop during the Residency Program coinciding with “THIRD Saturdays”.
· Artists will keep studios and common spaces clean. Garbage must be disposed of in stipulated bins by the end of the day.
· Artists must follow directives from BCA and Governors Island personnel.
· Residents are expected to develop/continue a project or explore/create new work while at the residency.
· Artists will be asked to exhibit their work during the October Open Studios for the culminating Residency Program event.
Exhibition and working space conditions:
· The historic houses in Nolan Park and along Colonels Row were built in the late 19th/early 20th centuries to house officers and their families during the Island’s military history.
· Given their delicate nature, the spaces are best suited to creative practices that do not involve heavy production or large equipment.
· The houses do not have running water or working plumbing.
· Public restrooms are a few minutes’ walk from the residency house.
· All oil paint residue must be removed from the island in a container.
· Free public Wi-Fi is available on Governors Island, although the connection is unstable.
How to apply:
Applications will be sent via Submittable ONLY. The application will include:
· Proposed work plan for the residency and demonstration of need (max. 500 words)
· Artist statement (max. 250 words)
· CV (pdf)
· Up to 10 jpg files (3MB max each file) or up to 5 links to video works, (all works completed in the last five years)
· Image list with title, year, media, dimensions (length, for video), and a brief description of each work
We look forward to reviewing your submission!
ABOUT THE BRONX COUNCIL ON THE ARTS (BCA)
Founded by visionary community leaders in 1962, The Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA) is a pioneer in advancing cultural equity in The Bronx. From our early beginnings as a presenter of affordable arts programming in select Bronx neighborhoods, we have grown into a cultural hub that serves the entire creative ecosystem of the borough. Our programs serve artists, the public, and the field at large by building connections, providing resources, and advocating for equitable practices. Then, as now, we focus on supporting the work of underrepresented groups – especially artists of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Through this lens we offer affordable programs for seniors and youth and provide direct services to over 1,500 artists and 250 community-based arts groups each year. For more information, please visit www.bronxarts.org.
The Longwood Arts Projectis a flagship program of the Bronx Council on the Arts (BCA). Founded in 1981, it was one of the first alternative gallery spaces in The Bronx and to this day maintains its pioneering focus on artists whose traditions and cultural practices are underrepresented by mainstream venues. The Project derives its name from its original location, at PS39 on Longwood Avenue. From 2003 to 2024, the gallery was located on the campus of Hostos Community College. In September 2024, the gallery will be located at BCA Headquarters at 2700 East Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461.