The LUX Center for the Arts is dedicated to transforming lives through art. We are a community of art lovers providing education through art classes, artist in residency programs, gallery exhibitions, and community building. We believe that LUX can help people make meaningful connections to art regardless of who they are.
Art and community are key elements of our mission and passion. LUX Center for the Arts has been the heart of creativity in Lincoln for more than 47 years through our diverse programs, events, classes, and memberships. We provide an inclusive, community focused environment for artists of all ages and skill levels.
Our artists in residency (AIR) program allows artists to practice, grow, develop and engage their skills in our community. We accomplish this by connecting our residents with a variety of resources, such as private studio space, teaching opportunities, and opportunities to show their work or curate shows in our gallery spaces. Connection to our community is fostered by bringing residents into contact with local galleries, art patrons, community groups and fellow artists. Residents are encouraged to be active participants in helping us build community through hands-on art making events, outreach opportunities and public engagement.
This isn’t just an opportunity to focus on creating your own work. It is an opportunity to gain inspiration and perspective in a dynamic, multi-faceted contemporary art environment.
Residents bring with them a unique set of skills and interests that enliven our classrooms. Residents are expected to teach classes regularly. Teaching with LUX as a resident is a valuable way to learn about instruction for life-long learners of all ages in a non-academic setting. We expect that residents will help develop new classes based on the techniques and topics which interest them. This is a wonderful opportunity for artists who are interested in teaching as part of their professional goals.
Beyond teaching, we are interested in residents who see community building and community engagement as part of their artistic future. As an embedded community art center and a nonprofit, we are in a unique position to connect artists to our friends, neighbors and wider families. From connecting our artist fellows in the classroom to placemaking projects outside of our walls, opportunities for engagement are varied and will depend on the unique interests of each resident. If community building is part of your passion, we encourage you to apply.
During the entirety of your stay with us, LUX will make efforts to highlight and celebrate you! We are proud of our residents and want to do our best to support you with a range of marketing support.
Residency Eligibility
Residency Experience Summary
Application Information
Most of our residents have earned their MFA before joining us, but this is not required for application. Equivalent experience (residencies, apprenticeships, internships, or other non-traditional education experiences) will be considered. The LUX has a focus on manual (non-digital) arts and does not currently provide residencies for digital artists. Residencies are granted based on quality of work, desire to teach, community-mindedness, experience and demonstrated seriousness of practice.
Residents will be responsible for teaching classes (multi-week programs) and workshops (single events). Many of our participants are adults, but experience and enthusiasm for teaching children grades K-12 is helpful. LUX teaches regular foundational classes throughout the year but relies upon our residents to develop a new curriculum. Residents will be asked to submit their own ideas for classes and will be given the opportunity to teach at least one class which is focused on a topic of their choosing. Applicants who demonstrate a passion for teaching, previous experience of teaching, and a willingness to teach a variety of media, will be well positioned to take advantage of this residency.
International artists may apply but you must already have a visa that allows them to work. Artists-in-Residence are employees of LUX and must be able to receive pay for their stipends and teaching compensation. LUX is unable to sponsor visa applications.
LUX is committed to paying artists for their time. LUX provides two monthly stipends: $400 for housing and $120 for materials. These are unrestricted funds open to discretion of the resident and provided regardless of any other paid hours.
Residents earn an hourly wage of $20 per hour for any work, including: teaching classes for the LUX, working in the gallery, and selling their work in our gallery shop. The only exception to this is teaching out after school outreach classes, which are paid at $25 per hour.
Residents are considered employees. Paid time off will be accrued and available for residents according to Nebraska state law as an additional benefit.
Residents are responsible for their own living expenses. LUX Center for the Arts offers no housing for residents, but there are many affordable housing options in our University Place/East Campus neighborhood.
LUX is unable to provide medical insurance. Residents do not accrue time off, holiday pay or other employment benefits.
Income Range - Below is an explanation of expected income based on the number of hours per week worked. Actual compensation may vary depending on desired workload and needs of each individual resident.
All residents are expected to teach between 1 and 3 classes or workshops per week. We are committed to filling and running any class that is scheduled, but not all classes run as scheduled. Residents can decide if they would like to take additional hours beyond teaching. Opportunities to work in the gallery, shop or any other area in support of LUX will be taken into consideration and paid for at the same rate. Special events taking place seasonally, as well as hours in required meetings and supporting gallery shows for First Friday are also paid hours.
Residents are responsible for requesting work hours and tracking hours worked, and LUX will provide at least 15 paid hours each week upon request.
Here is an example of how hours worked and the monthly stipends might look. For illustration only. Actual hours will depend on submitted hours and current policy. All numbers listed below are gross pay and do not account for taxes. Historically AIRs work between 10 and 30 hours each week.
Example:
Assuming a resident completes the full residency period with paid hours averaging 15 hours a week, their annual gross pre-tax pay would be:
$4,800 (housing stipend, $400 x 12 months)
$1,440 (materials stipend, $120 x 12 moths)
$15,000 (hourly pay, $20/hour x 15 hours, x 50 weeks)
Total: $21,240
LUX residents and employees are paid bi-weekly.