Organizer Information
Founded in 1974, Center for Book Arts (CBA) is the oldest nonprofit dedicated to uplifting and furthering the book arts through education, preservation, exhibition, art making, and community building. It was founded by book artist and master bookbinder Richard Minsky and was the first organization of its kind in the United States, later becoming a model for similar institutions across the country. CBA began as a Greenwich Village storefront on Bleecker Street, relocated to Broadway in 1984, and has occupied its current home in Manhattan's Flatiron District since 1999. CBA defines book arts broadly, encompassing all arts and crafts relevant to producing and manufacturing books, from type design and typography to hand and mechanical bookbinding, printing, and restoration. The organization runs studio spaces, exhibition programs, and educational workshops in bookbinding, letterpress, and related techniques, and has a long-running artist residency program supporting book artists at various career stages.
Title & Description
2027 Workspace Artist Residency
CBA's Workspace Residency invites artists to explore the book as a time-based medium — described by Ulises Carrión as "a sequence of spaces, each space perceived at a different moment." The 2027 cycle specifically asks what new forms of contemporary visual art can emerge when the book is approached as an art form, and invites artists to engage with publishing and independent print-making both as an artistic medium and as a historically significant tool for political and cultural engagement. The residency offers keyholder access to shared studio space, alongside financial support, educational programming, and professional development, for the production and exhibition of artists' books and related work. The program promotes experimentation in book arts and welcomes artists from any disciplinary background with a genuine interest in the field, aiming for a cohort balanced between experienced book artists and artists newer to the medium.
Theme
The book as a time-based medium and as a tool for political and cultural engagement — specifically, exploring what new forms of contemporary visual art emerge when approaching the book as an art form, and engaging with the history of publishing and print as instruments of social and cultural transformation.
Categories
- Residency
- Papermaking
- Printmaking
- Paper-based
- Visual Arts
- Craft
Eligibility
- Open to New York–based emerging and mid-career artists
- Open to artists from all disciplinary backgrounds, including those without prior book arts experience but with a demonstrated interest in the field
- Applications from artists of culturally diverse backgrounds are especially encouraged
Program Benefits & Awards
- 24/7 keyholder access to shared studio space for 6 months
- Honorarium: $1,500
- Material stipend: $500
- Storage space
- Basic supplies and tools provided (newsprint, bookbinding tools, decorative paper, etc.)
- Free classes in bookbinding, letterpress, RISO, and other techniques
- Consultations and professional development support with CBA staff and visiting curators
- Scheduled site visits to partner institutions related to artists' books and publishing
- Support from volunteers
- Opportunities to present work in exhibitions and public programs
- Access to Materials for the Arts
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Applications Deadline: 1 October 2026
- Selection Panel Meeting / Recommendations: Early October 2026
- Shortlisted Artist Interviews (virtual): Mid-October 2026
- Residency Period: April 2027 – September 2027 (6 months)
- Group Exhibition for Residents: 2029
Location
Center for Book Arts, New York, New York, United States
Additional Details
- Applications are reviewed blind by an independent panel of arts professionals, looking for either a demonstrated history working with the book as art or a genuine interest in engaging with the book as art in new ways
- Strong applications will demonstrate a committed artistic practice through work samples, statement, exhibition history, or other public artistic engagement
- At the conclusion of the residency, artists present their work and reflect on their experience in an artist talk
- Source discrepancy: the number of residency spots is inconsistent within the source — one section states CBA will award "up to four" New York–based artists this cycle, while another section (describing the program in general terms) states CBA awards "up to six" artists annually. The source also describes the program elsewhere as a "year-long residency," which conflicts with the specific 2027 residency period stated as 6 months (April–September 2027). Applicants should confirm the exact cohort size and residency length directly with CBA before applying.