Visual Studies Workshop (VSW) seeks residency proposals from emerging photographic artists living full-time in the greater Rochester region for its Regional Workspace Residency. The Greater Rochester region includes the following counties: Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties.

The Regional Workspace Residents, with the guidance of VSW Staff, will develop photographic projects over a period of 3-months along with a culminating presentation event to occur during the following month. The Regional Workspace Residency is a program that supports emerging photographers based in the Rochester, NY region with tailored residencies to help them expand their photographic practice and to provide professional development opportunities.

Selected photographic artists will develop detailed project and budget plans, and professional development goals (i.e. crafting an artist statement/CV, website or portfolio development, portfolio review preparation). Selected artists will be provided with $1000 stipend for supplies and $1000 project-related travel. Residents will be given access to the VSW workroom and darkroom and time with VSW staff dedicated to helping complete professional development goals, feedback on their photographic project and to plan a culminating presentation of the residency project. The Regional Workspace Resident, with guidance of VSW Staff, will determine what form their culminating presentation will take (i.e. artist talk, work installation, workshop, etc).

One proposal will be selected per cycle, which consists of a 3-month workspace residency and a culminating program that will take place the following month. Applicants will be considered for both cycles and their preference will be taken into account. Accepted applicants, however, are not guaranteed their first choice. VSW Staff will do our best to accommodate schedules. 

The Regional Workspace Residency cycles will take place during the following periods:

Cycle 1: June 1st through August 31st (Culminating event in September 2026)

Cycle 2: September 14th through December 14th (Culminating event in January 2027)

Call opens: February 12, 2026

Deadline: April 9, 2026

Notification: On or before May 1, 2026

Guidelines and FAQs

• Submit a 500 word proposal that describes your artistic practice and the project you will work on at VSW.
• Please submit samples of recent works made within the past 3 years in the form of jpegs.
• A bio of no more than 100 words.
• Collaborations are welcome and, in the case of a collaborative proposal, an additional 100-word bio and web links for proposed collaborators may be submitted. Both collaborators must be living full-time in the greater Rochester region. Honorariums are split between the collaborators
• All submissions must be made through submittable.com.
• Eligibility is open to early-career photographic artists who live full-time within the Greater Rochester region, which includes the following counties: Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates counties. 
• Only one proposal per applicant.
• The deadline for submissions is April 9, 2026 at 11:59pm Eastern Time.

Accepted media for work samples

• Up to 15 still images.
• Each image must be at least 72 dpi
• Final file size must be between 4-5MB
• Up to 10 minutes of moving image material

Contact Hernease Davis -- herneasedavis@vsw.org if you have questions.

Visual Studies Workshop nurtures experimental and expansive approaches to photography and media arts, and builds community among artists and the public through exhibitions, publications and residencies.

VSW envisions a society that values the human need to create and share ideas.

VSW Regional Workspace Residencies are supported by the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation.