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The Windgate Artist in Residence is made possible through a generous grant from the Windgate foundation. The Windgate Foundation, based in Little Rock Arkansas, is a private foundation established in 1993 whose purpose is to advance contemporary craft and strengthen visual arts education in the United States. Education, health, and community initiatives are an additional area of focus in Arkansas.

About

The Windgate Artist in Residence at UA Little Rock is a semester-long residency program open to artists, designers, and craftspeople. This residency offers the selected applicant the opportunity to create work and engage with the School of Art and Design community, as well as the greater Little Rock community. 

The primary goal of the residency program is to provide time to make and develop work, and the space to make it while interacting with our community. This program provides a $30,000 stipend, housing, funding for materials and travel, studio space, and access to UA Little Rock’s extensive studios. 

The selected artist will have 24-hour access to a private studio and specialized areas including: a Woodshop equipped with a CNC and laser cutter, Ceramics Studio, Jewelry and Metalsmithing Studio, Smithy and Foundry, Photography Studio, and a Printmaking Studio.

Artists will interact with students through weekly open studio hours, studio visits, and in-class activities (artists will not be required to teach courses). 

The Artist in Residence will run a minimum of one 2-day workshop for students during the semester. There are also opportunities for artists to teach paid workshops at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Art’s Windgate Art School for those interested.    

The Artist in Residence will give an artist talk at the Windgate Center of Art + Design and the Arkansas Museum of Fine Art. Participating artists give one work of art to be added to the Permanent Collection at UA Little Rock.  

Current Artist in Residence – Fall 2025

Naima Green

Our current Artist in Residence is Naima Green. Green’s artwork has been exhibited at ICA VCU, Baxter Street CCNY, Fotografiska New York, Smart Museum of Art, MASS MoCA, International Center of Photography, Houston Center for Photography, Bronx Museum, BRIC, Ltd Los Angeles, Gallery 102, Gracie Mansion Conservancy, Shoot the Lobster, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and Arsenal Gallery. She’s participated in artist residencies at Recess, Mass MoCA, Pocoapoco, Bronx Museum, Vermont Studio Center, and is a recipient of the Myers Art Prize at Columbia University.

Her works are in the collections of Barnard College Library, Decker Library at MICA, Fleet Library at RISD, High Musuem, Hessel Museum, International Center of Photography Library, Leslie-Lohman Museum, MoMA Library, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Hirsch Library, National Gallery of Art, Olin Library, Cornell University, Smart Museum of Art, Teachers College, Columbia University.

Green earned an MFA from Bard College, where she was awarded the Director’s Fellowship, an MA in Art & Art Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, where she was awarded a Merit Scholarship, and a BA in Urban Studies & Sociology from Barnard College.

She was the Harnish Visiting Artist and Lecturer in Photography at Smith College from 2021 to 2023 and currently teaches in the Creative Practices program at the International Center of Photography and in New York City Public Schools. Visit her website for more.

View our Past Artists in Residence.

How to Apply

Applications for the fall 2025 Artist in Residence is now open in Workday.

Qualifications:

Required Education and/or Experience:

  • Active artistic practice 
  • Evidence of active participation in exhibitions at the national or international level
  • Experience working with students at any level

Preferred Education and/or Experience:

  • MFA, BFA, BA, or commensurate experience

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Being present for the duration of the residency (Fall: Aug. 15 – Dec. 15) or (Spring: Jan. 15 – May 15)
  • Making artwork in the Windgate Center M-F (daily)
  • Maintaining open studio hours (weekly)
  • Giving a public artist’s talk (2 times)
  • Running a 2-day workshop
  • Critiquing BFA students
  • Participating as a guest artist in relevant classes, leading an in-class activity (up to two times per semester)
  • Attending welcome and farewell receptions
  • Donating a work to the UA Little Rock’s collection

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Knowledge of artistic processes and media
  • Knowledge of studio safety procedures
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Ability to teach
  • Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate
  • Willingness to engage in collaboration with faculty as a guest artist in their classes
  • Willingness to engage with students and the broader community

Salary Information:

This position is awarded a stipend of $30,000 for the semester. The position has an additional $2,000 budget for materials and travel. 

Required Documentation:

Important note: Please upload all of the following files to the field on the application that prompts you to upload your CV. You may submit them individually or as one large PDF. This is the only place on the application that allows file uploads. 

  1. Letter of interest specifying qualifications and experience (cover letter)
  2. Curriculum Vitae
  3. Professional work samples to include a portfolio or link to an online portfolio (20 images maximum, with explanatory notes or captions. Upload all attachments as one PDF document)
  4. Names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references who can comment upon your experience and professional preparation