Apply Here by May 31, 2026

Questions? Email [email protected].

The Lab is announcing an open call for its celebrated Living Wage Residency program in 2026-27, providing substantial support for artists in the creation of new works.

Since 2014, The Lab’s residency program has provided over $1,000,000 to artists, with artist fees representing nearly 30% of our average operating budget. Residents receive keys to our space as well as substantial support in the form of artist fees, curatorial collaboration, and technical expertise.

Artists working in all media and disciplines are invited to apply, keeping in mind The Lab’s history as a site for experimental and interdisciplinary forms of artistic work spanning performance, exhibition, installation, sound and experimental music, writing, institutional critique, social practice, parades, feasts, and further disciplines yet to be defined.

As many resources provided in The Lab’s Living Wage Residency relate to in-person access to our space, this open call is restricted to artists based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While additional outside project funding (either possible or secured) will not be factored into a consideration of artists’ proposals, The Lab’s staff may work with selected artists to identify potential sources of additional support for expanded artist, materials, and collaborator fees.

Residencies will take place from July 2026 through June 2027.

Artists selected through our 2026-27 open call will receive:

• $17,530 artistic fee, commensurate with a living wage for 3 months of work in the San Francisco Bay Area as measured by MIT’s Living Wage Calculator.
• $5,000 in additional support for collaborators and materials.
• Three months of access to The Lab’s space for rehearsals and workshops, as space is available around other programming.
• Two weeks of continuous use of The Lab’s exhibition and performance spaces for the outcome of the residency.
• Curatorial and marketing support including outside studio visits, documentation of the work, and concerted publicity efforts.

Application process:

• Stage 1, Due May 31 — Open call with artist name, CV, 3 links, brief description of proposed residency project, and brief overview of how you will apply the provided financial, staff, and space resources.
• Stage 2, Due Date TBD — Up to 12 selected artists will be invited and provided with a $250 stipend to develop their proposals with a personal bio and statement of timeliness, a further description of the project, and a more detailed description of how they would specifically use the $5,000 stipend for collaborators and materials.

Applications will be reviewed by a diverse panel of professional artists and curators, including members of The Lab’s Board of Directors and outside panelists.

About The Lab’s Residency Program

The Lab’s residency program was launched in 2014 by Dena Beard, during a reimagining of the institution and its relationship to artists. At the core of the program are two key principles: 1) to empower nontraditional artists to rethink art institutions as platforms for their work, and 2) to provide these artists with significant funding, time, and space. Since 2014, The Lab has directed over $1,000,000 toward projects by artists including Sadie Barnette, Brontez Purnell, Indira Allegra, Jacqueline Kiyomi Gork, Ellen Fullman, Asher Hartman, Carrie Hott, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Roscoe Mitchell, and many others. In the past year, The Lab has also published artist books of projects by Indira Allegra and Carrie Hott, ensuring that these projects are able to reach an audience far beyond the San Francisco Bay Area, with a forthcoming release by Zachary James Watkins planned for Fall 2026.