The Echo Artists in Residence Program invites two artists each quarter to experiment and create on-site projects for our galleries and the greater Cleveland community. Each season, SPACES selects one local artist from Northeast Ohio—defined as Cuyahoga County and its contiguous counties: Lorain, Medina, Summit, Portage, Geauga, and Lake—and one artist from outside the region. These two artists form a peer cohort, fostering the exchange of ideas, techniques, and networks. While collaboration is not required, the selection committee seeks artists with complementary or intersecting themes to enhance dialogue and impact. SPACES encourages applicants to propose projects that push the boundaries of their artistic practice, and share an authentic connection to this region.

Benefits

Each Echo artist receives comprehensive support to ensure a meaningful and productive residency experience. Participants will have access to:

• An artist honorarium and production budget
• Full use of SPACES’ production facilities and A/V equipment
• Access to offsite maker spaces at no cost
• Research support and curatorial guidance
• On-site lodging in the gallery
• A dedicated local artist ambassador to help foster genuine community connections
• Opportunities to engage in local cultural experiences
• Marketing and Press support, including a press release
• An exhibition preview night with community arts leaders
• A public exhibition opening reception
• A one-year SPACES membership, which includes free access to SPACES professionalization workshops and ArtsPass—a cross-organizational artist membership with Zygote Press, The Morgan Conservatory, and Praxis Fiber Workshop. ArtsPass members enjoy workshop discounts and open studio access across all three organizations.

SPACES is located in Cleveland’s historic LGBTQIA+ neighborhood, a walkable area near downtown with easy access to public transportation—and even a SPACES artist bike for getting around the city

ELIGIBILITY: This call for proposals is open to artists and cultural producers who are 21 years and older. We accept applications from creative professionals at all stages of their careers who engage experimental practices with strong conceptual foundations. Selected artists cannot be enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree granting programs during their program year.          SPACES prides itself on an ADA compliant building, with space for individuals and families alike. We will work with selected artists to find a residency plan that works for them.

EVALUATION: Applications are reviewed once each year. They are evaluated by a selections committee of artists, community members, board members, and SPACES staff living and working within and outside of Cleveland. The selections committee members change yearly.          Applications are scored based on compatibility with SPACES programming goals, demonstrated organizational and/or conceptual rigor, clarity of proposed methods, and quality of past work samples. Select applicants will be invited to participate in a video interview.  Finalists will be asked to confirm their availability.

2027 Selection Committee: Anna Arnold, Leila Khoury, Thea Spittle and Antwoine Washington PROGRAMMING OBJECTIVES 

SPACES seeks innovative, experimental, and boundary-pushing contemporary art that engages timely and critical ideas. As a leading alternative art space in Cleveland, we prioritize the commissioning of new work—often created on site—that challenges conventional exhibition models and transforms the gallery into an active, immersive environment.

We are especially interested in artists whose practices may reflect the following qualities:

Experimental & Contemporary: Work that explores new ideas, materials, and methods, and moves beyond traditional or commercial gallery formats.

Site-Specific & Immersive: Projects conceived specifically for the SPACES galleries, emphasizing spatial transformation rather than wall-based presentation.

Thematically Engaged: Art that responds to current social, political, or cultural issues with thoughtfulness and urgency.

Collaborative & Responsive: Artists interested in dialogue, community engagement, and, at times, collaboration with local partners as part of the residency experience.

Multidisciplinary: Practices that span a range of media—including installation, performance, sculpture, and new media—and embrace experimentation and process.

SPACES actively supports artists, at all stages of their careers, particularly those with a strong, evolving vision who are eager to take creative risks and expand their practice.

GOALS

• To provide opportunities to experimentation that cannot be found elsewhere
• To support work that could not be made elsewhere
• To support diverse perspectives
• To present work that is challenging, complicated, or not easily summarized
• To expand gallery viewership and/or public engagement
• To make  use of the resources, connections, and unique assets of NE Ohio

For all other questions, you may contact SPACES' Curatorial Coordinator:  thea@spacescle.org