Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts launched its Sound Art + Experimental Music Program in May 2019 with generous support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Embedded within Bemis Center’s renowned international Residency Program, this program offers a unique experience for artists working in sound, composition, voice, and experimental music.
Benefits
The Bemis residency is a process-based experience–residents have the ability to research, experiment, and explore free from expectations. Bemis residents enjoy generous sized, private live/work studios and have 24-hour access to extensive installation and production spaces; the Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility, a 9,000 square foot industrial workshop used for large-scale sculpture fabrication; and a Sound Studio for rehearsing and recording.
Professional collaborations and personal friendships are often formed among the multidisciplinary mix of residents from around the world. Presentations and open studios among the residents are optional and spontaneous, providing opportunities to share work with fellow cohort members. Bemis also offers opportunities to meet local and regional artists, arts professionals, and others that may specifically help advance a resident’s practice.
Selected US-based artists-in-residence receive a $2,000 USD monthly stipend, a $750 USD travel stipend, a $7,000 USD materials budget, and a $1,000 USD shipping budget to cover the transportation of items or equipment to and from the residency.
Bemis Center is a host organization through the International Art & Artists Exchange program. Selected international artists-in-residence are encouraged to apply for a J-1 short-term scholar visa through IA&A to be eligible to receive monthly stipend payments. If a J-1 visa is not acquired by an international artist-in-residence, that artist will be subject to payment restrictions specific to their particular visa. B2 visas (touring/visiting) limit payments to international artists-in-residence as reimbursement of qualified expenses only, such as airfare, ground transportation, and meals.
In addition to financial support, residents receive technical and administrative support from a dedicated team of Bemis staff members.
Facilities + Resources
Live / Work Studios + Amenities
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Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts has twelve live/work studios on two floors in which the artists-in-residence reside. Spaces range from 820–2,200 square feet. Each studio has its own kitchen and private bathroom and is equipped with basic items (linens, bedding, dishes, a basic set of tools, etc.) and furniture (bed, table, chairs, desk). Residents have access to a variety of additional furniture that can be placed in the studio. Studios are also equipped with a paint sink, plywood-backed sheetrocked walls, accessible windows, concrete floors, and 12’ ceilings. Both live/work studio floors have complimentary laundry facilities, utilities are paid for by Bemis, and each studio has wifi internet.
Project + Installation Spaces
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Bemis artists-in-residence have 24-hour access to project and installation space on Bemis Center’s 3rd (6,500 square feet) and 5th (7,550 square feet) floors. These floors offer an abundance of natural light and both finished and unfinished spaces for building, documenting, rehearsing, collaborating, and experimenting with their work.
Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility
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Bemis artists-in-residence have 24-hour access to the Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility, the organization’s stand-alone fabrication space located across the street from its main building. The 9,000 square ft historic bow truss building was renovated in 2011 and includes a woodworking area, metal shop, ceramics studio, and a vast amount of space for building and documenting large-scale work.
Sound Studio
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Located in Bemis Center’s lower level, the Sound Studio is a 1,000 square foot shared workspace for artists-in-residence. The workspace includes a Studio Room for mixing and recording and a Live Room where artists can rehearse, experiment, and mic up instruments to be tracked into the Studio Room. The Live Room also serves as a rehearsal space where artists can set up multiple instruments to experiment or practice. The Sound Studio is equipped with a variety of instruments, amps, microphones, and digital hardware and software for recording and mixing.
Clare Haas Howard Research Library
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The Clare Haas Howard Research Library is located on Bemis Center’s main floor within the administrative offices and contains more than 3,000 art-related books, exhibition catalogues, artist monographs, journals, and magazines. Current artists-in-residence are permitted to check out books during administrative hours.
The library is named in honor of Clare Haas Howard, an artist and patron of the arts, for her strong spirit and many contributions to the Omaha creative community.
Interns
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Bemis Center’s Internship Program offers students and recent graduates who are interested in working as a professional artist or within the arts or nonprofit sector the opportunity to work directly with a Bemis resident. Bemis recruits and matches interns with residents based on their mutual skills and goals. Interns assist with projects such as studio production and fabrication, research, documentation, and sourcing local resources while receiving mentorship from a Bemis resident.
Community Partnerships
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Partnerships with local organizations such as The Union for Contemporary Art, Hot Shops, and Metro Community College Prototype Design Lab offer Bemis residents access to additional tools, equipment, technical support, and opportunities to create networks and collaborations.
Public Presentation
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All residents are invited to participate in at least one opportunity to share their work with fellow artists-in-residence, organizational partners, and the public.
LOW END is Bemis Center’s music venue and an integral part of the Sound Art + Experimental Music Program. The unique artist-designed space located in Bemis’s lower level includes custom seating, theatrical lighting, an anamorphic perspective stage, and industrial-grade audio equipment. LOW END features free live shows by local, national, and international sound artists, composers, and experimental musicians. These performances aim to not only build new audiences and a greater appreciation for nontraditional forms of music but also to liberate artists to take risks and present truly avant-garde work.
Graduate students participating in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s design-build program, FACT (Fabrication and Construction Team), worked in close collaboration with Jeff Day, UNL professor and architect with Actual Architecture, artist and carpenter Sean Ward, musicians, sound engineers, mechanical experts, and Bemis staff to envision the new facilities for Bemis’s Sound Art + Experimental Music Program. Under the guidance of Day, the students designed and helped build the Program’s custom facilities including a recording and rehearsal studio and music venue, LOW END. Forthcoming amenities as part of this program include a green room for performers, a custom bar, and pre-event lounge.
LOW END
Design
LOW END Performance Space Rendering by FACT
Architectural rendering of the program’s dedicated performance space, LOW END, by FACT. The space accommodates approximately 250 guests for free performances by leading national and international sound artists, musicians, composers, and vocalists. Pictured here, the venue will offer a unique artist-designed space with custom seating, theatrical lighting, and an anamorphic perspective stage, along with professional-level sound equipment.
LOW END Axonometric Rendering by FACT. In this axonometric view of the program’s facilities, the bar is located underneath a light well in the pre-event atrium. Across from the bar, a pink room will double as an alternative lounge with stylish seating.
LOW END Rehearsal Room Rendering by FACT
LOW END Green Room Rendering by FACT
LOW END Atrium Rendering by FACT
ELIGIBILITY
+Residency opportunities are open to national and international artists 21+ years of age showing a strong professional working history. Applicants working in, but not limited to, sound art, composition, experimental music, and a variety of other disciplines where sound is the primary medium will be considered.
Bemis residency alumni are allowed to re-apply after a five-year hiatus from the program. Alumni seeking a residency must submit a complete application including recent work samples and current resume. Preference may be given to applicants who have not previously attended. Learn more about our Alumni Program.
Artists enrolled in an academic program during the time of the residency opportunity are not eligible to apply.
Small collaborative groups are eligible to apply. Please note, if selected, Bemis Center is only able to accommodate two members of a collaborative group to attend the residency and live on-site. Awarded artists in a collaborative will each receive a monthly stipend and will share the shipping and materials budget.
Bemis welcomes international artists to apply. Working knowledge of English is helpful as Bemis is unable to provide an interpreter.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
+Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and disability. For special accommodations or questions about accessibility, contact 402.341.7130 or residency@bemiscenter.org
ACCESSIBILITY
+The Bemis Center campus includes two buildings that are ADA compliant with barrier-free access. The main building spans six levels and houses twelve, private live/work studios between the second and third floors, each ranging in size and configuration. There are five live/work studios on the third floor with roll-in shower stalls. Communal installation workspaces are barrier-free. The private residency entrance to the first floor consists of six steps. There are seven stairs and an ADA-approved ramp to the main entrance, which also accesses the first floor. A passenger elevator operates between the first floor and fifth floor.
The Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility is a single-story, ground-level building located directly across the street from the main building. A cobblestone and brick city street separates the two facilities and conjoins the parking lot, which includes accessible parking spaces at the front entrance for visitors and residents. Okada includes two gender-neutral and accessible bathrooms with handrails. Workspaces can be arranged and organized to accommodate a variety of practices and needs.
The lower level, which includes the Sound Studio and LOW END, can be accessed from the east-facing public entrance by 18 steps, the first floor by 18 stairs, or via freight elevator. Located inside the Live Room, the Recording Studio is accessible through a double-door entryway. The doorway dimensions are 83" wide x 79.25" tall and it has an elevated, sloping threshold that is 2" tall. The Live Room is barrier-free.
In striving to create accessibility for all, Bemis welcomes inquiries from applicants with specific questions to ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of any resident. Please direct residency accessibility questions to 402.341.7130 or residency@bemiscenter.org.
OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPECTATIONS
+Residencies are independent, self-directed, and process-based: there are no expectations placed on artists to create or perform. Residents are, however, invited to participate in at least one opportunity to engage our community, such as our public Open House / Open Studios.
Selected artists must attend a minimum of eight consecutive weeks within a residency session to be accepted. Deferring or rescheduling a residency is not permitted at this time. Late arrivals, early departures, or extended absences may result in prorated stipends.
FEES
+A $40 USD non-refundable application fee is due at the time of submitting an application through SlideRoom paid via credit card. To pay via PayPal, contact Bemis Center at 402.341.7130 or residency@bemiscenter.org. Submission of completed applications is only accepted online through bemis.slideroom.com. Fees related to visa processes or passport acquisition are the responsibility of the awarded artist.
APPLICATION REVIEW PROCESS
+SlideRoom will confirm receipt of your submitted application. Residency applications are reviewed by a rotating panel of artists and arts professionals, such as curators, academics, and/or critics. The application review process consists of an online review followed by an on-site panel meeting. The review process takes 12–14 weeks from the application deadline. Notifications to all applicants will be sent via email after the selection panel has made its final decision. If an artist is selected for more than one session, the artist will select one session to attend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to apply?
+Residency opportunities are open to national and international artists 21+ years of age showing a strong professional working history. Applicants working in, but not limited to, sound art, composition, experimental music, and a variety of other disciplines where sound is the primary medium will be considered.
Bemis residency alumni are allowed to re-apply after a five-year hiatus from the program. Alumni seeking a residency must submit a complete application including recent work samples and current resume. Preference may be given to applicants who have not previously attended. Learn more about our Alumni Program.
Artists enrolled in an academic program during the time of the residency opportunity are not eligible to apply.
Small collaborative groups are eligible to apply. Please note, if selected, Bemis Center is only able to accommodate two members of a collaborative group to attend the residency and live on-site. Awarded artists in a collaborative will each receive a monthly stipend and will share the shipping and materials budget.
Bemis welcomes international artists to apply. Working knowledge of English is helpful as Bemis is unable to provide an interpreter.
I’m currently enrolled in an academic program, can I still attend the residency during semesters off?
+The residency program encourages a focused time to experiment, explore, and expand your practice and to be immersed with the other artists in residence. Being committed to other outside obligations often make for difficult distractions and time well-balanced. Artists applying to Bemis Center should not be enrolled in an academic program or currently teaching, adjunct or otherwise, during the residency timeline.
What is the stipend used for?
+Selected US-based artists-in-residence receive a $2,000 USD monthly stipend, a $750 USD travel stipend, a $7,000 USD materials budget, and a $1,000 USD shipping budget to cover the transportation of items or equipment to and from the residency. Due to the limitations of B2 visas (touring/visiting), international artists-in-residence are eligible to receive reimbursement of qualified expenses, such as airfare, ground transportation, and meals.
For international artists-in-residence, if a J-1 visa is not acquired, that artist will be subject to payment restrictions specific to their particular visa. B2 visas (touring/visiting) limit payments to international artists-in-residence as reimbursement of qualified expenses only, such as airfare, ground transportation, and meals.
How do international artists-in-residence get paid?
+Bemis Center is a host organization through the International Art & Artists Exchange program. Selected international artists-in-residence are encouraged to apply for a J-1 short-term scholar visa through IA&A to be eligible to receive monthly stipend payments. If a J-1 visa is not acquired by an international artist-in-residence, that artist will be subject to payment restrictions specific to their particular visa. B2 visas (touring/visiting) limit payments to international artists-in-residence as reimbursement of qualified expenses only, such as airfare, ground transportation, and meals.
What items are provided in my live/work studio?
+Each studio is equipped with its own private kitchen and bathroom. Basic kitchen utensils, dishes, cutlery, stove/oven, microwave, refrigerator, coffeemaker, and toaster are provided. Extra furniture is available for artists to arrange and organize their studios by personal preference. A set of bath towels, kitchen linens, and bedding are also provided, as well as on-site laundry facilities. Studios are also equipped with a paint sink, plywood-backed sheetrock walls, accessible windows, concrete floors, and 12’ ceilings. WiFi is available throughout the campus and there are two communal iMac computers and printers.
There are several communal workspaces including installation rooms; a sculpture and ceramics facility complete with a woodshop, metal shop, and flex workspace; and a sound studio with recording equipment. Please contact Rachel Adams, Chief Curator and Director of Programs, at 402.341.7130 x 21 or residency@bemiscenter.org. if you have specific questions regarding equipment or software.
Is smoking allowed in my personal studio?
+Bemis Center is a completely non-smoking campus.
May I bring my pets?
+Bemis Center does not allow pets to live on-site. Service dogs are permitted to stay with an artist with appropriate documentation.
Can my family stay with me?
+Visitors or family members may stay on-site for short term visits with an artist with prior approval from the Residency Program Manager. Bemis Center cannot accommodate spouses, children, or guests for an extended stay.
If I am selected for the residency invitation and am unable to attend, may I defer?
+Selected artists must attend a minimum of eight consecutive weeks within a residency session to be accepted. Deferring or rescheduling a residency is not permitted at this time. Late arrivals, early departures, or extended absences may result in prorated stipends.
What recreational or extracurricular activities are available?
+Omaha is a community that combines urban and rural lifestyles with a population of more than 400,000. Bemis Center is located in the heart of the historic Old Market, Omaha's arts and culture district, which offers shops, restaurants, pubs, bookstores, a public library, hardware store, and post office all within walking distance.
Omaha Eppley Airport is located less than five miles from Bemis Center. If artists are arriving by car, Bemis provides on-site parking for the duration of the residency located directly across the street from Bemis.
There are several parks, trails, waterways, and natural resources located in and around the city. Bemis offers communal bikes to use to explore highlights such as the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, which crosses the Missouri River into neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. Lauritzen Gardens, Fontenelle Forest, and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo are also national favorites. A vehicle for local use is available to resident artists. As Bemis is a self-directed residency, it does not direct or structure social activities for artists.
Omaha is home to creative assets including El Museo Latino, Film Streams, Joslyn Art Museum, KANEKO, Omaha Performing Arts, Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha, and The Union for Contemporary Art. Bemis Center has several local partnerships with organizations that offer resources and benefits to artists-in-residence.
I don't see my question, how do I get more information?
+For more information, contact Bemis Center at residency@bemiscenter.org or 402.341.7130
LOW END performances and Bemis Center's Sound Art + Experimental Music Program are made possible by:
LOW END performances are also supported, in part, by:
Additional support provided by New Music USA’s New Music Organizational Development Fund.
The LOW END venue is made possible, in part, by:
Special thanks to our partners:
GET MORE ART IN YOUR INBOX
Contemporary Arts
724 S. 12th Street
Omaha, NE 68102
402.341.7130
info@bemiscenter.org