Center for Book Arts promotes active explorations of artistic practices related to the book as an art object. We are committed to providing a nurturing environment for artists to grow and learn together, with access to the resources, equipment ,and skills needed for artists and writers to take book production into their own hands, and giving creative voices a tool to self amplify without the need to rely on the gallery model or commercial pressures.
As a space for research, education, exhibition, making, and community building, we offer opportunities to artists and writers through a variety of programs throughout the year. Current opportunities are listed below.
Applications are now open for CBA’s 2026 Workspace Artist Residency!
Center for Book Arts is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to furthering and uplifting the art of the book. Through residencies, exhibitions, education, and collections, CBA supports artists to explore the book as an artistic medium. Over the past fifty-two years, CBA has worked toward building broad awareness and recognition for artists' books and the artistic practices related to independent bookmaking and publishing.
CBA’s Workspace Residency invites artists to explore the book as a time-based medium—“a sequence of spaces, each space perceived at a different moment,” as described by Ulises Carrión. What new forms of contemporary visual art emerge when the book is approached as an art form?
The act of publishing and disseminating ideas through print has long been an essential tool for political engagement. Book arts practices—including printmaking and independent publishing—have historically been central to social and cultural transformation. This year, we invite artists to engage with the book both as a medium and a powerful cultural tool.
Center for Book Arts will award up to four New York–based emerging and mid-career artists with space, time, educational and professional development, and financial support to explore the production and exhibition of artists’ books and related work through a keyholder residency.
The program promotes experimentation in book arts, and artists from all disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Our goal is to award residencies to a balanced co-hort of experienced book artists and artists working in other disciplines but with a clear interest in exploring the field.
The residency includes:
- 24/7 Keyholder Access to shared studio space for 6 months
- Honorarium: $1,500
- Material Stipend: $500
- Storage Space
- Basic supplies and tools (newsprint, bookbinding tools, decorative paper, etc)
- Free Core Classes in bookbinding, letterpress, and RISO at all levels, and 50% discount on all other electives (100% of this contribution will go to the instructor).
- Consultations and professional development support with staff and visiting curators, as well as scheduled site visits to partner institutions related to artists' books and publishing.
- Support from Studio Ambassadors and Volunteers
- Opportunities to present work in exhibitions and public programs
- Access to Materials for the Arts
To apply, please submit:
- An artist statement and CV
- A portfolio / worksample
- A brief proposal or motivation letter outlining the project(s) you would like to pursue during the residency, and which equipment, tool, and classes at CBA are of most interest to you.
The selection panel will meet to make selections and make recommendations in early April. Shortlisted artists will be invited to participate in a virtual interview in mid April, and residencies will begin in May.
This year’s residency period runs for six months, from May-October. At the conclusion of the program, artists will present their work and reflect on their residency experience in an artist talk. Residents will also participate in a group exhibition in January 2027.