Brightwork Fellowship Program

The Brightwork Fellowship is a one year long residency program for North Carolina based visual artists. The Fellowship provides a 500+ square-foot studio space at Anchorlight in Raleigh NC, an exhibition opportunity in our gallery, and a living wage stipend to one artist per year who is at a pivotal moment in their career. 
North Carolina is home to artists with incredible talent, vision, and skill. Anchorlight has created an opportunity that will provide these artists with unparalleled support in the state they call home. It is the intent of the program to demonstrate to artists living and working in North Carolina that they are valued, worthy of investment, and that the voice they bring to the cultural discourse of our state is a vital facet of North Carolina's identity. More than anything, this program intends to empower N.C. artists with the gift of time, space, and financial support to fully explore their creative potential. 
Founded in 2017 as a collaboration between James A. Goodnight and artist Shelley Smith, Anchorlight is home to 28 artist studios and a 1,500 square foot zero-commission gallery in addition to the Brightwork Fellowship. The first incarnation of the Brightwork program was also launched in 2017 and offered four artists per year a fully subsidized studio for one year, with a solo exhibition at the end of each artist's residency. Eleven artists participated in the program between 2017-2020.