The WORTHLESSTUDIOS Photographer In Residence program is a unique 1-month-long analog photography residency taking place inside an Airstream trailer converted into a darkroom. PIR gives photographers and photography-based artists exclusive access to the Airstream darkroom to process film and make new work, plus a stipend, materials, and the possibility to host a public program. 

Due to the mobile nature of the Airstream, artists in residence get to be embedded in a community or place they wish to document, with easy access to the darkroom to create a body of work that is site-specific.

Resident Artists are selected through an open-call process, and will receive a stipend, free materials to take and develop photos, and free professional development opportunities. In residence, artists will create and print new photographs.

In 2027, seven artists will participate in a one-month residency from April to October.  WORTHLESSSTUDIOS will mainly offer residencies in the five boroughs of NYC, in partnership with local sites and arts organizations such as Alice Austen House (Staten Island), Inspiration Point (Bronx), The Green-Wood Cemetery (Brooklyn), The Center for Arts and Advocacy (Brooklyn), The Lower Eastside Girls Club (Manhattan), and NYC Parks (5 Boroughs).

RESIDENTS GET

• Exclusive access to Airstream darkroom for 4 weeks

• $1,500 artist stipend

• Darkroom chemistry, film, and photo paper

• The option to host a public program 

• 2 free workshops on scanning and digital printing by Brooklyn PrintWorks

• Press packet materials

August 10, 2026 – September 30, 2026: Open Call is live

October 2026: Finalists notified; virtual interviews will start to be conducted

December 2026: Photographers in residence confirmed

April 2027 – October 2027: Residencies take place, seven artists a year, one artist per month

Our application for the 2027 Open Call will be available from Monday, August 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM (EST) to September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM (EST). The application can be accessed via worthlessstudios.slideroom.com

This program aims to support artists who don’t have access to a darkroom and/or who want to create a body of work in proximity to a community or a site.

Artists should have previous experience working in a darkroom independently.

This residency requests a minimum of 20 hours/week in the Airstream.

Resident Artists are selected through an open call process. Applications will be reviewed by Worthless Studios Staff, and interviews will be conducted with final candidates.

When reviewing applications, WORTHLESSSTUDIOS will judge applications based on:

• Preparedness to undertake the residency

  • Has autonomy working in the darkroom 

  • Makes good use of the resources offered at the darkroom (B&W analog photography, formats supported by the darkroom, etc)

• The impact that this residency will have on the artist’s career and production

  • Lets the artist expand an ongoing project or start a new proposed project, experiment in new ways with photography development and printing, pushing the artist into a new stage artistically and professionally

• Risk-taking and project ambition

  • Builds on the artist's previous trajectory while opening them to new ideas and techniques

In residence, artists will create a total of 20 images. 10 original photographic images and 10 images of their time spent in residence, portraying themselves at work, the Airstream in use, and its surrounding environment.

For 2027, seven artists will take part in a one-month residency, one resident will be selected per month and the Airstream will be brought to the agreed-upon location from April to October.

Yes, we do. But please note that resources (stipend, free chemicals, etc) would be shared.

Artists applying can’t be currently enrolled in an art-related degree program, nor be planning to attend an art-related degree program in the coming year.

You can apply if you are not based in NYC. Please note that WORTHLESSSTUDIOS cannot help with housing, travel expenses, or visas. Stipends and honoraria will be reported to the IRS for tax purposes. If you are a non-US citizen, you will need a valid work visa or residency status at the time of the residency.

Residencies will take place in the five boroughs of NYC, in partnership with local sites and arts organizations such as  Alice Austen House (Staten Island), Inspiration Point (Bronx), The Green-Wood Cemetery (Brooklyn), The Center for Arts and Advocacy (Brooklyn), The Lower Eastside Girls Club (Manhattan), and NYC Parks (5 Boroughs).

 If you want to propose a different site to park the Airstream during your residency, you can do so in your application. Please keep in mind that parking the Airstream in public spaces can be challenging, so make sure the site you are proposing is either privately owned and you have the owner’s permission, or, if it is an institution, that you have institutional connections that will help with logistics and street parking permitting.

No. The Airstream darkroom is fit for black and white, and we supply it with corresponding chemicals, paper, and film. As it is a darkroom, you can do alternative processes, but we do not have equipment for color processing or printing.

We have many items stocked and ready to use, including the core items as follows:

Printing:

Two enlargers (Beseler 23II and Omega type D)

Ilford multigrade contrast filter

Film carriers for 35mm, 6x6, 6x7, 6x9 and 4x5

Contact proofer

Easels, borderless easel

Grain focusers

GraLab 451 digital timer

Lightbox

Magnifier

Developing:

Developing trays for up to 11x14”

Metal and plastic developing tanks

Thermometers

Sous-Vide heater

Film retriever

Negative sleeves

Drying Cabinet

Sí, por favor, sigue la aplicación en Español en worthlessstudios.slideroom.com

Please email us at team@worthlessstudios.org