ABOUT THIS RESIDENCY

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

Due to the mobile nature of the Airstream, artists in residence gain direct access to a community or place they wish to document, maximizing their use of the darkroom and creating 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 10 original artworks. 

In 2026, WORTHLESSSTUDIOS will mainly offer residencies in the five boroughs of NYC, in partnership with local sites and arts organizations such as Alice Austen House, Inspiration Point, The Green-Wood Cemetery, and NYC Parks.

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

November 3, 2025, at 10 AM ET–January 20, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET: Open Call is live 

February 2026: Finalists notified, virtual interviews will start to be conducted 

March 2026: Photographers In Residence Confirmed

Our application for the 2026 Open Call will be available from Monday, November 3, 2025 at 10:00 AM (EST) to January 20, 2026, at 11:59PM (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 that is open until January 20, 2026. Applications will be reviewed by WORTHLESSSTUDIOS Staff, and interviews will be conducted with final candidates. 

WORTHLESSTUDIOS encourages early applications, especially for artists interested in being in residence during March and April.

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 2026, seven artists will take part in a one-month residency between March and September.

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.

Yes. 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 have to have a valid work visa or residency status.

Residencies will take place in the five boroughs of NYC, in partnership with local sites and arts organizations such as Alice Austen House, Inspiration Point, The Green-Wood Cemetery, and NYC Parks.

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