2026 Key Dates

Eligibility

• Artists who live within a 300-mile radius (+/- 10 miles) of Clarksville, TN

• Must be at least 21 years old

• Submission materials should demonstrate professional experience and preparedness for a solo exhibition

• Works in all media will be considered

Apply now for the Artist in Residence

What the Artist Receives

Stipend & Housing

• $2,500 artist fee

• $2,500 for travel, shipping, food, and incidentals

• On-campus housing in APSU's Visiting Scholar's residence — a spacious unit with a full kitchen and laundry, a five-minute walk from the gallery and studio

Studio & Exhibition Support

• Access to a secure gallery/studio space

• Studio visit(s) with regional curator(s)

• Collaborative exhibition design and installation with the curator, director of The New Gallery, and student assistants

• An exhibition catalogue documenting the show — the artist receives five complimentary copies

• An exhibition essay — the artist identifies and contracts a writer to compose an essay for the gallery guide and catalog

• Press releases, posters, and social media promotion — the artist receives five posters for their archives

• A featured slot in the CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Series

Artist Expectations

Artists selected for the residency are expected to:

• Create new artwork during the residency for exhibition in The New Gallery at the end of the residency term

• Existing artwork may be brought to expand upon, build context or conceptual frameworks, and exhibit alongside newly created work

• Engage directly with students through studio visits or a workshop with selected undergraduate students

• Be present for two open studio events during the residency

• Present an evening Artist Lecture as part of the CECA Visiting Artist Speaker Series

Events & Schedule

How to Apply

There is no application fee. CECA covers all administrative costs.

Upload the following materials via Submittable — The New Gallery Artist-in-Residence Application:

• 20 images and/or videos of artwork

• A brief bio (max 300 words)

• Current CV/resume

• Artist website

• Project description and prospective goals

Selection Process

Applications are reviewed in three rounds:

1. First round — The Curator/Director of The New Gallery and APSU Art + Design faculty narrow submissions to the top 10 candidates. Decisions communicated by Monday, August 10, 2026.

2. Second round — The Director of The New Gallery, Art + Design faculty, and the Director of CECA narrow to the top 3 candidates. Decisions communicated by Monday, August 17, 2026.

3. Final round — The top 3 candidates participate in a one-on-one studio visit via Zoom or FaceTime with the Curator/Director of The New Gallery. Final notification by Friday, August 21, 2026.

About The New Gallery

The New Gallery is a 1,500-square-foot contemporary exhibition space featuring 120 linear feet of wall space and 36 feet of movable walls, offering exceptional flexibility for installation and presentation.

• View 3D walkthroughs of select exhibitions

• Download the New Gallery floorplan (PDF)

  View Accessible Floor Plan Details

  Architectural floor plan of The New Gallery at Austin Peay State University, drawn to scale at 1 pixel per inch. The gallery is a rectangle measuring 444 inches wide by 224.5 inches tall (37 by 42 feet, totaling 1,554 square feet).

  A 6-foot-wide by 8-foot-tall entrance is located on the right wall near the top. An exit door is in the bottom-right corner. A row of windows, 180 inches wide, runs along the top wall, centered with 12-inch and 24-inch margins on either side.

  An exposed horizontal beam divides the gallery into two zones. The upper zone has a lighting grid 12 feet from the floor; the lower zone has a lighting grid 14 feet from the floor. Each zone contains two dashed rectangles indicating ceiling-mounted lighting grids and hangable wall areas of approximately 24 feet wide and 90 inches tall. The right wall along the entrance is marked as non-hangable space.

  Light switches are located on the right wall near the entrance. A removable panel measuring 48 inches wide by 24 inches tall by 1 inch deep covers the switches and is suitable for wall text. Floor outlets and wall outlets (mounted 24 inches from the floor) are distributed throughout the space.

  Three movable walls are available. One measures 4 feet wide by 10 feet tall by 2 feet deep and may leave the gallery. Two measure 9 feet wide by 10 feet tall by 2 feet deep; these cannot leave the gallery but fit flush between the wall and beam when an open floor plan is needed. The gallery also maintains an inventory of pedestals and acrylic cases.