Founded in 2017 as a collaboration between James A. Goodnight and artist Shelley Smith, Anchorlight is home to 26 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. A complete list of past participating artists can be found below.
In mid-2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic the Brightwork program temporarily stopped accepting new artists and extended the residencies of artists participating in the program at the start of the pandemic. During this time a new version of the Brightwork Fellowship was developed.
Beginning in January 2022 the Brightwork Fellowship will become a fully funded residency program for North Carolina based visual artists. The Fellowship will provide a 500+ square-foot studio space at Anchorlight, an exhibition opportunity in our gallery, and an unrestricted financial award of $50,000.00 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.