ArtsWave, the Northern Kentucky Port Authority, and meetNKY have teamed up to launch an artist-in-residence program at the OneNKY Center in Covington.
The program calls for 2D visual artists to apply for a residency at the OneNKY Center Gallery. Applications are due by March 6 at 5 p.m. The initiative seeks to build upon creative placemaking initiatives throughout Northern Kentucky.
“This is about more than an exhibition,” ArtsWave’s Director of Northern Kentucky Creative Placemaking Rachael Parker said in a news release. “Our goal is to ensure art is part of the core strategy in how we design spaces, grow our economy and build connection. By placing artists at the center of civic spaces, we’re creating environments people want to gather in, work in and return to. That energy fuels local pride and long-term economic strength.”
The selected artist will receive a $5,000 honorarium and present an exhibition from April through Sept. 10, 2026, in the gallery’s 1,500-square-foot first-floor public space. The residency also includes networking opportunities, three artist talks and the creation of an original work that will remain at the OneNKY Center.
To apply, applicants must be 21 or older and identify as 2D visual artists. Preference will be given to artists who live or work in Northern Kentucky or elsewhere in Kentucky, or who have strong ties to the region. Submissions should include an existing body of work that presents a cohesive vision and reflects the history, culture, or identity of Northern Kentucky or the Greater Cincinnati region.
Applicants are expected to be notified during the week of March 23. An opening reception is scheduled for April 2.
Additional information, including qualifications and a detailed timeline, is available by clicking here.