Submission Deadline: Friday, April 3, 2026, 11:59 PM
Timeline: May 1, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Budget: $1,334 monthly stipend
FULL CALL ➜
OPPORTUNITY
The BelRed Arts District Community Alliance is pleased to announce its second Artist-In-Residence Program of the year, in partnership with Densho.
For 30 years, Densho has been a leading digital archive of Japanese American incarceration history. Its mission is to preserve and share history of the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans to promote equity and justice today.
This residency invites artists to engage with the history of Bellevue's Japanese American community, who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II, and to connect this history to ongoing issues of racial injustice, inequity and the erosion of civil liberties. Questions of constitutional rights and human dignity are central the Japanese American incarceration story and remain urgently relevant today.
We encourage all applicants to attend an artist residency orientation before they apply. You can sign up for a session here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/artist-residency-orientation-what-to-know-before-applying
The selected artist will have access to a fully funded private studio at BelRed Arts Studio in the BelRed Arts District in Bellevue. The residency also connects the artist with historical expertise and community members including Densho's staff, who will guide artists in utilizing the Densho Digital Repository and related resources. The selected artist will also have the opportunity to attend Densho's 30th Anniversary Gala.
The residency will take place from May 1, 2026 and end on July 31, 2026 with a public event on Sunday, July 26, 2026 where the artist will have the opportunity to showcase the work they’ve accomplished throughout the residency at a public artist exhibition and program held at the BelRed Arts Studio. The artist will receive a monthly stipend of $1334, $4000 in total.
During this residency, artists are encouraged to spend roughly 15-20 hours per week completing the expected project. The artist will also have a choice to donate the artwork to the BelRed Arts District Community Alliance’s permanent collection or loan it to us for two years. The artwork may be showcased across various locations around Bellevue, the Arts District and Densho’s site at 1416 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144.
The BelRed Arts Studio offers 24/7 access to the chosen artist, and features free parking, kitchen access, private studio space and connections with other working artists within the community.
ABOUT THE CALL
This project highlights the often-overlooked history of Bellevue’s Japanese American community. Prior to World War II, Japanese Americans made up 15% of Bellevue’s population and 90% of its agricultural industry. Seventy Japanese American family farms once dotted the Eastside and through their labor, helped shape the landscape of the region.
During World War II, more than 125,000 Japanese Americans were forcibly removed from their homes and unjustly incarcerated by the U.S. government. Despite their contributions to local communities, Japanese Americans faced discrimination before and during the war, and significant barriers when attempting to return afterward.
This residency seeks to honor these histories while encouraging artists to draw historically grounded connections to the contemporary moment. Artists are invited to reflect on how this history resonates today, particularly in relation to ongoing issues of racial injustice, civil liberties, and the experiences of immigrant and marginalized communities. Strong proposals may explore personal, social, or political connections that bridge the past to the present.
More information about Japanese-American Incarceration ➜
PROJECT TIMELINE
March 11, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
March 25, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
Artist Residency Orientation: What to know before applying
Sign up here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/artist-residency-orientation-what-to-know-before-applying |
| April 2026 |
Panel review |
| April, 30, 2026 |
Artist selection notification |
| May 2026 |
Selected artist orientation with Densho |
| June 2026 |
Concept design check-in |
| July 17, 2026 |
Final progress check-in |
| July 26, 2026 |
Public showcase of artwork + exhibition and programming |
**Please note that dates are tentative and subject to change.**
ELIGIBILITY
The BelRed Arts District’s Artist Residency is open to local, career-level artists living in the Greater Seattle Area, preferably on the Eastside, who are working in any style or medium (the BelRed Arts Studio does not offer a kiln or hot shop currently). We strongly encourage artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and others from historically underrepresented communities to apply for this opportunity.
Artists applying to the residency are invited to attend a webinar with Densho staff to gain historical background and context. The orientation will introduce Densho's interpretation of Japanese American wartime incarceration, along with its history, key resources and approach as a foundation to support the creative process. Artists are not expected to be experts in this history but should be open to learning and engaging meaningfully with these stories. The selected artist will be connected with a Densho staff member who will provide historical context and access to relevant resources.
Participating artist will exercise complete control over the creative process, and all creative ideas and expressions will originate from the artist. However, BelRed Arts District Community Alliance and Densho reserve the right to reject artwork that is offensive or unacceptable for display to the general public. The artist must supply original artwork. The artwork must be suitable for display in public spaces and viewing by a general audience, containing no advertising, branding, or graphic depictions of violence or sexually explicit material (including nudity).
Such materials may include but it not limited to:
- Overtly pornographic or libelous content
- Overtly offensive religious or political content
- Content that portrays discrimination, harassment, or any form of abusive behavior based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status
- Content that includes any personally identifiable information