Light Work

Light Work Direct support to artists working in photography and digital imaging – residencies, publications.

Social media platforms present a unique opportunity to engage Light Work’s community of image-makers, collectors, gallerists, thought-leaders, and enthusiasts worldwide. It provides an opportunity to share information about the organization's mission to support emerging and under-represented artists working in the field of photography, while also fostering an open, engaging, inspiring, and informa

tive online experience and dialog filled with diverse voices. Light Work adheres to the user policy described below on all social media platforms. We do not review or moderate all comments, but we reserve the right to remove any content that does not adhere to our policy and block or report users who share such content. The following will engagement is unacceptable:

Harassment, bullying, profanity, threatening language, attacks on or intimidation of any party, including our online community members or Light Work staff, residency participants, grants recipients or exhibiting artists; malicious speech regarding topics of gender, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, age, ethnic origin, or race; sexist comments; hate speech; suggestion or encouragement of illegal activities; and demeaning remarks about personal appearance or ability. By commenting on one of our posts on our social media platforms, you agree to abide by Light Work's Community Guidelines and further agree to comply with the guidelines imposed by the particular social media platform you are utilizing. If you have an issue, question, or suggestion regarding these guidelines, please contact [email protected]

09/03/2026

‘museum’ - Sayler/Morris and Christina Seely

August 24 — December 11, 2026

Opening Reception: Thursday, September 24 / 5-7pm / artist talk @ 6pm

The images in this exhibition, ‘museum’, were made in 2014 while Sayler/Morris and Christina Seely were Smithsonian Artist Research Fellows, when they photographed the disassembly of the iconic National Fossil Hall at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. During a 2025 studio visit, they rediscovered the photographs and saw them in a new light.

What is presented inside this exhibition is the breaking down of a museum exhibit. The idea of a museum, its authority, certainty, and clarity, is replaced with the rediscovery of the original meaning of museum—a site for muses, a site where knowledge is not fixed but in perpetual development.

Sayler/Morris live and work in Hudson Valley, NY and Seely works between the US and Scotland.

Gallery Hours: M-F / 10-5 & 11-6 on the weekends (although Friday 9/4-Monday 9/7 we are closed).

Our second AIR, Jamil Hellu, has been working on a portfolio of his prints.
08/17/2026

Our second AIR, Jamil Hellu, has been working on a portfolio of his prints.

Ohan Breiding, one of our August A.I.R.s, is working on a piece called “When Animals Look Back.”
08/14/2026

Ohan Breiding, one of our August A.I.R.s, is working on a piece called “When Animals Look Back.”

Next week (August 17-August 21) the lab will be CLOSED for maintenance week. We will be resuming regular hours on Augus...
08/12/2026

Next week (August 17-August 21) the lab will be CLOSED for maintenance week. We will be resuming regular hours on August 24.

08/06/2026

This Friday! Tomorrow! Light work presents ‘Roadside Picnic’. Our gallery reception for ‘Flat Tires’ and the ‘Light Work Grants in Photography’ starts at 5pm.

Our ‘Flat Tires’ exhibition in the Hoone Gallery features over 30 works that explore the car in its many forms and potential meanings. These pictures oscillate between intimacy, spectacle, utility, and fantasy.

We are also excited to welcome Jamil Hellu as our second August AIR to Syracuse. Hellu’s work is a dynamic exploration o...
08/04/2026

We are also excited to welcome Jamil Hellu as our second August AIR to Syracuse.

Hellu’s work is a dynamic exploration of queerness, race, and cultural heritage. Born in
Brazil and of Middle Eastern descent, Hellu’s diverse background informs a critical lens through
which he examines representation and belonging. In a political climate where racial justice,
immigration, and LGBTQ+ rights remain central to social struggle, Hellu’s work invites reflection
on how identities are performed, perceived, and validated. Through a vibrant visual vocabulary,
often grounded in self-portraiture, he activates conversations around visibility, cultural lineage,
and the evolving nature of self-representation.

We are thrilled to welcome Ohan Breiding as one of our August AIR’s to Syracuse. Ohan Breiding is a Swiss-American lens-...
08/04/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Ohan Breiding as one of our August AIR’s to Syracuse.

Ohan Breiding is a Swiss-American lens-based artist based in New York. Through photography, photographic and filmic archives, video and collaboration they employ a trans-feminist lens to the discussion of ecological care by amplifying landscapes as witness.

Breiding is an Assistant Professor in the Art Department at Williams College and is represented by Ochi Gallery in Los Angeles.

Apply now to our 2027 artist-in-residence program!Light Work invites between twelve and fifteen artists to Syracuse to d...
04/17/2026

Apply now to our 2027 artist-in-residence program!

Light Work invites between twelve and fifteen artists to Syracuse to devote one month to creative projects every year. Over 400 artists have participated in Light Work’s Artist-in-Residence Program, and many of them have gone on to achieve international acclaim.

The residency includes a $7,500 stipend, a furnished artist apartment, 24-hour access to our state-of-the-art facilities, and generous staff support. Work by each Artist-in-Residence is published in a special edition of Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual, along with an essay commissioned by Light Work. Work by former Artists-in-Residence is also part of the Light Work Collection.

The deadline for 2027 residency applications is July 1st. Link to apply: https://lightwork.slideroom.com/ #/login/program/86754

Image by 2023 resident, Marcus Xavier Chormicle

CONGRATULATIONS! The Guggenheim Foundation () announced the 223 recipients of its 2026 fellowships. Those awarded includ...
04/16/2026

CONGRATULATIONS! The Guggenheim Foundation () announced the 223 recipients of its 2026 fellowships. Those awarded include former Light Work residency participants and exhibiting artists Harlan Bozeman, riel Sturchio, Pixy Liao, Guanyu Xu, and Aspen Mays.

Also included Christopher Harris and Jacqueline Goss, former Urban Video Project artists.

We’re honored to have provided time, space, and resources for so many of these artists early in—and throughout—their careers. We congratulate all the 2026 Guggenheim recipients on joining this illustrious body of fellows and the legacy that it represents.

Address

316 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY
13210

Telephone

+13154432450

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Light Work posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Light Work:

Shortcuts

Share

Category