The Center for Humanities and History of Modern Biology at Laboratory(麻豆传媒社区) is pleased to announce the Celia and Wally Gilbert Artist-in-Residence Award for artists, composers, writers, and designers. The Artist-in-Residence will reside at Laboratoryfrom one to three weeks, with room and board fully covered. An honorarium of $1,000, $1,200 or $1,500 will be given, based upon the length of stay.
Initiated with a gift by famed Nobel Prize laureate Wally Gilbert and his wife, poet and artist Celia, the annual Award will enable exceptionally creative individuals to stay on 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 idyllic campus, explore the scientific process and interact with international scientific staff and visitors. Gilbert Residents may arrive with projects already in mind or come seeking inspiration for new ideas. Full access will be granted to 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 archives invaluable resources, including historical papers, correspondence, photographs, and rare books in anthropology, experimental biology, eugenics, embryology, plant and animal genetics and related disciplines. The 117 acre Laboratorycampus is a registered botanical garden which features outdoor sculptures. Many of the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places and the interiors feature original artwork.
The 2026 Gilbert Artist-in-Residency Program application process is open. The application deadline is October 15, 2025.
Wally and Celia understand how creativity fuels scientific exploration, just as biological experimentation parallels an artist鈥檚 approach toward expression. They have created the Gilbert Residency Program to inspire creative thinking that will energize innovation in both culture and science. Learn more
about Celia & Wally Gilbert.
- One-week to three-week residency at Laboratoryfor selected participants鈥攁rtists, filmmakers, poets, composers, illustrators, or designers.
- Opportunity to interact with our Library and Archives staff, Laboratoryscientists, and attendees at Laboratoryscientific meetings.
- Discussion, collaboration, and exchange of ideas between visiting participants and our resident scientists.
- Exploration of new areas of artistic inspiration, using our diverse resources to conceive new ideas for projects and assemble the requisite information for planned projects.
- The artist-in-residence will create at least one work that will be displayed or presented at a public event at Laboratoryand on 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 website within a year of receiving the award.
Artists who can interpret scientific research elements into accessible works of art鈥攑aintings, novels, poetry, and more鈥� will connect with Laboratoryscientists who can explain the significance of their research, lessening the prevailing distance between the public and science.
- Full access to, and a personal guided tour of, the LaboratoryArchives, which features a rich collection of photographs, letters, videos, manuscripts, maps, and memorabilia pertaining to groundbreaking research spanning the most revolutionary century in modern science
- The opportunity for inspiration and insight through one-on-one meetings with Laboratoryscientists to discuss the nature of their work in the field of cancer, plant genetics, neuroscience, quantitative biology, as well as to attend international scientific meetings on campus
- A generous stipend for the duration of the program
- The regular presence of an Artist-in-Residence on campus鈥攚hether a poet, sculptor, musician, painter, caricaturist, or others鈥攚ill bring culture and other vibrant elements of life outside the laboratory bench
- Artist-in-Residence can advise the Archives staff in creating and curating The Center for Humanities and History of Modern Biology鈥檚 public events, exhibits, and activities
- Awarded Applicants will present a talk or a seminar about the work supported by the Laboratoryaward for the general public and Laboratoryscientific community within a year of residencies start dates
How to Apply
A complete application package must include the following:
- CV or r茅sum茅
- Sample of your work no more than ten pages with a brief explanation of its aims and significance or Digital portfolio (submitted in a single PDF, if possible)
- Description (up to 2000 words) of how your work during the Residency engages with the interplay of art and science. This description may also indicate the scientific research at the Laboratory () that is of interest and/or the archival collections () that plan to be used during the residency
- Preferred residency dates and length of stay
Application materials should be sent to Tricia Loria at loria@cshl.edu with the subject line 鈥淐elia & Wally Gilbert Art and Science Residency.鈥�
Length of Residency
One to three weeks.
Honorarium
The program offers honorarium of $1,000, $1,200 or $1,500 USD, depending on length of stay.
Housing and transportation
Artist-in-Residents will stay on campus in Laboratoryhousing*, with room and board fully covered. The Laboratorycampus is accessible from New York City via the Long Island Railroad to the Syosset train station, then a quick ride on the campus shuttle.
*On campus housing accommodations are generally available during January, February, March, July, first half of August, second half of October, November and December. There is no on-campus housing available during April, May, June, & September. Off-campus accommodations may be made if Laboratoryhousing is not available during preferred residency dates and personal transportation may be required.
Questions
If you have any questions about applying, please contact Ms. Tricia Loria: (516) 367-5020 or loria@cshl.edu.
Celia & Wally Gilbert Artist-in-Residency Program Recipients
2022 Artists
Karl-Oskar Gustafsson (Sweden)
Independent Filmmaker/Creative Director
Project: Film with the working title 鈥淏arbara & The Jumping Genes鈥�
Nancy Lord (Alaska)
Writer/Poet
Project: Plans to continue work on a collection of science-oriented short fictions, and use the Laboratoryexperience for one or more stories and hope to move closer to completion of a book.
Roxane Revon (France/NY)
Multidisciplinary artist
Project: Plans to work on daily drawing/photography art practice on human/plants relationships and document the way biologists and scientists develop a regular conversation with the plant specimen they are working with.
2023 Artists
Rachel Khong (CA)
Writer
Project: Working on revisions of her novel called Real Americans, which merges art and science to tell the story of an immigrant family, following three members of this family from the years 1999 to 2030. Novel to be published by Alfred A. Knoft in Spring 2024.
Julie Harrison (NY)
Multidisciplinary Visual Artist
Project:聽To create a new kind of self-portrait 鈥� one that utilizes and is inspired by images of my body tissue, cells and neuronal connections samples from the resources at the lab.
Lynn Fellman (VA)
Artist-Author for Genomics
Project: A coloring book that appeals to adults and children and a talk designed for a general audience. The book will be published in time for the October 2023 CHSL meeting for 50th anniversary of recombinant DNA technology.
Tina Lam (Canada)
Multimedia Abstract Artist
Project: Creation of a large-scale immersive multimedia art installation
Jacqueline Abend (NJ)
Abstract Artist
Project: To gain inspiration for new works, using photomicrographs from 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 research of various cancer cells and the work of the Jackson Lab, specifically with maize.
Daphne Kaloty (MA)
Writer
Project: Working on novel, Conditions of Flight, about the intersection between global trade and global migration.
Cynthia Fan (UK/S.Africa)
Plant Sculptor
Project: An investigation into plant morphology and the sculptural potential of plants
Robert Ballagh (Ireland)
Painter
Project: Piece of original artwork based on the cross fertilization of ideas across art and scientific discovery
Lauren Camp (NM)
Poet
Project: To continue work on series of poems about female scientists, including Barbara McClintock, and biological study of sight and seeing.
Sarah Aziz (IL)
Abstract Artist
Project聽: Plans to work with the plant biology group to deepen her understanding of tumbleweeds and other plant species non-native to North America.
2024 Recipients
Lauren Acampora (NY)
Writer
Project: Developing a new fiction piece that investigates the nexus of science and humanity.
JoeAnn Hart (MA)
Writer
Project: Link of short stories set in a post-Extinction Emergency
Lise Borel 鈥� France
Composer
Project: Compose a piece based on Laboratorysetting and scientific environmen
Mari Nagem聽 (NY/Brazil)
Conceptual Artist
Project: The Future of Plants
JM Masson 鈥� UK
Visual Artist
Project: Piece mixing digital and analogue art forms
Rebecca Kamen (PA)
Visual Artist
Project: Continuum 鈥� Using the archives to investigate McClintock and Greider collections
Nene Humphrey (NY)
Visual Artist
John O鈥機onnor (NY)
Drawing and painting
Project: Interested in 麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 Professor Saket Navlakha and research scientist Jonathan Suen鈥檚 research on the link between ants and Internet engineers
