The Stifel Artist Residency 2026

Oglebay Institute is seeking established and up and coming artists to inspire, collaborate, and share their talents with our local schools and community.  The Stifel Fine Arts Center Artist Residency program will partner with interested artists to build a body of work, and conduct school and community outreach programs while gaining critical skills for their future career, or by adding to their existing portfolio. Using an innovative residency model, our goal is to expand the impact of resident artists’ skillsets while encompassing the larger community. This program will afford artists the opportunity to showcase their skills in our arts center while simultaneously teaching and composing materials for an exhibition environment. This residency program is supported by funding from the EQT Foundation and the Elizabeth Stifel Kline Foundation.

About Oglebay Institute

Since 1930, the nonprofit Oglebay Institute has served as the cultural hub of Wheeling, West Virginia. Oglebay Institute fosters appreciation, expression and discovery by engaging people of all ages and abilities through exceptional programming in performing and visual arts, dance, history and nature.

Oglebay Institute advocates the essential value of arts and nature in our personal lives and its public worth to our community. Experiences in arts and nature break cultural, generational and social barriers, teach commonalities among us, connect people more deeply to the world and open up new ways of seeing.

Oglebay Institute venues include: the Stifel Fine Arts Center, Oglebay Institute’s School of Dance, Towngate Theatre, the Schrader Environmental Education Center, the Museums of Oglebay Institute and Terra Alta Mountain Nature Camp.

There are 3 residencies available for this year. Each residency is 12 weeks. Dates that artists must be available: Week of April 1 - June 27, 2026. 

Residency deadline is 2/2/26. This residency program is supported by funding from the EQT Foundation and the Elizabeth Stifel Kline Foundation.

 *The dates are approximate and may be adjusted slightly to accommodate developing schedules. Preference given to artists working in ceramics, jewelry, stained glass, and/or print making or screen printing.

Objective:

• To amplify community engagement in the arts through artist residencies.
• To provide an opportunity for early-career artists to participate in professional development in many facets of their artistic practice.
• To elevate and expand Oglebay Institute’s arts education offerings for children and adults alike.
• To bring artists from outside the area to our community to experience our established arts opportunities and to contribute to the expansion of those opportunities.
• To increase the visibility of our community’s arts sector on the national stage

Community Engagement:

While the residency is multi-faceted, one significant goal is to broaden the Stifel Fine Arts Center's community outreach with seniors (age 65+) or High School Students in Belmont County, Ohio. The resident artist will collaborate with Stifel Fine Arts Center staff to develop an arts curriculum to engage seniors and high school students in learning about and creating original art. The resident artist have an opportunity to participate in professional development with Stifel Fine Arts Center staff and local master artists and will teach workshops and assist teaching classes at the Stifel Center during the regular Spring class session.

Facility and Studios:

In addition to teaching, residents will have access to studio space at the Stifel Fine Arts Center and will receive a $750 stipend for materials and equipment to support their artistic practice, as well as a $3000 living stipend. Housing is the artists responsibility. Some reduced housing is possible upon request. During the residency period, artists will offer workshops or classes at the Stifel Fine Arts Center in May. Finally, the resident artist will present an exhibition of the body of work created during their time at the Stifel Fine Arts Center. This exhibition will be open to the public and will also feature documentation of their residency period in the community. Depending on the artists' medium of work, they may be able to participate in vendor markets at Oglebayfest or the Holiday Art Show & Sale, both juried by Oglebay Institute. They will be encouraged to submit work for our annual juried Crosscurrents exhibition, New Appalachia all craft  exhibition and our all ceramic Earth & Fire Exhibition.

Ceramic studio

o   13 electric pottery wheels

o   3 slab rollers (Hi-Roller Vertical Slab Roller, Shimpo 30”, and Brent SRC mini)

o   2 Extruders (Scotts Creek with expansion box & North Star)

o   4 Electric Skutt KM1027 Kilns

o   1 Bailey Gas Kiln PRO 54 Shuttle

o   2 Raku Kilns

o   Storage Lockers

Jewelry Studio

o   Studio workbench with lights and magnification

o   Small kiln for precious metal clay and enameling

o   Hammers and plyers

o   Tools kits for 12

o   8 torches

o   Tumblers and other polishing equipment

o   8 Dremels tools

o   Assortment of settings, beads, and stones

Stain Glass Studio

o   Grinding wheels

o   Soldering irons

o   J and U channel

o   Assortment of cutters

o   Plyers

o   Assortment of colored glass

o   Wissmach glass Company 1 hour way

Printmaking/Screen-printing Studio:

o   Etching Press

o   Bench hooks, rubber brayers, linoleum cutter

o   Gel Printing Plates

o   Screen Printing Light Exposure Table

o   Wash Out Station

o   Black Out Storage for coated screens

o   Squeegees

o   Aluminum Screen Printing Frames

o   Inkjet printer

• Cover Letter - 3000 word count or maximum of 2 pages - Artists are asked to provide a summary that will include, but is not limited to, background on applicable life skills, experience and/or what makes them a good fit for the opportunity, a statement of intent explaining how the artist plans to utilize their time during the residency and why this residency is important to them at this stage in their career and/or what the community can learn from them during the residency. Please provide a workshop that you would like to offer to the public.
• Resume – maximum of 2 pages
• Artist statement – 250 word count or maximum 1 written page
• 5 - 10 images of completed work
• 2 images of Artist Head shot for promotion (upload photos to your Portfolio then submit)
• 3 images of Artist at work for promotion (upload photos to your Portfolio then submit)

The selected artist will be required to complete the following activities during the 3 month residency:

• Community outreach programs with Seniors or High School Students in Belmont County Ohio.
• Teach workshops at the Stifel Fine Arts Center and provide assistance with Spring classes.
• Participate in professional development with Stifel Fine Arts Center staff or local master artists.
• Create a body of work for display.

The residencies are open to all professional and emerging artists, age 21 and over, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, or marital status. Must have reliable transportation for outreach programs. Preference given to artists working in ceramics, jewelry, stained glass, and/or print making. This residency program is supported by funding from the EQT Foundation and the Elizabeth Stifel Kline Foundation.

A nonrefundable $20 entry fee is required at the time of application.