BOLT & HATCH were juried residency programs for emerging and mid-career Chicago artists and curators. We offered onsite studio space and monthly visits by influential artists and art professionals throughout the first year of the program. In the second year, each resident exhibited a solo show. They offered the opportunity to produce collaborative exhibitions and strived to support an ecology of curatorial and artistic practice.

BOLT residency details

BOLT focused on helping artists advance their career in an environment that allows for expansive thinking and opportunities to engage with co-residents in a group setting. Each of the six (6) selected residents will create artwork in a professional studio space at the Chicago Artists Coalition. CAC studios are an open-plan to foster connection and exchange between co-residents.

Additionally, residents have access to influential artists, curators, and educators through individual studio visits. All residents worked towards the mounting of their solo exhibitions.

• Six (6) professional open-plan onsite studios
• 400-square-foot gallery space for a solo exhibition
• Monthly studio visits by outside curators, artists, writers, and others
• The program is non-residential: no room/board is offered.

BOLT studios are accessible 24 hours/7 days a week to BOLT Residents who have keys. It is the responsibility of the artists-in-residence to clean surfaces upon entering and exiting the studios and to remove trash.

HATCH residency details

Once selected, we divided HATCH Artist Residents into groups of 4 to work with one Curatorial Resident. Selected artists will participate in a 2-person and group exhibition organized by their HATCH Curatorial Resident. Each Artist Resident receives professional development through dynamic exhibitions, one-on-one studio visits with their curator, public programs, and community building to develop a sustainable creative practice.Through this unique hands-on experience and professional development program, Artist and Curatorial Residents develop valuable insight and experience in contemporary exhibition-making.

• 12 Artist Residents
• 3 Curatorial Residents
• Each artist participates in one 2-person exhibition and one group exhibition
• Each curator organizes three exhibitions