The Resonance Residency Open Call for 2027 Applications
Brooklyn Metal Works (BKMW) first artist residency, the Resonance Residency, offers jewelry artists an opportunity to develop their studio practice while utilizing the unique advantages that come from being in New York City, an important hub of the contemporary jewelry scene. This 3-month residency will enable jewelers at every level of their career to expand their practice or create a new body of work.
The opportunity for artists to join BKMW for three 3-month residencies in 2027 was made possible by the Resonance Residency Fundraiser, fiscally sponsored by Art Jewelry Forum (AJF), in which community members made donations totaling $20,000 to support the initial cohort of jewelry artists-in-residence.
What Artists in Residence Receive
Semi private studio space on the educational floor of BKMW
New resident artist reception with BKMW community
Unrestricted stipend of $300 per month
$300 credit for use in the BKMW Tool Shop
$600 credit for coursework at BKMW
$500 stipend for an artist lecture
Paid opportunity to instruct or assist a BKMW workshop
Professional review of work created during the residency
Tier 1 membership at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)
Dual membership at the Brooklyn Museum
2027 Residency Timeline
The call for 2027 applications will remain open through October 9, 2026. Applicants will recieve an update on the status of their application by November 2026. Finalist interviews will take place in November 2026.
Brooklyn Metal Works will award three 3-month residencies. The residency periods will follow this general schedule for the 2027 calendar year, with the ability to negotiate slightly to align with the artists’ availability work schedules:
Session 1: February-April
Session 2: May-July
Session 3: September-November
Application Guidelines
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Applicants for the 2027 Resonance Residency must submit an artist bio, artist statement, resume/curriculum vitae, jewelry-centered project proposal, and a portfolio of 10 images and up to 5 detail images. Applications must be submitted online through CaFÉ from September 9th to October 9th, 2026. All application questions must be answered. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Applications must be for individual artists, BKMW is not accepting applications for artist groups or collectives.
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BKMW is accepting applications for the 2027 Resonance Residency from artists who self-define as emerging, mid-career, or established. Local, national, and international applicants may apply. English proficiency is required for this opportunity. Project proposals must outline non-ferrous jewelry-centered projects. Artists who will be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program during the duration of the residency period are not eligible to apply. Applicants should have availability during the 2027 residency periods of February-April, May-July, and September-November, with the ability to slightly negotiate start and end dates. Applicants must be comfortable with using stairs, as the BKMW educational floor is only accessible via one flight of stairs. Extensive experience working independently in a metalsmithing studio is required.
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Applications will only be accepted through CaFÉ from September 9th to October 9th, 2026. The application fee is $25. This fee is nonrefundable.
Applicants must be a minimum of 21 years of age.
Applicants must be US citizens/permanent residents or must be authorized to travel to the United States.
Applying to the Resonance Residency does not guarantee selection. By applying, artists agree that their answers and submitted media may be viewed by the BKMW community, including but not limited to a guest juror and BKMW staff members.
If accepted, BKMW may use images of resident artists and their work for promotion and support of the organization and its programs before, during and after the residency period.
Selected artists for the 2027 Resonance Residency will enter into a contractual agreement with BKMW which will include the full terms of the residency. Accepted artists must sign and comply with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
Residents must arrange their own housing and transportation for the duration of their residency period.
Residents must arrange their transportation to and from BKMW at the beginning and end of their residency period.
If you have been accepted to the 2027 Resonance Residency, you are required to respond to your acceptance within 2 weeks, or your spot will be offered to a runner-up.
Selected artists in residence must be able to complete the full 3-month residency period they agree to.
Any fraudulent statement made in the application will be grounds for denying a residency agreement.
Residency FAQs
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A guest juror and BKMW staff will review applications after the deadline on October 9th, 2026. Finalists will be interviewed before artist residents are selected. All applicants will be notified about their application status by November 2026.
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Residents must complete a minimum of 25 studio hours per week during BKMW operating hours. Residents can access the studio 24 hours a day if they receive a G-61 Certificate of Fitness from the FDNY. Artist residents will be required to participate in:
Weekly check-ins
A new resident artist reception with BKMW community
A BKMW membership orientation meeting
BKMW artist talks, openings, and events as an attendee
A professional review of their work created during the residency
An artist talk at the conclusion of the residency period
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Artist residents will receive a semi-private studio space on the BKMW educational floor. This space includes:
Personal 7 x 7 ft square cubicle with 4 ft high walls
Jeweler's bench
Flexible shaft with holder
Butcher block top bench and locking drawers for storage
Small table
Bench light
Chair
Residents will have access to the equipment on the second floor of BKMW including shared soldering stations, enameling kilns, melting torches, polishing machines, stakes, hammers, forming tools, etc. Some specialized equipment requires artists to provide their own materials, including trim saw blades, lapidary wheels, etc. Residents can access the studio 24 hours a day if they receive a G-61 Certificate of Fitness from the FDNY. Studio access is limited to BKMW operating hours if a G-61 is not acquired.
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We are a non-ferrous metal studio, meaning that working with steel is not allowed. We also do not allow resin, chemical etching, electroplating/electroforming, precious metal clay, and a few other processes and materials which can be further explained. Our studio does not support casting, our students and members outsource their casting to casting houses in Manhattan’s Diamond District.
Questions? Contact info@bkmetalworks.com.
Issues with CaFÉ application? Contact cafe@westaf.org or (303) 629-1166.