UETF Artist Resiliency Residency

Department of Arts and Culture 

City of Albuquerque Urban Enhancement Trust Fund

UETF Artist Resiliency Residency

The UETF Resiliency Residency Program is a self-paced, “at-home” residency that encourages artists of all mediums and disciplines to play, experiment, research, and create. Developed as a response to COVID-19’s impact on the Albuquerque Arts Community, the Urban Enhancement Trust Fund staff and committee created a program that was as fluid and adaptable as the times it was developed in. Artists who receive the Residency are invited to use the funds to further their artistic practice and are asked to show a public presentation of the work at some point in the Residency period.

Projects are encouraged, but not required, to be completed at the end of the Residency period, and artists are invited to use funds as part of a larger grant, as leverage to get more funding, as intermediary funding between larger project phases, or as they see fit. In essence, this residency program is a way for artists to receive much needed funding with total trust from the funding organization that the money will be used to further their artistic careers, with recognition of the importance of putting money directly in the hands of artists.

Learn more about the 2022 Residency cycle.

Learn more about the 2024 Residency cycle.

2026 UETF Artist Resiliency Residency

Since the Residency’s inception, there have been two cycles, putting $395,000 in the hands of 124 Albuquerque based artists. The 2026 Resiliency Residency cycle will fund 16 artists at $5,000 each with FUSION and Working Classroom acting as Fiscal Sponsor Organizations. 

Due to UETF legal requirements, funds must flow through a local Albuquerque nonprofit arts or cultural organization. FUSION and Working Classroom who will serve not only serve as the Fiscal Sponsor Organizations, but also as mentors and support systems for each artist.

These two organizations are committed to fostering arts at every level, encouraging trans and multidisciplinary arts, and providing resources and opportunities to those who receive a UETF Residency. Learn more about these partner organizations below. 

FUSION - www.fusionnm.org

FUSION, home to the FUSION Theatre Company, is a center for arts and culture in Downtown Albuquerque. Their multi-venue, 35,000 square foot campus hosts live music, dance, comedy, theater, and a myriad of special events. With three stages and both indoor and outdoor event spaces, FUSION is New Mexico's home for creative and cultural exploration. 

Building on their dedication to community partnership, FUSION has an economic development project that provides co-operative office, meeting, culinary, rehearsal, and performance spaces. FUSION served as a partner organization for the 2022 Resiliency Residency cycle. FUSION also serves as fiscal sponsor to a variety of fledgling community organizations, sharing resources to nurture the growth of healthy arts and culture in Albuquerque. 

Working Classroom - www.workingclassroom.org

Working Classroom is a 36 year old arts and social justice organization. Today, they are known for being a youth serving organization, but historically have been an intergenerational art space. Then and now, teaching artists have been working artists - local, national, and international - at all levels of career development and Working Classroom’s community of artists, both student/pre-professional, and professional, often learn from and collaborate with each other. Many artists Working Classroom has worked with are at the start of their career, and their experience with the organization has helped them to build their teaching and facilitation skills, project management skills, and built their portfolio such that larger institutions have been willing to support these emerging talents.

Working Classroom is always looking to grow their network of artists and support their development. They are interested in supporting artists who have not had the same access as others and facilitating cross pollination between their current network and the selected Residency artists. Working Classroom has professional development available to creatives, and will use this to expand their programming. Above all, Working Classroom is interested in building a stronger community together.