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LIGHT WORK VISUAL STUDIES INC
SYRACUSE, NY · EIN 237385641 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A400 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Small ($100K-$1M) · lightwork.org
revenue
$461K
expenses
$496K
net assets
$2.9M
employees
0
program ratio
95%
mission · from form 990

ARTIST OPERATED PHOTOGRAPHY CENTER TO ENCOURAGE THE GROWTH AND APPRECIATION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC AND OTHER VISUAL MEDIA.

profile · synthesized from sources

Light Work is an artist-operated photography center based in Syracuse, NY, that supports contemporary visual media through grants, exhibitions, and publications. Since 1975, it has awarded grants to artists across New York State outside of New York City, with a focus on fostering new work and long-term creative development. The organization also runs the Urban Video Project and publishes the award-winning Contact Sheet.

named programs · 3 · from sources

What they call their work

Contact Sheet
Award-winning publication featuring the work of grant recipients and other artists supported by Light Work.
Light Work Grants in Photography
Annual $3,000 grants awarded to photographers living and working in New York State outside of New York City; includes exhibition and publication in Contact Sheet.
Urban Video Project Residential Commission
Residential commission program supporting artists working in video; includes jury selection and public announcement of finalists.
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 2 activities
    • Curated gallery exhibitions
      Curates and mounts four annual exhibitions in the Kathleen O. Ellis Gallery and additional exhibitions in the Jeffrey J. Hoone Gallery focused on local talent and selections from its collection. Also holds occasional satellite exhibitions at the Palitz Gallery in New York City. Has presented over 400 exhibitions since 1973.
    • Exhibitions of grant recipients' work
      Organizes annual exhibitions of grant recipients’ work in the Kathleen O. Ellis Gallery and/or the Jeffrey J. Hoone Gallery, often accompanied by public events and the publication of their work in a special issue of Contact Sheet.
  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 1 activity
    • Artist-in-Residence Program
      Hosts an annual residency program for 12 to 15 artists working in photography and related media, providing each with a $7,500 stipend, furnished housing, 24-hour access to facilities, staff support, and publication in a special edition of Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual with a commissioned essay. Over 500 artists have participated since the program's inception.
  • Artist Support Grants 1 activity
    • Funding Grants in Photography
      Awards annual grants of $3,000 to support photographers living and working in New York State outside of New York City, with some sources specifying three or five grants awarded annually. The program has supported over 110 to 150 artists since 1975, funding the development of ongoing projects and creation of new photographic work.
  • Artist Legacy Preservation and Documentation 1 activity
    • Light Work Collection maintenance
      Maintains a permanent collection of over 4,000 photographs and art objects, including early works by former Artists-in-Residence such as Cindy Sherman and John Gossage, with selections regularly featured in exhibitions.
  • Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
    • Publications program
      Publishes work by Artists-in-Residence and grant recipients in special editions of Contact Sheet, including the annual Contact Sheet: The Light Work Annual, and has produced over 200 issues of Contact Sheet, more than fifty exhibition catalogues, and several special project books.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Community-access lab facility operations
      Operates a public-access lab equipped with printing and scanning equipment, a black-and-white darkroom, a lighting studio, and a lounge and library for artists. The facility has provided access to over 25,000–30,000 artists, students, and patrons for creating photographic work since its founding over 40 years ago.
    • Urban Video Project commissions
      Runs two commission programs under the Urban Video Project: the UVP Regional Commission, which supports Central New York artists in producing site-responsive media works exhibited annually from June to August; and the UVP Residential Commission, which hosts media artists for one-month residencies in Syracuse to create new work. Finalists are selected through a competitive jury process.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$461K
Contributions & grants$316K69%
Program service revenue$12K3%
Investment income$65K14%
Other revenue$68K
expenses
Total expenses$496K
Program expenses95%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$2.95M
Cash$352K
Investments$2.56M
Liabilities$14K
Net assets$2.93M
Liquid reserves70.5 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -14.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

board members · 7
  • ANDREW SALUTI — BOARD MEMBER
  • CHRISTINA EIFFE — TREASURER
  • CHRISTINA LIMPERT — SECRETARY
  • CHRISTINE ELFMAN — CHAIR
  • EMILY REYNOLDS — VICE CHAIR
  • GLEN LEWIS — BOARD MEMBER
  • MARILU LOPEZ FRETTS — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 30

Who they work with

  • Anneka Herre Partner — Light Work UVP program director and jury member for the Urban Video Project’s 2027 Residential Commission.
  • Autograph ABP Partner — Collaborative partner in programming initiatives.
  • Autograph ABP Partner — Partner organization in the Artist-in-Residence program.
  • CPW Partner — Marina Chao, curator at CPW, served as the 2025 grant judge.
  • College of Visual and Performing Arts, Syracuse University Partner — Supports Light Work programs and operations
  • Community Folk Art Center Partner — Collaborative partner in programming initiatives.
  • Contact Sheet Network — Light Work's award-winning publication that reproduces the work of grant recipients.
  • Darryl Chappell Foundation Partner — Collaborates with and provides support for artists in Light Work's residency program, including Widline Cadet in 2026.
  • Darryl Chappell Foundation Partner — Partner organization in the Artist-in-Residence program.
  • Department of Film and Media Arts, College of Visual and Performing Arts, Syracuse University Partner — Collaborative partner in programming initiatives.
  • Division of Student Affairs, Syracuse University Partner — Collaborative partner in programming initiatives.
  • En Foco Partner — Collaborative partner in programming initiatives.
  • Everson Museum of Art Partner — Collaborative partner in programming initiatives.
  • Everson Museum of Art Partner — Hosts the Urban Video Project's architectural projection site on its facade for public exhibition of commissioned works.
  • Everson Museum of Art Partner — Regular collaborator on exhibitions and programming in Syracuse.
  • ICA Philadelphia Partner — Collaborated with Amrita Stützle, who has worked with Light Work and ICA Philadelphia.
  • Jeffrey J. Hoone Gallery Partner — Exhibition space hosting Light Work's resident artist shows.
  • Light Work Network — Artist-run non-profit organization supporting artists in photography and related media
  • Light Work / Partners & Sponsors Partner — Hosts a list of institutional and individual supporters enabling sustained programming
  • Mira Adoumier Partner — Jury member for the Urban Video Project’s 2027 Residential Commission.
  • Nicolas Baird Partner — Jury member for the Urban Video Project’s 2027 Residential Commission.
  • Philadelphia Photo Arts Center Partner — Collaborated with Amrita Stützle, who has worked with Light Work and the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center.
  • Red House Art Center Partner — Collaborative partner in programming initiatives.
  • Slought Partner — Collaborated with Amrita Stützle, who has worked with Light Work and Slought.
  • Syracuse University Partner — Collaborates on programs including the Urban Video Project and hosts Light Work in the Robert B. Menschel Media Center.
  • Syracuse University Partner — Hosts satellite exhibitions at the Palitz Gallery at the Syracuse University Lubin House in New York City.
  • Syracuse University Humanities Center Partner — Collaborative partner in programming initiatives.
  • Urban Video Project Partner — Collaborative initiative for commissioning and presenting video art by regional artists.
  • Urban Video Project Partner — Regular collaborator on exhibitions and programming in Syracuse.
  • Urban Video Project (UVP) Partner — Joint multimedia public art initiative with Light Work and Syracuse University.
strategies · 4

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Artist-Centered Creative Development Model
    methodology: artist_residency_model
    By providing artists with time, space, financial support, and access to professional facilities through residencies and grants, the organization enables focused creative production and fosters sustained artistic growth, particularly for emerging and under-recognized photographers.
  • Community-Access Creative Infrastructure
    methodology: public_access_lab_model
    By operating public-access labs and shared technical resources designed for intuitive use, the organization lowers barriers to high-quality artistic production, enabling both artists and the public to create museum-quality photographic work and ensuring long-term sustainability of artist services.
  • Integrated Public Engagement Through Artistic Production
    methodology: public_engagement_through_art
    By pairing artist residencies with public commissions, exhibitions, publications, and site-responsive works, the organization increases public access to contemporary visual art and strengthens regional engagement, using artistic output as a conduit for community connection and collection stewardship.
  • Jury-Based Equitable Selection System
    methodology: peer_jury_selection
    By using a competitive jury process composed of peers and staff to select residency and commission recipients, the organization ensures artistic excellence and fairness in opportunity distribution, reinforcing trust and quality in its programming.