The Hearst Center for the Arts today announced the launch of the Gary Kelley Artist in Residence, a new 12-month residency program created to honor the life and legacy of illustrator and painter Gary Kelley.
The residency has been made possible through the establishment of the Gary Kelley Artist in Residence Endowment Fund with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. The Friends of the Hearst established the permanent endowment through a $25,000 gift, creating a fund that is invested and grows over time to provide a long-term, stable source of income to support the residency program and its impact on artists across northeast Iowa.
“This fund gives regional artists something that’s genuinely hard to find outside a university: dedicated studio time and real support to do serious work,” said Cory Hurless, Cultural Programs Supervisor for the Hearst Center for the Arts.
The Hearst Center for the Arts is a municipal arts organization in Cedar Falls, Iowa, dedicated to arts education and community engagement through exhibitions, classes, and public programs.
Gary Kelley was Cedar Falls’ most celebrated visual artist, an illustrator and painter whose work appeared in national publications and award-winning children’s books over a career spanning decades. A steadfast supporter of the Hearst Center for the Arts, Kelley was known not only for the range and craft of his own work but for his generosity toward the community he called home—including his willingness to mentor, encourage, and make room for the next generation of artists to do serious work.
The Gary Kelley Artist in Residence program honors the legacy of Kelley, an internationally recognized artist whose work is part of the Hearst’s permanent collection, by transforming his donated studio furnishings into a working creative environment for area artists. Through a competitive application and selection process, resident artists receive a stipend and dedicated studio space, including access to Kelley’s original work table and easel, to pursue independent creative projects while collaborating with the Hearst on community-based initiatives.
“Gary Kelley’s work has shaped how the world sees the Cedar Valley, and his generosity in donating his studio furnishings to the Hearst gives us a rare opportunity to pay that legacy forward, said Wendy Bowman, president of the Friends of the Hearst Board. “This endowment ensures that area artists will always have a place to do serious creative work, and that the Hearst remains a home not just for audiences, but for working artists.”
Applications open August 15, 2026, and will be accepted through September 18, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CST. One artist will be selected, with the announcement made to the public in October, 2026.
The residency is open to artists living in Iowa’s Cedar Valley region who work in two-dimensional media: painting, drawing, printmaking, and/or illustration, the same forms that defined Kelley’s decades-long career. Digital art and AI-generated or AI-assisted work are not eligible.
“Gary spent his career giving back to his local community and encouraging local artists in their practice, and this residency is our way of carrying that forward,” said Hurless. “We wanted to give one artist real time, real space, and the resources to grow using Gary’s own studio tools, at the Hearst where he collaborated often.”
What the Residency Provides
The selected artist will receive:
- Dedicated studio space at the Hearst Center for the Arts for the full twelve-month term, including use of Gary Kelley’s own work table, easel, and printing press equipment
- A $2,500 stipend, disbursed in three installments over the course of the residency
- A $3,000 framing allotment through VanDoren’s Framing of Waterloo, Iowa, to prepare finished work for exhibition
- A solo exhibition of the resulting body of work in the Hearst Center for the Arts gallery at the close of the residency term
- Proximity to a working community of artists and arts professionals at the Hearst Center
In return, the selected artist will gift one completed work from the residency, chosen in consultation with Hearst Center staff, to the Hearst Center’s Permanent Art Collection. All other completed and framed works remain the artist’s own.
How to Apply
Eligible artists may apply by submitting:
- A portfolio of 8–12 images representative of current work (photographs or scans only; website and social media links will not be accepted)
- A written statement, no more than two paragraphs, describing their practice and goals for the residency
- An artist resume or CV
There is no fee to apply. Complete applications may be emailed to the.hearst@cedarfalls.com with the subject line “Gary Kelley Artist in Residence,” or mailed to:
Hearst Center for the Arts
Attn: Cultural Programs Supervisor
304 W. Seerley Blvd.
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Questions about the residency may be directed to Cory Hurless, Cultural Programs Supervisor, at cory.hurless@cedarfalls.com.
How to Support the Endowment
The Gary Kelley Artist in Residence Endowment Fund will provide annual distributions to support artist stipends and program expenses, ensuring the residency remains sustainable and does not depend on year-to-year grant cycles. Through its partnership with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, the fund will be professionally managed, permanently protected, and positioned to grow, ensuring lasting support for Cedar Valley artists and the region’s creative community.
Financial gifts of cash/check and stock are accepted through the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, 3117 Greenhill Circle, Cedar Falls, IA 50613. Checks to the endowment fund should be made payable to the Gary Kelley Artist in Residence Endowment Fund. Gifts can also be made online at cfneia.org/donations/garykelleyhearstendowment/. Gifts to the endowment fund are eligible to receive a 25% state tax credit through the Endow Iowa program. Learn more at cfneia.org/endowiowa.