Sound Artist in Residency

SOUND ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Located on Cape Ann,the City of Gloucester (pop. 30,000) is a community with a colorful and rich history, vibrant arts culture and a stunning waterfront. The Sawyer Free Library (SFL) is located downtown in a vibrant hub of venues that host live music and creative artists.

SFL recently returned to our historic home at 2 Dale Avenue and celebrated the opening of our renovated and expanded facility, which includes a Digital Learning Lab.

Our dedicated staff deliver inclusive programs, collections, public technology and services that reflect Gloucester’s culture and support literacy, learning, digital skills, economic grown, community resilience and health & wellness.

SFL is seeking a Sound Artist in Residence to engage with the Gloucester community and inspire them to work on projects in our newly opened Audio Studios in the Digital Learning Lab. The Sound Artist in Residence will give visibility to our Audio Studios through in-library programming, consultation with the community, and creative works. We welcome applications from all types of sound artists, including podcasters, songwriters, musicians, and producers.

The Digital Learning Lab is host to two live audio recording studios with state-of-the-art equipment and two high powered digital media stations with audio, video and image editing software.

Sound Artists are invited to curate a lineup of events, workshops and performances for the residency. Example activities include:

• Meet the Sound Artist in Residence community event

• Workshop for participants to craft and record a personalized sound track on a theme

• Go Beyond the User Guide one-on-one audio editing mentorship

• Voice Memo to Demo Coaching Sessions, combining hands-on workshops and coaching sessions for participants to turn rough sound memos into polished demos

• A Sawyer Sound Salon at which the Sound Artist performs selections from personal sound creations

• An Industry Panel Discussion exploring the current landscape of the sound industry and the artist’s role within it.
  

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan and lead events and workshops

• Develop promotional materials for events and workshops

• Foster the growth of the Sawyer Free Library’s Audio Studio community and help build that community’s knowledge base.

• Inspire and empower community members in their audio recording endeavors.

• Produce a personal audio recording demo

• Share creations produced in the Audio Studios in an online repository and social media.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Applicant must possess a working knowledge of recording software (DAW), audio interface hardware & peripherals, and modern digital and analog recording techniques.
• Professionally active in your artistic community.

• Comfortable interacting with members of the Gloucester community, including seniors

• Comfortable participating in media opportunities to promote the residency, the Sawyer Free Library, and sound recording in Massachusetts.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Social media savvy!

Has an established web presence (ie website, social media, streaming, fanbase etc)

In the early working stage of a new project or has an audio project vision in the works.

Some teaching, public speaking and live performance experience.

CONTRACT TERMS:

• 3-month contract, mid-September-mid-December (these dates can be flexible if required by the successful applicant)

• The engagement is for a total of 240 hours.

• $6,500 compensation on a self-employed basis

• 100% of the residency time is to be performed in Gloucester, with the majority of time being onsite at the library. This is not a remote position.

Applications are due by 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026

Qualifications:

• The Sound Artist in Residency is expected to have a solid working knowledge of:
• Recording software (DAW)
• Audio interface hardware / peripherals
• Modern digital and analog recording techniques.

The Sound Artist should ideally be:

• Professionally active in an artistic community
• In the early working stage of a new project
• Comfortable interacting with members of the Gloucester community, including seniors
• Comfortable participating in media opportunities to promote the residency, the Sawyer Free Library, and sound recording in Massachusetts.

A big part of this residency is engagement with the community.

Planning and executing instructional events, workshops and even demonstrations and/or performances for the public will be part of what's expected from the Artist in Residence.

Comfort with public speaking and working with a wide range of aptitudes and ages will also be essential skills.

How To Apply:

• An artist resume outlining your relevant qualifications and experience.

• A cover letter which:

• Please also send two recent samples (within the last 24 months) of your sound art, podcast or music and/or links to web resources of your work

Apply by:

Salary:

About this Organization: