Artists’ residencies (also called artists’ communities, colonies, retreats, workspaces, and studio collectives) provide dedicated time and space for creative work. Beyond this core value, these creative communities are a diverse group, and provide artists of all disciplines with many different styles and models of support.
Residencies can be found in urban or rural areas, serving one artist at a time or 50. Some support one artistic genre while many are interdisciplinary, welcoming visual artists, writers, composers, choreographers, scholars and other creative individuals. There are programs that are active centers for public programs and others that offer solitude and retreat. Many provide room and board as a home-away-from-home; others offer not a place to live, but a community for local artists in which to work and be supported in the creation of new art.
Watch a short video about Djerassi Resident Artists Program, one example of a retreat-style residency, located in Woodside, California.
Whether you are seeking your first residency or are a seasoned alumni of artists’ communities, there are a few things you may want to consider: