Location: Woodstock, New York

Mission: The Byrdcliffe Artist in Residence program provides visual artists, writers and composers of exceptional talent with uninterrupted time and creative space within the serene natural setting of the Byrdcliffe Art Colony. Lasting between three and six weeks, Byrdcliffe’s residencies provide artists with uninterrupted private studio time within a community of peers. Artists are invited to participate in open studios, work-shares, communal dinners and field trips, or may spend their residency working in the creative solitude of a private studio. Byrdcliffe’s residencies are particularly beneficial to those who find it restorative to live in a simple, communal environment in close proximity to natural beauty.

Cost: A subsidized fee of $600/month to attend.

The full cost of Byrdcliffe’s residency program is $2,000 per person. Byrdcliffe also offers financial aid to participants based on a combination of need and merit. In 2012, 62% of artists received partial or full fellowships to attend the residency program. This support was made possible through the generosity of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and Byrdcliffe restricted funds, including the Handel Fund and the Milton and Sally Avery Fund for Visual Art. Other fellowships are awarded directly from Byrdcliffe. To be considered for a fellowship, artists must fill out and submit the required financial information in the application. Some partial fellowships available through Byrdcliffe may require 3-5 volunteer hours per week.

Application Fee: $40.00

Number of Artists: Up to 12 at a time

Accommodations: All residents are assigned a private room and studio. Accommodations vary in size and availability. There is a computer with internet access for residents to use, and WiFi is available in most areas of the colony. Composers must provide their own keyboard with headphones. Pets are not permitted except for assist/guide animals.

Length of Stay: 3 – 6 Weeks

Demographic: The main criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence. Byrdcliffe encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics, and welcomes artists engaging in the broadest spectrum of artistic practice. To that end, emerging as well as established artists are invited to apply. Byrdcliffe is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and disability. Byrdcliffe offers ADA compliant access to its main residency building and some studios.

Medium: Byrdcliffe accepts applications from artists working in the following disciplines: visual arts; fiction, nonfiction and/or poetry; playwrighting and screenwriting; and music composition.

Benefits: Beyond the AiR program, the Colony is comprised of more than a dozen artist cottages, the Byrdcliffe Theater, the Byrdcliffe Barn, a tennis court and the Mt. Guardian hiking trail, as well as the Kleinert/James Center for the Arts which is located in the center of Woodstock. Byrdcliffe hosts a regular schedule of artist talks, exhibitions, concerts, theater productions and guided hikes, most of which are year-round. Public events allow artists the opportunity to connect with the community at large. At Byrdcliffe creative time is sacrosanct, and artists are given free rein to decide what activities will contribute to their residency experience. Byrdcliffe offers a unique experience in simplicity of living amid the natural beauty of a 250 acre campus of protected fields and woodland. At the same time, Byrdcliffe provides the opportunity to live in a community of creative people of all ages and backgrounds who are dedicated to honoring the creative spirit.

Deadline: March 15

Website : We have a new Artist in Residence Program Blog