Location: Santa Monica, California

Mission: 18th Street Arts Center values art making as an essential component of a vibrant, just, and healthy society. Its mission is “to provoke public dialogue through contemporary art making.” Founded in 1988, 18th Street Arts Center has fostered and supported the work of many of Los Angeles’ most engaging artists, and has built bridges to artist communities around the globe.

18th Street Arts Center’s residency program helps to build and to strengthen the creative community by working with local, national and international artists and curators. There are three types of residencies, including long-term “anchor tenants,” who have helped to define the character and scope of the organization; mid-term residencies open to local artists that occupy either live/work or work studios for 1 year or more; and a visiting artist program that hosts international and national artists and curators from between 1 to 3 months.

18th Street Arts Center’s visiting artist residency program has hosted more than 300 artists from dozens of countries around the world since it first began in 1992. Their presence at the center has enlivened the multicultural dialogue of Los Angeles. Over the past seventeen years, more than 700 diverse visual and performing artists have participated in programs at 18th Street Arts Center ranging from group and individual exhibitions to special events and presentations at the center’s popular Art Nights.

Cost: 18th Street Arts Center works with a variety of national and international partners to fund the visiting artists. These include private foundations supporting the arts, as well as government entities such as foreign consulates, national and state organizations. Each resident must be funded in order to participate in the program. If funding is not identified through partner organizations, artists may also be self-funded, meaning that they cover the basic costs of the residency.

Visiting artists travel costs and stipends are provided by the foundation or government agency funding their residency. Self-funded artists do not receive travel costs or a stipend from 18th Street Arts Center.

Mid-Term studios are subsidized in part by 18th Street Arts Center, in an effort to provide artists with affordable rental properties.

Application Fee: No application fee

Number of Artists: Up to 35 Artists, Curators, and Organizations at a time

Accommodations: Residents are provided with a fully furnished live/work studio apartment at our center, with cable TV, wireless internet, bikes, full kitchen and full bath We are located blocks away from the beach in sunny Santa Monica, and in midst of the exciting, vigorous Los Angeles arts community. While each studio is a different configuration, they are all close to 1,000 square feet lofts and spacious enough to hold events such as presentations of your work, studio visits. Residents are given access to office, computer, and audio/visual equipment, as well as meeting space.

Mid-term residencies are open to local artists that rent either live/work or day studios at the center for 1 year or more. There are currently no Mid-term Artist Residency studios available. When there is an opening, 18th Street Arts Center posts the listing on our website, as well as sending out a call for applications through diverse media outlets. Mid-term Artist Residency studios open up every 2 to 3 years. Long-term Artist Residency studios do not generally become available.

Length of Stay: Local artists that occupy either live/work or work studios for 1 year or more; and a visiting artist program that hosts international and national artists and curators from between 1 to 3 months.

Demographic/Medium: 18th Street Arts Center’s Visiting Artist Residency Program hosts artists from across the United States and from around the world. This program hosts artists of all disciplines and occasionally invites art curators, writers and musicians.

The Mid-Term program is open to artists of all disciplines, as well as small, artist-run initiatives.

18th Street Arts Center’s Long-term Residency Program encompasses two types of residents including individual artists and art organizations. These “anchor tenants” have helped to define the character and scope of the organization. Many of these residents have been with the organization since it was founded in 1988.

Benefits: 18th Street Arts Center has a vibrant, critical gallery program and offers diverse public events including artist talks, presentations, concerts and an annual fall festival.

Deadline: Ongoing (1 year to 18 months in advance of an artist’s arrival. However, opportunities may arise within a period of months if there is a sudden vacancy)

Acceptance Rate: n/a

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