How to find artist residencies

The types of residency, where to look, and how to tell a great fit from an expensive one.

An artist residencygives you dedicated time and space to make work, usually away from home, for anywhere from a week to a year. Beyond the studio time, the real value is often the people: peers, mentors, and curators you meet. Programs vary enormously in cost and support, so the goal isn't just to find one, it's to find one that fits your practice and your budget.

The main types of residency

Fully funded. Covers housing and materials and adds a stipend, so you pay little or nothing. The most competitive. Browse fully funded residencies →
Fee-based / self-funded. You pay for room, board, or studio access. Often less competitive and available year-round, with scholarships sometimes offered.
Thematic or discipline-specific. Built around a medium, career stage, or subject (printmaking, socially engaged practice, eco-art).
Rural retreat vs. urban / institutional. A remote retreat offers focus and quiet; a city or museum residency offers audience, exhibitions, and networking.

Where to look

Residencies are run by all kinds of host: independent programs and artist colonies, universities and museums, arts councils and foundations, and studios attached to a gallery. Residency networks and directories are the usual starting point, but each program also posts on its own site, and there is no one place they all appear. OpenCall lists residencies alongside open calls and grants and sorts them by deadline, so you can compare options and plan around application dates in one place.

Browse artist residencies →See the full directory

How to evaluate a residency before applying

True cost.Add up fees, travel, and lost income, then subtract any stipend. "Free" and "funded" are not the same thing.
What's provided. Private studio? Housing? Meals? Equipment or specialized facilities you actually need?
Duration and timing.Can you leave your life for that long, and does the residency period clash with shows you've already committed work to?
Obligations. Some expect a talk, an open studio, a donated work, or teaching. Know what you owe in return.
Fit and outcomes. Look at past resident lists and alumni. Is this a community you want, and where do people go afterward?

Unsure what a term means? The glossary defines stipend, fully funded, fellowship, and the rest.

The main types of residency

Fully funded. Covers housing and materials and adds a stipend, so you pay little or nothing. The most competitive. Browse fully funded residencies →

Fee-based / self-funded. You pay for room, board, or studio access. Often less competitive and available year-round, with scholarships sometimes offered.

Thematic or discipline-specific. Built around a medium, career stage, or subject (printmaking, socially engaged practice, eco-art).

Rural retreat vs. urban / institutional. A remote retreat offers focus and quiet; a city or museum residency offers audience, exhibitions, and networking.

Where to look

How to evaluate a residency before applying

True cost.Add up fees, travel, and lost income, then subtract any stipend. "Free" and "funded" are not the same thing.

What's provided. Private studio? Housing? Meals? Equipment or specialized facilities you actually need?

Duration and timing.Can you leave your life for that long, and does the residency period clash with shows you've already committed work to?

Obligations. Some expect a talk, an open studio, a donated work, or teaching. Know what you owe in return.

Fit and outcomes. Look at past resident lists and alumni. Is this a community you want, and where do people go afterward?

Unsure what a term means? The glossary defines stipend, fully funded, fellowship, and the rest.