Solitary Retreat in the Nevada Desert

Overview

The Montello Foundation provides a solitary retreat where artists can experience the vastness of a desert landscape from a safe building. The residency offers a unique space for inspiration and creation designed with a large shading roof and two distinct spaces: one for bodily needs (eating, sleeping, washing, and a stove for cold desert nights) and one for work (writing, painting, drawing, studying).

Program Details

• Residency length: 2 weeks
• Location: Nevada, United States
• Housing: Private housing on campus (individual apartment/cabin/house)
• Average number of artists in residence at a time: 1
• Collaborative residencies: May apply as a team
• Family-friendly: Spouses/partners allowed for full stay (non-collaborators); children allowed for full stay

Eligibility

Open to artists based anywhere in the world at any stage of career. Applicants must submit work that fosters understanding of nature, its fragility, and the need to protect it.

Disciplines & Media

Animation, architecture, art history, biology, book arts, choreography, criticism, dance, digital fabrication, digital media, documentary, drawing, ecology, electronic arts, environmental arts, environmentalism/conservation, fiction, film, graphic design, history, illustration, installation arts, interdisciplinary arts, journalism, landscape architecture, literary, literature, mathematics, mixed media, moving image, multimedia arts, music, new genres, nonfiction, opera, painting, paper arts, performance art, philosophy, photography, playwriting, poetry, public art, science, screenwriting, sculpture, social practice, sound art, storytelling, textile & fiber arts/weaving, theater, translation, TV + radio, urban planning/design, virtual reality, visual arts, woodworking, and writing.

Facilities & Support

• Private studios with painting workspace (oil), woodworking tools, and music/media studio (non-recording)
• Residents have access to private kitchen; no meals provided
• Partially accessible (50% or more)
• Artist talk or presentation expected

Key Dates

• Submission deadline: January 17, 2027

Fees & Awards

• Application fee: $20 USD
• Residency fee: Free
• No stipends or material support available at this time

Selection Criteria

The panel evaluates work based on: (1) quality of the work; (2) relevance to the Montello Foundation's mission—work that increases understanding of nature, its fragility, and the need to protect it; and (3) artist's commitment to sharing their work (shows in non-profit spaces, self-organized events/happenings/exhibitions).

Application & Support

Apply online at https://www.montellofoundation.org/pages/montello_apply.htm. The Foundation is unable to provide financial support but is happy to provide assistance for your own fundraising.