Prime Desert Woodland Preserve Artist in Residence Program

Contact InformationLancaster Museum of Art and HistoryContact Email: [email protected] Phone: 661-723-6250

Requirement OverviewLocation Eligibility Type: RegionalEligible Applicant Types: ArtistSubmission Limit: 1Media RequirementsImages | Min: 0, Max: 10Audio | Min: 0, Max: 10Video | Min: 0, Max: 10Total | Min: 5, Max: 10

Opportunity SummaryThe Prime Desert Woodland Preserve Artist in Residence Program invites artists of all disciplines to explore the landscape, ecology, and history of the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve in Lancaster, California.The program is open to artists age 18 and older living in Southern California. It provides a $1,500 stipend, up to six hotel stays, studio access at the Cedar Creative Incubator, and curatorial support.

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General InformationAbout the ResidencyThe Prime Desert Woodland Preserve Artist in Residence Program invites artists of all disciplines to spend sustained time immersed in one of the Antelope Valley’s most significant natural landscapes. Located in Lancaster, California, Prime Desert Woodland Preserve offers a rare example of high desert riparian woodland, with Joshua trees, native wildlife, seasonal wildflowers, and expansive desert landscapes.The residency is designed to provide artists with meaningful time and space for observation, reflection, research, and creative exploration. Rather than simply producing work about the Preserve, artists are encouraged to develop a sustained relationship with the landscape and consider how the Preserve’s ecology, history, cultural context, and changing conditions may inform their artistic practice.Over the course of the 12-week residency, artists will spend regular time at the Preserve, developing their work and documenting their observations and discoveries. The residency culminates in a public exhibition at MOAH:CEDAR, where artists share their work and research with audiences beyond the Preserve. Each artist will also create a Field Guide documenting their experience and contributing their perspective to an evolving collection of resources for future artists and the public.Art and PlaceArtists have long played a vital role in shaping how we understand and value landscapes. Through interpretation, observation, and creative inquiry, artists offer new ways of seeing that can foster stewardship, reflection, and connection.The Prime Desert Woodland Preserve Artist in Residence Program supports artists working across all media, including but not limited to visual arts, photography, writing, sound, performance, social practice, and interdisciplinary work. Artists are encouraged to respond thoughtfully to the Preserve’s ecology, history, and sense of place while advancing their own artistic practice.Residency OverviewThe residency is a 12-week program taking place from March through May 2027. Artists are expected to maintain a regular and meaningful presence at Prime Desert Woodland Preserve throughout the residency. The residency culminates in a public exhibition shortly after the residency period. Applicants should have the capacity to develop exhibition-ready work or a clearly defined presentation during the residency.The program provides:A $1,500 artist stipend to support participation in the residency, including the required community engagement activity.Up to six hotel stays during the residency, coordinated with the artist’s visitation schedule.Access to studio space at the Cedar Creative Incubator in downtown Lancaster for the duration of the residency.Access to Prime Desert Woodland Preserve for artistic research, observation, and exploration.Curatorial and logistical support from museum and program staff.Promotion of the artist and their work through appropriate museum channels.A public exhibition at MOAH:CEDAR developed collaboratively with the artist and curatorial staff.Artist Participation and Site AccessArtists are expected to complete approximately 8–12 documented visits to Prime Desert Woodland Preserve during the 12-week residency. The number and duration of visits may vary according to the artist’s discipline and proposed approach.Before beginning the residency, artists will provide program staff with an anticipated visitation schedule. This schedule will help museum staff coordinate Preserve access, notify rangers and other site personnel, arrange hotel stays, and address any special access or logistical needs.Artists will maintain a simple residency log documenting their visits and general activities at the Preserve. Staff check-ins will take place during the residency to discuss progress, site access, and emerging needs.Artists will receive an orientation to the Preserve and must comply with all applicable Preserve and City guidelines, including requirements related to safety, wildlife, protected land, access, and Leave No Trace principles.Artist Project BoardsTwo project boards are available to Artist in Residence participants at the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center. Artists may use these boards throughout the residency as a working space to document and develop their research and observations.Artists may post sketches, photographs, notes, questions, maps, data, references, or other materials related to their experience at the Preserve. The boards may also be used to solicit observations or information from Preserve visitors and staff.The research boards are intended as a working space rather than a finished presentation and may provide a useful tool for developing the artist’s Field Guide and culminating project. Public Exhibition at MOAH:CEDARA key benefit of the Artist in Residence Program is the opportunity to present the artist’s work and research to a broader audience through a public exhibition at MOAH: CEDAR, the Lancaster Museum of Art and History’s contemporary art and community engagement space.The exhibition provides artists with an opportunity to extend their engagement with Prime Desert Woodland Pr