It’s
a dream of many writers: to spend time at a quiet colony or residency
where you can focus on your work. But too often the only writers’
colonies we hear about are The MacDowell Colony and Yaddo, prestigious residencies that only accept a tiny percentage of applicants.
The
truth is, there are lots of other wonderful writer’s residencies to
choose from, many of which are less competitive, so you’re more likely
to get accepted.
Our founder, Alexis Grant, enjoyed three highly productive residencies at The Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts & Sciences,
and she is convinced that a big reason we don’t hear about the
non-MacDowell-level residencies is because the writers who frequent
these places aren’t always digitally savvy; rather than participating in
online communities or blogging, they spend their time writing.
Here are 26 high-quality writing residencies and retreats
you may not know about yet. While some of these are quite selective,
others are a little more open with their admission policies.
1. Willapa Bay AiR
From the philosophy and mission; to the facilities; to the administration; to the meals; all has been well thought out. When I add in the lovely locale and the interesting and supportive Oysterville community I don’t know how it can get any better. — Betsy Best-Spadaro, visual artist
This
fairly new residency program is already making waves. It’s located in
Southwestern Washington and offers month-long residencies to emerging
and established artists of all types. Lodging, meals and work space are
provided to six residents per month from March 1 through September 30.
$30 application fee.
2. Millay Colony for the Arts
For many reasons, my residency stay at the Millay Colony for the Arts has been the most prolific, in terms of artistic production and concentrated work. I attribute that to not only the bucolic and remote country landscape, which accords one lonely hikes, clear blue skies and muddy roads, but also the sheer lack of human interaction for my 26 days while in residence. — Kate Hers Rhee, visual artist
This
small artist’s colony in upstate New York offers two-week and
month-long residencies to six artists between the months of April and
November. Unlike many other residencies, they don’t emphasize social
events or speakers, instead preferring for you to focus on producing your art.
There are no costs, and food is included. You can also apply for a
virtual residency or a “group residency” with your collaborating
partners. $35 application fee.
3. Ucross Foundation
At Ucross I learned that I am capable of focusing deeply for long periods of time. I love to write. I don’t think I would have said that before this trip. — Edan Lepucki, novelist
A
favorite among writers, this colony is located on a 20,000-acre working
cattle ranch in Wyoming. It serves 85 artists per year, with up to nine
people in residence at any one time. Lunches are delivered to your
door, while dinners are eaten together in a group. Residencies last two
to six weeks and are free of charge. $40 application fee.
4. Jentel
The month’s end is a time I am not looking forward to because with the space itself being gorgeous and comfy, the food being good, the people being wonderful, and me being productive I can see myself dreaming of this place once I leave. — Jennifer Baker, fiction writer
Sitting
just eight miles away from UCross is Jentel, which hosts month-long
residencies year-round; two writers and four visual artists are accepted
for each session. Though food isn’t included, they do provide a stipend
to help with the costs of your trip. Applicants must be over the age of
25. $23 application fee.
5. Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
There was something magical about being in such a supportive and beautiful environment, having a different place (studio) to go to every day with the deliberate purpose of writing, and being inspired by the serious work ethic of all the other artists. — Penny Harter, poet
This
selective residency is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
and accepts artists of all types. Residencies are offered year-round and
last from two weeks to two months, with around 20 artists in residence
at one time. You’ll receive three meals per day and are asked to
contribute what you can, up to their $180 per-day cost to host you. $40
application fee. (TWL Founder Alexis Grant attended this residency, and
it is a lovely setting!)
6. Brush Creek Arts Foundation
This place is truly amazing and inspiring. I spent my mornings, early afternoons, and evenings working on a new orchestra piece (still pending), and my late afternoons hiking around the ranch… The other artists were fascinating. — Kari Besharse, pomposer
Wyoming
ranches are popular places for writer’s residencies! This one offers
two- and four-week residencies, complete with lodging, meals, workspaces
and natural beauty. They provide bag lunches and communal dinners.
Closed in December. $35 application fee.
7. Writing Between the Vines
Like
wine and solitude? Then you’ll love this residency. Available at
several different vineyards on the West Coast, this is different from
other residencies in that there’s no community of artists. You’ll have a
private cottage in which to write, with nobody else around to distract
you. No meals are offered, though your stay is free if you’re accepted.
$30 application fee.
8. Omi International Arts Center
The international character of [Omi] sharpens your perspective on what it means to be a writer outside the U.S.A. in the 21st century… As for the writing, my main reason for being here, it went sailing along, with only a few days when the anchor dragged. — Alfred Corn, writer
Writers
Omi welcomes published writers of all types for residencies of one week
to two months. Located on 300 acres in upstate New York, they offer
full room and board and frequently host dinner guests from the New York
City publishing community. There is no application fee, and no fee to
attend.
9. Norton Island Residency
How did I get here? Where am I? I feel like I don’t exist, and it’s nice. — The Magic Wonder Blog
This
residency is located off the coast of Maine and offers a rustic and
outdoorsy experience for a flat fee of $125. It was closed for
renovations in 2015, but the 2016 application will be available on their
website in fall 2015. $25 application fee.
10. Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts
There was time to sleep in, time to stay up late and work, time to nap, time to eat when it was necessary. It allowed me to get wrapped up in the novel completely… The process of engagement was so much more complete at KHN. — Theodore Wheeler, fiction writer
Located
in Nebraska City, Nebraska, the KHN Center offers up to 60 residencies
per year, for stays of two to eight weeks. If accepted, you’ll receive
free housing and a $100 stipend per week to cover food. $35 application
fee.
11. Blue Mountain Center
It’s hard to describe joy. It was like I had come home, but the way home would be in heaven: yes, a community in the Adirondacks, but cleaner, fancier, peaceful and safe. More art and more cookies. — Micah Perks, novelist
Go
off the grid in the heart of the Adirondacks. This artist’s community
offers four different month-long sessions in the summer and early fall,
including free room and board. Cell phones aren’t welcome at the center,
though you’ll be able to use its phone booth and computer room with
ethernet plug-ins (no Wi-Fi here!). $25 application fee.
12. Martha’s Vineyard Writer’s Residency
Perhaps the biggest advantage of doing a residency is to reminded of what I learned in graduate school: The importance of integrating and valuing regular writing and reading every day. It is easy to get distracted, rush through life, and do only the paid work and chores during the week. — Chloe Yelena Miller, poet and freelance writer
This
residency wants to give you time and space to create. They host nine
writers at a time in the spring and fall for residencies of two to six
weeks. The cost of lodging is $300 per week, and food is not included.
$10 application fee.
13. Vermont Studio Center
VSC recreates the best parts of the MFA experience: living in a community of writers (artists), having time to devote to your craft, the sense that what you are working on is important, and friends to have a beer with at the end of the night. — Brendan Lynaugh, writer
Another
favorite is the largest international artists’ and writers’ residency
program in the United States, hosting 50 visual artists and writers each
month in the heart of Northern Vermont.
While
writers give it high marks, it’s not cheap; for the complete program,
you’ll pay $2,050 for two weeks or $3,950 for four weeks. Some
fellowships, grants and work-exchange programs are available to help
reduce your cost. $25 application fee.
14. The Edward F. Albee Foundation
My room looked out over a rolling lawn and at night I could hear deer crossing through the streams in the surrounding woods. It was beautiful. Everything I imagined and I was lucky enough to be in residence with a great group of people who were also amazing cooks. — Nichelle Tramble, novelist
Located
on a knoll on Long Island, “The Barn” is easy to get to, yet still
secluded. It’s open from mid-May to mid-October and accepts artists for
four- or six-week residencies. The Albee Foundation can accommodate up
to five people at a time and does not provide food. But there’s no cost
to apply and no fees if accepted.
15. Wildacres Retreat
If
you’re looking for a short residency on the East Coast, look no
further. Wildacres offers one- and two-week residencies from April
through October. You’ll stay in one of three cabins on their property in
the mountains of North Carolina. Meals are served in the main lodge,
where you’ll interact with non-artists. There is a $20 application fee
but no cost if accepted.
16. The Writer’s Colony at Dairy Hollow
It was a game changer. I learned a great deal about me and my life as a teacher-writer. It is no small thing to come face to face with one’s work with no distractions. And while it is not something I could do on constant basis… it is something I plan to incorporate into my writing year from now on. — Stephanie Vanderslice, creative writer and teacher
Open
year-round, this colony in Arkansas hosts 50 writers each year for
residencies ranging from one week to three months. If accepted, you’ll
receive either a subsidized general residency or a fully-funded
fellowship. Actual costs of the residencies are $170 per night, and they
request residents contribute at least $60 per night. You can also
expect a $25 cleaning fee and a $20 fee for Internet access. $35
application fee.
17. Writers in the Heartland
I’m back from my writing residency, which I can only describe as a wonderful and strange week full of so much hard work, good company in the other writers, and warm hospitality from the spa staff and guests. — Laura Maylene Walter, fiction writer
This
small program in Illinois offers no-cost residences in September and
October to up to five writers at a time. They provide three meals a day
and 32 acres of woods and farmland for hiking, running and meditation.
$20 application fee.
18. Artcroft
My writing for these first couple of weeks has been going well. The structure I set up for myself is working as I had hoped. I am getting to know the characters and find them interesting. I’m enjoying the story that is unfolding. — Jason F. McDaniel, writer
Ever
wanted to work on a cattle ranch? Here’s your shot. Artcroft offers
two- to four-week residencies on a working farm in Kentucky. They
provide lodging and food staples, but you’ll be expected to help in
cooking and other chores averaging 20 hours per week. $30 application
fee.
19. Hedgebrook
I had no book when I was accepted to Hedgebrook in 1995. I’d published poems in a few journals but that was all… Fast forward 18 years. The stay at Hedgebrook changed my life in several important ways. — Susan Rich, poet
While
this residency is pretty well-known, we wanted to include it on this
list because it’s only for women, and only for writers. In their words,
“We provide the time, space, and nourishment. All you do is write.”
Featuring six cottages located on Whidbey Island, outside of Seattle, 40
women attend each year free residencies of two to six weeks from
February through October. $30 application fee.
20. The Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts & Sciences
You know that saying, “I can hear myself think?” At this writer’s colony, I can. I can hear the words and phrases bouncing around in my head, begging me to put them down on paper… I can get to the heart of what I’m here to do: Create. — The Write Life founder Alexis Grant
Located
on 600 acres in the mountains of north Georgia, residencies last from
two to eight weeks and cost $200 per week (though scholarships are
available). $30 application fee.
21. Kerouac Project
This
residency allows writers to spend three months typing away in the
Orlando cottage where literary legend Jack Kerouac wrote his acclaimed Dharma Bums. The
Kerouac Project offers four residencies a year, and residents are
expected to spend their time on their project, give a talk at the end of
their residency, and participate in occasional events (such as readings
and workshops) held at the cottage. Participants also receive an $800
food stipend. $25 application fee.
International Residencies
22. Gullkistan (Iceland)
As much as I love New York, I wanted to spend a month in a setting that couldn’t be more different — I wanted sublime natural beauty, peace and quiet, relaxation and simplicity — a reset button for myself. Gullkistan was an ideal answer. – Ben Valentine, writer
Located
in Iceland’s Laugarvatn Valley, this quiet getaway has mountains,
woods, creeks, and a peaceful setting. They welcome all sorts of artists
and writers and have space for eight people at a time. The minimum stay
is one month, but they may be able to work out a shorter stay for
people who are interested. Fees vary based on accommodation preference,
starting at 750 Euros. No application fee.
23. 360 Xochi Quetzal (Mexico)
This
residency in Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico offers three to five live/work
spaces in a small town with horses trotting on cobblestones and cowboys
riding by. Writers over the age of 23 are welcome to apply for free
one-month residency programs that include accommodations and a food
stipend of 1,000 pesos. Apply for a summer or winter program or rent a
live/work space other times of the year. $36 application fee
24. Arteles Creative Center (Finland)
Located
in the Finnish countryside, these one to two-month residencies,
available from June through October, house around 10 artists at any
given time. Food is not provided, but participants enjoy a traditional
Finnish wood-burning sauna and have access to a car and bicycle.
Financial support is available, which reduces the cost to 970 Euros per
month for one person in a single room with studio space; the full cost
is 1,940 Euros per month.
25. La Napoule Art Foundation (France)
Apply
for this interdisciplinary group residency and France for a five-week
residency. Up to 10 artists at once live and work in Chateau de La
Napoule. Some meals are provided, and $1,000 stipends may be available.
$30 application fee.
26. Red Gate Residency (China)
Live
and work in Beijing, China with this program which provides one to
six-month residencies. Up to 20 residents can be in the program at any
one time. However, participants are expected to pay their own living
expenses during the program or seek funding and grants from artist
organizations in their home country. Participants stay in downtown
apartments.
So…will you apply?
Want more? We recommend the Alliance of Artists Communities’
free residency database. Get on the AAC’s email list and receive
notifications of upcoming deadlines each month. You’ll also find more
information at Rate My Artist Residency, which has a convenient calendar of deadlines and map of residencies available. source www.thewritelife.com
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