Set on 320 acres of forest and working farm, and bordered by Hurricane Mountain Wilderness— clay, food, and the Adirondack mountains are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Craigardan’s residency program sits at the intersection of place, purpose, and process.
The program is designed to allow plenty of time for independent, yet supported work within a specific area of focus, while encouraging cross- and interdisciplinary exploration and creative dialogue. We welcome ceramic, literary, visual, and performance artists, as well as farmers, chefs, activists, scholars, and researchers from the Adirondack region and around the world. Here you’ll find a unique dynamic that amplifies each individual’s work while activating collective creativity within the community. We invite applications from emerging and accomplished artists who would benefit from a focused amount of un-guided time to create a new work, complete a project, conduct research, or simply find inspiration, rest, and creative camaraderie amid the wild beauty of the Adirondack mountains.
We support residencies of 2 weeks or longer for 6-10 artists at a time. Craigardan awards a substantial fellowship to all accepted applicants, and additional financial aid is available in the form of named fellowships and work exchange opportunities. Our Teaching Fellowships apply to all disciplines with the belief that fostering the interaction between artists and the local public is as important as providing sheltered time to artists to further their creative practices. And in this spirit, all residents are asked to prepare a 10-15 minute presentation as part of our weekly Applebarn Series to share their work and process with the local public and fellow artists-in-residence.
Residents have free and open access to all programs, classes, and lectures. Residents come together with staff and special guests for a family meal each week which, at Craigardan, is an art form - prepared by staff and guest chefs with seasonal, organic ingredients from our farm and partner farms. This small amount of programmatic structure provides the framework around which residents may utilize large amounts of free time to work. Residents have the option to share knowledge and learn new skills such as cooking, pottery, farming or writing; participate in community events such as the summer Applebarn Series; and engage in thoughtful discussions with staff, local experts, and program ambassadors.
In addition, opportunities for hiking, biking, local exploration, and swimming provide fresh inspiration (and sometimes necessary distraction). With two mountain streams, many miles of trails to explore, and close proximity to the heart of the Adirondack Park’s High Peaks, the Craigardan campus is an ideal location for artists and thinkers to stretch the legs and the mind in the largest state park in America. Although we are in a very remote setting, Craigardan is only 4 miles from the county seat of Elizabethtown, 6 miles from Keene and Keene Valley, and 25 minutes from Lake Placid.
This experience provides artists with the support, trust, and space to make work, collaborate, share, and grow while also affording the rare opportunity to participate in a new beginning for Craigardan. This year brings our fourth season of artists and scholars living and working in residence on the new campus - each person with the desire and creative ability to see possibility and build community. Our beautiful, in-process campus is in a wild, raw, quiet, and extremely rural location. We see and hear wildlife, experience dark skies, embrace summer insects, and live with ever-changing patterns of mountain weather. The Adirondacks is a place of untamed beauty and our location provides full immersion in nature in all her glory.
Residency Eligibility
Residency Experience Summary
Application Information
We support artists and scholars at any stage of their career.
Craigardan values equality and justice across all human and environmental domains. We highly encourage applications from people of color, indigenous, women, and LGBTQIA+ artists and scholars.
The actual cost of the residency is $2300 per week. If artists wish to pay the full cost of a residency, they will generously provide scholarship funds to help support other artists.
All accepted applicants are awarded a $1550 scholarship per week. With the scholarship, the residency fee is only $750 per week. Artists may also apply for one of our competitive fellowships to cover the full cost of the residency.