Artist residencies can be life-changing for artists and the organizations that host them. At Artist Communities Alliance (ACA), we know that meaningful placements don’t happen by chance — they’re built through trust, shared values, and sustained support.
That’s why ACA’s grantmaking is different.
Through our work with initiatives like the McKnight Fellowship Residency and MacColl Johnson Fellowship Fund, we fund placements that build intentional relationships between artists and host organizations, rooted in mutual respect, care, and accountability.
For artists, this might mean a first-time residency experience at places like Art Omi, Montalvo Arts Center, or Millay Arts. These residencies are so much more than just a studio, they offer time to reflect, connect, and grow. We’ve supported artists in accessing meaningful, paid opportunities that recognize their and honor their experience, not just their output.
For residency organizations, it’s a chance to host artists they may not have previously reached — artists from underrepresented geographies, disciplines, or cultural communities — and to deepen their own practices of equity and access. We’ve seen residencies revise their application processes, shift curatorial frameworks, and build ongoing collaborations with past grantees.
The real impact goes beyond any single residency.
We’ve witnessed artists become deeply involved in their residency's community, develop work made during their time there, and launch new community projects shaped by the support they received. We’ve seen residencies grow their networks, rethink their values, and make long-term commitments to inclusive practices — all beginning with a single placement.
Thanks to your support, ACA has funded artists, supported residencies, and expanded a model of grantmaking that's collaborative, reparative, and built to last. You help us strengthen the entire ecosystem — creating a more resilient, inclusive, and artist-centered future, one relationship at a time.
But the work isn’t done.
If you believe in a residency field where artists of all backgrounds can thrive, we invite you to be part of this movement. Your donation helps ACA continue to offer vital support, develop new tools, and grow a field-wide culture of equity and care. Make a gift today to sustain this field-changing work.
Together, we’re not just responding to the moment. We’re building the future.