The Core Residency Program awards residencies to exceptional, highly motivated emerging artists and critical writers committed to developing a sustainable practice. The residency term is 23 months, during which fellows receive $100,000 ($50,000 per year) plus a health stipend.

Fellows are provided with a private studio and benefit from regular studio visits by regional, national, and international artists and curators. They receive a discount on classes at the Glassell School of Art and may request access to Glassell studios, which include facilities for painting, printmaking, digital and film photography, sculpture, jewelry, and ceramics. Fellows are also invited to engage with everything the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has to offer, including the permanent collection of approximately 80,000 artworks spanning more than 5,000 years of history; two house museums; and a distinguished staff of museum professionals. Fellows enjoy borrowing privileges at the Museum’s Hirsch Library and Rice University’s Fondren Library.

Fellows participate in a group exhibition during the spring of their first year and, in the spring of their second year, present a solo exhibition or project. Critics-in-residence propose an outcome for their second year that aligns with their individual professional goals.