Back to Basics
Thematic residency program for artists, writers, designers & creative minds

Periods: 1 month
When: July / August / September 2026
Where: Arteles Creative Center, Hämeenkyrö, Finland

Deadline for applications: 5th February 2026

Back to Basics is a multidisciplinary residency program that allows individuals to clear their minds, get back to focus, and (re)discover the very basis of their being. Take a break from your phone, reconnect with your creativity, be part of nature and learn to stay present again. 

Read more & apply: https://www.arteles.org

Pedvale International Artist Residency is located two hours northwest of Riga and is surrounded by the Pedvale Art Park that covers an area of almost 100 hectares with a diverse landscape – meadows, bushes, steep slopes, deep valleys, springs, streams and a winding river - as well as more then a 100 exhibited artworks. It is an ideal place for artists from a variety of creative domains to express themselves by using the artists’ residencies and park areas for exhibitions, concerts, shows and for other artistic expressions that are accessible to the wider public.

MacDowell is an artist residency program located in the small town of Peterborough, New Hampshire.  Artists-in-residence need to be comfortable with a degree of solitude and disconnection from the outside world. Studios are comfortably furnished with the artists’ needs in mind. A MacDowell Fellowship consists of exclusive use of a studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for two to eight weeks. There are no residency fees. Artists are responsible for materials and travel expenses. MacDowell encourages applications from artists representing the widest possible range of perspectives and demographics. 

Please look for related open calls for open application dates.

Since its founding in 1907, MacDowell has imbued its spaces with a deep and abiding respect for artists and their creative work. In the 21st century, this fundamental kindness is sustained by the curiosity, generosity, and goodwill circulating within the resident community.

While MacDowell may be thought of as a place apart from the world, the resident population will always be comprised of individuals who are of the world. MacDowell strives to offer ideal working conditions for artists within a joyful and mutually supportive environment. Consistent with that mission, all Fellows are obliged to adopt the community agreement as a condition of accepting a Fellowship. Doing so will help ensure that all Fellows may participate in the enriching exchange that has given rise to countless friendships and collaborati

Write On, Door County is pleased to offer the Dick Scuglik Memorial Residency and Scholarship to a poet or other writer with demonstrated ability and interest in ekphrastic writing. The residency is awarded annually in mid-June.

The selected writer will be paired with a Door County visual artist. The artist and writer will share work with each other. Each will create new work in response to other's work prior to the start of the residency. During the residency, both writer and artist will participate in a public event at which the new work is shared, along with a conversation about the creative process. For 2026, the visual artist is Laurel Grey.

While ekphrastic writing is most common in poetry, Write On welcomes applications from all genres, provided the work sample submitted fits the classification of ekphrasis.

A scholarship fund is available to assist the writer with travel expenses related to the residency. A small stipend and a grocery allowance are also included in the award.

In the heart of Door County, on Wisconsin's northeast peninsula, nestled between the waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan, writers can find the peace and solitude to focus on their craft. Write On offers a space of inspiration and reflection on 59 acres of meadows, orchards, and woods.

The Watermill Center's longest-standing program, The International Summer Program unites a community of international artists for a creative intensive at our East End Campus each summer. It offers a unique opportunity to advance one’s artistic practice in a communal and experimental environment and work alongside established arts professionals worldwide. 

Culminating in our Summer Festival, the Summer Program provides the time and space for emerging artists to develop new works that push the boundaries of contemporary creative practice. The artists – from different disciplines, countries, and backgrounds – share meals, exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, attend workshops, and participate in the daily life of The Watermill Center. 

Artists-in-Residence are immersed in an extensive collection of resources, including; 20,000 square feet of multi-purpose interiors and outdoor stages; a theater production archive; The Watermill Center Library; The Watermill Center Collection; and ten acres of landscaped grounds and sculpture gardens.

The Watermill Center’s Artist Residency Program began in 2006 when The Center officially opened as a year-round facility. Each year collectives and individuals take up residence at The Center to live and develop works that critically investigate, challenge, and extend the existing norms of artistic practice.

The Artist Residency Program is process-based, without the expectation or promise of a final exhibition of the work. Watermill provides artists with time and space to focus on developing their practice in a communal environment that encourages experimentation. Artists-in-Residence share their creative process with the community through open rehearsals, workshops, and artist talks.

Artists-in-Residence receive access to an extensive collection of resources central to the Watermill experience: 20,000 square feet of rehearsal/design spaces and outdoor stages; a theater production archive; The Watermill Center Study Library; The Watermill Collection; and The Center’s ten-acre landscaped grounds and gardens.

Applications are reviewed by a distinguished international committee composed of artists, academics, and cultural leaders across disciplines. To date, we have hosted over 300 residencies featuring artists from more than 90 nations.

Founded in 1902, Byrdcliffe is one of the earliest utopian art communities in the United States. Located approximately 2 hours north of New York City in the unique community of Woodstock, NY, Byrdcliffe has welcomed artists, intellectuals and creative practitioners in a range of fields to and live and work surrounded by the serene beauty of the Catskill Mountains on a 250-acre property. Our storied legacy of past participants includes Eva Hesse, Bob Dylan, Philip Guston, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Milton Avery and Thorstein Veblen.

The primary criteria for acceptance to Byrdcliffe’s Residency program is artistic excellence and demonstrated commitment to one’s field of endeavor. Artists in multiple disciplines are encouraged to apply in three general categories: Visual Arts, Literary Arts and Performing Arts. We understand and support that your practice may transverse multiple areas. While we welcome creative practices in all areas, our Winter Individual Residencies especially provide solace and privacy for writers and scholars. We have limited residencies available for Visual Artists.

All resident artists also have the opportunity to participate in an exhibition, performance, or presentation at Byrdcliffe’s Kleinert James gallery in downtown Woodstock during the year following their residency.

Cultivarte is an ecological artist residency located in the warm and peaceful mountains of Anapoima, Colombia. Our program offers artists, writers, and creatives a quiet and inspiring environment to deepen their practice, rest, reconnect, and develop new ideas. Surrounded by nature, residents have access to open studio space, simple and comfortable accommodations, gardens, walking trails, and areas for reflection, movement, and creative experimentation.

We welcome artists from any discipline and from anywhere in the world. Cultivarte operates as a self-sustained, fee-based residency, with stays designed to support both creative focus and personal well-being. Residents are free to work independently at their own pace while also having the option to participate in community-building activities and gentle wellness practices.

Our aim is to offer a nurturing place where creativity, nature, and inner balance meet, allowing artists to unwind, explore, and create in a supportive and tranquil setting.