2026 Art/Sci Awarded Residency
All of PLAYA’s programs focus on expanding and deepening the field of art and science to empower the human motivation necessary for a healthy and whole future on this planet. We believe if human society is to maintain vibrancy of culture and biodiversity, it needs new ways of seeing the world. Surrounded by the richness of both the Fremont National Forest and BLM public lands, PLAYA’s programs provide ample space for study, exploration and inspiration within the high desert’s living laboratory.
Art/Sci Awarded Residencies are funded opportunities available through an application process and awarded to artists and scientists actively working to promote dialogue and positive environmental change. Residents are awarded a residency in a cohort made up of 6-10 artists and scientists spanning many disciplines. Residents stay in 1- or 2-bedroom cabins free of charge, and are responsible for their own travel costs and food while they are in residence. PLAYA is open to international and domestic applicants as long as eligibility requirements are met.
Applicants may choose a 5-, 11-, 17- or 25-night session. Most residency sessions begin on a Thursday and end on a Monday. We cannot accommodate custom residency dates, so applicants must choose from the dates available. We are very happy to continue the more accessible 5-night residency option for residents who have commitments that make longer periods of time away from home harder to accomodate.
Two references are required for this application.
PLAYA’s 76-acre campus sits alongside an intermittent desert lake which is 10 miles wide and 20 miles long. The campus is made up of the Commons building (where the only wi-fi on campus can be accessed), 6 cabins, 2 live/work units with attached studios, 2 homes for staff, three studios, and a small music studio.
PLAYA is in a remote, rural area of Oregon with wide open vistas and opportunities for field explorations in rich natural settings. Bend, Oregon, is two hours north and Lakeview is one hour south of PLAYA. Paisley with a population of 225 is 17 miles from PLAYA. Summer Lake consists of a gas station, small market, post office and rest area. PLAYA recognizes that living in a remote and rural community can be challenging. If you have any questions about whether PLAYA is the best fit for you, please review our 2025 Know Before You Go Handbook. Additionally, if you have questions about the residency accommodations, please see the Cabins page of our website. For questions about the application process listed below, please call 541.943.3983 or email programs@playasummerlake.org.
2026 Art/Sci Awarded Residency date choices:
JAN 15 – FEB 9, 2026: 25 nights
FEB 12 – 23, 2026: 11 nights
FEB 26 – MAR 9, 2026: 11 nights
JULY 9 – 14, 2026: 5 nights
JULY 17 – AUG 3, 2026: 17 nights
AUG 6 – 17, 2026: 11 nights
OCT 8 – NOV 2, 2026: 25 nights
NOV 19 – 30, 2026: 11 nights
Residency Eligibility
Residency Experience Summary
Application Information
PLAYA’s residencies are open to the global community of scientists and artists whose work promotes dialogue and positive change in the environment and the world. Both established and emerging artists working in any media (visual, music/sound, literary, journalism, video, interdisciplinary, new media, other) may apply. We encourage all artists and scientists to apply, including (but limited to) naturalists, biologists, musicians, designers, sustainability leaders, social practitioners, musicians, visual artists, writers and performing artists. Applicants must demonstrate how their work aligns with our mission and how they, or their project, will benefit from time on the land where PLAYA resides. All residents must be 18 years old or older. Residents’ work must be compatible with PLAYA’s available studio spaces, facilities, and resources, and with PLAYA’s rural setting and community (see below).
Regarding reapplication: Past residents or applicants must submit new and complete applications. Past residents must wait two years after the date of their last residency to re-apply to PLAYA; people participating in the the Themed Residency are exempt from this rule.
This residency is free to attend but there is a $30 application fee. Payment will be collected when you submit your application. This fee covers the cost of using the SlideRoom service as well as contributes to the renumeration of PLAYA’s Program staff who manages the software. If this fee prohibits you from applying, please email programs@playasummerlake.org by June 25, 2025 to request a waiver. There is no explanation needed. Collaborative teams are welcome to request fee waivers for additional applications regardless of financial need.
In the event that PLAYA receives specific funding for cost-of-living stipends, we will reach out at that time to qualifying Awarded Residents. We have included a question in the application where applicants can let us know if they would like to be considered for this stipend with a simple Yes or No response. Otherwise, all Awarded Residents can expect the gift of lodging and a weekly group meal. Residents are expected to cover groceries for meals not provided, personal living expenses, and materials and supplies.
For Oregon-based applicants seeking grant funding for this opportunity, please see Oregon Community Foundation’s Creative Heights Grant and James and Marion Miller Foundation’s Spark Awards for Mid-Career Artists.
