PlatteForum is an award-winning and innovative arts, youth development, social justice and artist-in-residence program in Denver, founded in 2002. As a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization, PlatteForum teams youth with professional artists in intensive, structured, and long-term creative learning environments. Resident Artists collaboratively plan, produce, and exhibit a body of work in an environment in which artistic excellence is highly valued along with support from ArtLab Interns. Youth in PlatteForum’s programs delve into a variety of art forms and social justice topics, confronting challenges and obstacles and making life-changing discoveries about who they are, what they are capable of achieving, and where they belong in the world.

As an artist community, PlatteForum supports the creation and presentation of new art and ideas by contemporary artists. By supporting working artists, PlatteForum generates dialogue in the larger community about the role of the artist and social justice in society. Located in a rich urban context, PlatteForum’s dynamic, artist-centered residencies are built upon the notion of engaging the broader community in the creation of new work, where artists, youth, and the public collaborate. Each resident artist becomes a catalyst for innovative and expanded thinking about what art is and can be.

PlatteForum values supporting resident artists in a myriad of ways not limited to: stipend provided in exchange for skills sharing with our ArtLab interns, mental health support through partnerships with local licensed therapists or by reimbursement, mentorship and/or meetings with local arts leaders and curators, guidance towards goals offered from staff, supplies and tools support, as well as exhibition promotion and media support.

Residencies at PlatteForum are competitive with over 100 applications and only four to five slots awarded each year. Each residency gives the artist the time, space and support to extend their work and share their ideas with the public. Artistic excellence, innovative ideas for engagement and collaboration with the public, and a diversity of ideas, genres, social justice topics and methodologies are paramount in selecting artists for only four to five available slots in the Artist Residency program each year. Residencies are typically 6-8 weeks in duration.



The Artist Residency program is open to artists in all genres and disciplines. Applications from established professional artists, emerging artists, and graduate students are welcome. We encourage local, national, and international artists (if local and national COVID and/or public health guidelines permit) to apply. Artistic excellence, merit, and creative ways of interacting with the public are important criteria in the selection process. Former Resident Artists may apply again after a three-year waiting period. (for example, a Resident Artist from the 2019-20 season is not eligible to apply until the 2022-23 season).

PlatteForum is a member of the Alliance of Artist Communities, an international organization that advocates for creative environments that support the work of today’s artists. Community connections nurtured by collaborations and partnerships with organizations, schools, and individuals that extend the artist’s aesthetic are integral to each residency. The PlatteForum approach — teaming Resident Artists with youth and the community — makes a valuable contribution to our community’s cultural discourse, fosters personal growth for the artist, and positively impacts the lives of participating individuals. PlatteForum’s uniqueness gives artists, youth, and community members opportunities that they might not find elsewhere.

Application is free and available on website.

We use a bi-annual nomination process to reach a diverse pool of candidates from across the U.S. and to focus administrative resources on the program itself. The process begins with an invitation to dozens of nominators (alumni, academics, artists, curators, writers, etc.) to share names of eligible individuals, including visual artists, curators, writers, or other art professionals. Nominees must have a strong work history and be interested in a largely self-directed experience in a secluded setting. Above all, they must be kind and thoughtful of others.

Nominees show their interest by submitting an online application, and selections are made by lottery to ensure that all applications are considered equally. We aim to balance accepted residents with a waitlist in case of cancellations. Residents are given access to a handbook with details of our program and events, including informal studio visits and guided nature explorations.

CIAR accepts visual artists at all stages of their career. We encourage applicants who will benefit from nature as a tool in their creative process, especially those who will use the unique natural environment of Cuttyhunk Island as their studios. Our facilities are conducive to artists with a portable studio practice, an ability to work on projects with easy set-up and break-down methods. Artists may also set up temporary work spaces on our large wraparound, covered porch overlooking Vineyard Sound. We also see this time as a way for artists to wander, think, and sketch. The beautiful nature trails and quiet beaches offer a sense of escape from our busy lives. 

Examples of work methods supported by our facilities:

• drawing
• painting
• collage
• small sculpture projects (not needing special tools or shop space)
• photography
• video

We offer residencies for adults 21 and up. We do not exclude people currently enrolled in fine arts higher education (BFA/MFA). Please visit our Submittable page for information about fellowship opportunities for writers and artists from the Pacific Northwest, who are BIPOC, or who are LGBTQ+ visual artists from the Pacific Northwest. We offer a mix of fellowships and low-cost paid residencies; if you apply for a fellowship for which you're eligible, you can elect to also be reviewed for paid residency. (This way, you are juried as narrowly or broadly as you wish within one application fee.)

Our Submittable page with application information is here.

Fall 2025-Spring 2026 Residency applications are now open until February 17, 2025. 

• Fall 2025: October 8 - December 17, 2025 (10 weeks)
• Spring 2026 Session I: February 1 - March 11, 2026 (5 weeks)
• Spring 2026 Session II: March 18 - April 22, 2026 (5 weeks)

Required Application Materials to Prepare:

• Website/Instagram
• Contact information, resume/CV, and short bio
• Area of Focus
• A statement of purpose: what you plan to accomplish using the time, space and facilities if you are awarded a residency.
• Three references (including contact information) who can attest to your ability to participate and work within an artistic community. If selected, your references will be contacted by Anderson Ranch Arts Center during the review process. Letters of recommendation are not required.
• A $30 non-refundable application fee is due at the time of submitting an application through SlideRoom paid via credit card or by PayPal.
• Ten images of work completed within the past three years including: images (up to 5MB each) and/or video (up to 250MB each). Jpeg images should be no larger than 5MB each. Each time-based work sample should be up to two minutes in length or less. Do not include external links to media samples or websites. Do not include multiple page pdfs as one media sample. Do not include trailer video samples.

An independent committee reviews applications to the Open Studio Residency and both national and international artists working in a variety of disciplines are eligible for consideration. Past participants may reapply to the residency but preference may be given to first-time applicants. Selection is based on work samples, the nature and scope of the project that will be done during the residency (if applicable), and the ability to work in a creative community. All applications are for the entire two-week session. Participants must be twenty-one years of age or older to participate in the Open Studio Residency.

For full Open Studio Residency info, visit our website HERE