As an artist, escaping the busyness of everyday life to create can almost seem like an impossible task. If burnouts or creative slumps prove to be a habitual part of your creative process, then the Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts may be just what you are looking for. With a quiet studio, beautiful setting, and time for inspiration, Saltonstall offers free residencies to artists and writers who are current residents of New York State and/or one of the Indian Nations located therein. Each residency is designed for those looking for a quiet, supportive environment in which to focus on their craft.
The two-week and four-week summer residencies, or Fellowships, run from June to October each year. They accept applications in the following disciplines: poetry; fiction & creative nonfiction; photography & filmmaking; and painting, sculpture, and visual arts. The residencies are competitive, stipend-supported, and accessible to artists and writers with disabilities.
Residency Dates
The third annual six-night residency for parents:
- Thursday, June 2 – Wednesday, June 8
(Please note: this residency is strictly for artist/writer parents who have at least one dependent child at home. The residency is designed to be a period of solitude and focus; as such, we ask that children and other family members remain home.)
Four-week residencies:
- Monday, June 13 – Monday, July 11
- Monday, July 18 – Monday, August 15
- Monday, August 22 – Monday, September 19
Two-week residencies:
- Monday, September 26 – Monday, October 10
- Friday, October 14 – Friday, October 28
There is no cost associated with the residency and no cost to apply. Artists and writers who are awarded a residency are provided the following:
- a $200 stipend for artists/writers awarded the six-night residency for parents
- a $375 or $750 stipend (based on a two- or four-week session)
- writers: a spacious private apartment with ample desk space
- visual artists: a private apartment with adjoining studio space on the same level
- photographers or filmmakers: a private apartment with ample desk space and a fully functional wet darkroom
- all apartments have private baths and a patio or balcony
- hearty chef-prepared vegetarian dinners
- all groceries and a 24-hour accessible kitchen
- washer and dryer
Located just seven miles outside of Ithaca, New York in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region, Saltonstall is situated above a valley providing a wide vista of meadows, cultivated fields, and forested hills. Three miles of hiking trails traverse a number of different habitats: fields, old growth forests, streams, and wetlands, making this a haven for uninterrupted solitude.
Should this program seem just like it was sent from the heavens, then do not hesitate to apply for residencies, as the deadline quickly approaches. Applications can be sent online via Submittable until Sunday, January 23rd at 11:59pm. For more information about the foundation or residency opportunities visit www.saltonstall.org/residencies/application-guidelines.