2027 vizcaya arts residency + commission

Vizcaya’s Contemporary Arts Program (CAP) enters a new chapter in 2027 as the Vizcaya Arts Residency + Commission. With a dedicated studio space and increased public engagement opportunities, the program now supports visual artists through every stage of developing new site-specific work, from research and development to production and exhibition.

Vizcaya Arts invites applications from South Florida-based emerging, mid-career, and established visual artists working across all disciplines. The inaugural residency supports new projects engaging Vizcaya’s cultural, historical, architectural, and ecological contexts. Selected artists receive dedicated studio space, curatorial and production support, and opportunities for public engagement, culminating in the development and presentation of a newly commissioned, site-responsive work at Vizcaya.

2027 Theme: Holding Time

The 2027 Open Call is organized around the theme of Holding Time. At a moment marked by environmental uncertainty, technological acceleration and evolving perspectives on history and identity, Holding Time considers Vizcaya’s Main House as an active container of time — one that holds architectural history, material transformation, collective memory and environmental change in constant tension.

Visual artists are invited to consider the Main House as both a setting and a subject, and to imagine a cohesive, site-responsive exhibition that engages with the first and second floors of the Main House.

Artists are invited to consider the Main House as both a setting and a subject, and to imagine a cohesive, site-responsive exhibition that engages with the first and second floors of the Main House.

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Residency**

During the residency period of May–November 2027, the selected artist will use Vizcaya’s Artist Studio as a site for creative investigation and project development. The residency gives the selected artist space and time to develop the work through research, testing, fabrication and dialogue with Vizcaya staff and resources, while providing community engagement opportunities related to the commissioned work.

Artist Studio

The selected artist will be the first resident to use Vizcaya’s newly established Artist Studio, located in the historic Chicken House in Vizcaya Village. The 375-square-foot studio is a newly rehabilitated space designed to support research, experimentation and the development of new work in a variety of media. The selected artist will have exclusive use of the studio during the residency period.

Commission

The residency will culminate in a newly commissioned work or body of work presented at Vizcaya from November 2027 to May 2028.

The commissioned project should respond thoughtfully to Vizcaya and inspire new ways for audiences to experience the estate in relation to its history, architecture, environment and contemporary relevance. All projects must be developed and presented in accordance with Vizcaya’s preservation, conservation, safety and site-use guidelines.

Public Engagement

The selected artist will have opportunities to share their process and work with the public throughout the residency and exhibition. Public programs may include, but are not limited to, artist talks, guided tours, workshops and conversations. Vizcaya will collaborate with the artist to develop and promote these programs.

Artist Commitments

• Engage with Vizcaya’s collections, landscapes, architecture, archives and broader cultural resources as part of the creative process.

• Develop a new site-responsive project for presentation at Vizcaya.

• Spend a minimum of 10 hours per week in the studio throughout the residency.

• Participate in 10 hours of scheduled open studio hours during Vizcaya’s Sunday Farmers Market, at times mutually agreed upon with Vizcaya staff.

• Lead 2 public programs during the exhibition period.

Application Timeline

• Shortlisted Artists Notified: By December 31, 2026

• Selection Committee Interviews: January 2027

• Residency + Commission Awardee Notified: March 2027

• Residency: May–November 2027

• Exhibition: November 2027–May 2028