roswell artist-in-residence program

Well known by visual artists as the "Gift of Time", the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program was established in 1967 to provide gifted studio-based visual artists with the unique opportunity to concentrate on their work in a supportive, collegial environment for an entire year. This gift of time allows artists to work without distraction in an effort to break new ground and focus on individual goals. The Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program’s interest is in strengthening the vitality of the visual art in New Mexico and has been a catalyst in broadening community understanding of contemporary art for over fifty years.

The Roswell Residency is not project-based nor engagement driven, providing the artist an opportunity to look inwardly. The program is solely dedicated to the development of the individual artist, and as a consequence the usual apparatus of prestige, status, and reputation are ignored.

While the artists that receive the RAiR Fellowship enjoy a reasonable standard of living, most will have to make personal sacrifices to participate. The RAiR Program appreciates that time, distance, and isolation can come at a cost. Those artists who do immerse themselves, undertake a long process of personal discovery.

The nature of the RAiR Fellowship is informal. There are virtually no obligations on the part of the grantees except to respect the facilities and the privacy of the other artists. There are no teaching, lecturing, or exhibition requirements for the Artist-in-Residence. Informal studio visits are occasionally conducted for visiting collectors, dealers or museum staff, but an artist may decline to participate. The Roswell Museum generally invites fellows to exhibit their work toward the end of their stay, however, this opportunity is optional.