penland’s resident artist program

Penland’s Resident Artist Program, established in the 1960s, is one of the longest-running residencies in the US. The program is designed for professional craft artists who are at a pivotal moment in their creative practice or career—the residency is an opportunity for them to pursue objectives that will have a lasting effect on their work and their lives. Depending on the nature of an applicant’s goals, we now offer two options for interested candidates.

• 1-year project-based residency; artists submit a project proposal and may use the time to push technical and conceptual boundaries, conduct research and development in a particular topic or process, or explore an entirely new aspect of their work.
• 3-year career transition residency; artists submit objectives to advance their studio practice, to work out the practicalities of making a living, or to make a formative transition in their career path.

We are committed to advancing equity at Penland and within the craft field. We recognize that though many of our programs serve a diverse group of artists, our Resident Artist Program does not. Over the next few years we will test two residency models prioritizing the following goals:

• To build a multicultural residency that shapes the future of contemporary craft by creating opportunity and visibility for innovative artists with a range of perspectives and goals
• To recognize artists whose work shows innovation, intention, and skill; are actively engaged in professional artistic practices; and are committed to proposing and prioritizing a project or objective that can be well supported, informed, and inspired by a residency at Penland
• To offer financial relief—in the form of housing, studio, and utilities—to directly support studio artists as they make a formative leap in their work and career