The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology announce a call for artists for the Sitka Center Residency Program. The program has provided more than 250 artists, writers, musicians and natural science scholars the opportunity to conduct their work in the unique environment of Cascade Head and Salmon River estuary. Residents are on campus October through mid-May for the general residency program. The Sitka Center hosts approximately 14-25 residents each year. Some residents are emerging voices while others are mature professionals who are internationally recognized in their disciplines.

Click here for the application / registration

Deadline: 30 Apr 2020

There is a small application fee of $25 which helps support the residency program.

Residents come from across the U.S. and, to date, seventeen nations. Up to five residents at a time, usually from different disciplines and stages in their careers, live and work on campus. Residencies are anywhere from 2 weeks up to 3 1/2 months free of charge.  A residency is about taking precious time out of the regular routine of life and expanding into the space of creativity. It is a gift of space and time.

Sitka Center Residency Program Artist Benefits

The residences include living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen areas set-up with basic cooking supplies. Residents are encouraged to bring items to make the living space accommodate their personal needs, e.g., a favorite cooking skillet or pillow. Laundry facilities are available on campus. Each resident has their own private residence within walking distance of each other. Most residents are given a private studio.

No stipend is provided. Residents are responsible for providing their own food, art supplies, and transportation while in residence. The living space and studio space is offered free-of-charge.  The resident is responsible for all travel and living expenses, e.g., food, art supplies and consumables.

Social Equity

The Sitka Center works actively to pursue Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the highest level of our organization’s strategic plan, and throughout each of three key areas of mission work: residencies, workshops and events. Here are ten current examples:

• Residency access: Expanding to offer residencies of different durations ranging from a few weeks to three and a half months in order to serve people who cannot afford to be away long-term from their families or their jobs
• Workshop access: Offering scholarships on an as-needed basis for our workshops
• Event access: Almost all of Sitka’s outreach events are free and open to the public
• Diversity: Showcasing diverse voices as part of our Mingle & Muse speaker series
• Leadership-level inclusion: Inviting diverse art and ecology experts to help jury residency and annual art invitational selection processes and raise awareness for the opportunities Sitka offers across a diversity of networks
• Social equity: Collaborating with Oregon coast Tribal leaders to reduce barriers to Native American artists and ecologists teaching at and applying for residencies at Sitka
• Affirmation: Using a newsletter, social media channels, print materials, and other communication channels to profile and celebrate a diversity of artists and natural scientists
• Justice: Retroactively removing culturally appropriating Native American imagery from our 49 year old Pacific Northwest campus, and talking out loud about it
• Mental health and wellness: Celebrating reflection and introspection as natural parts of the creative process, and not requiring residents to submit plans or present results; Sitka residencies are no-strings-attached
• Safety: Providing personal safety training as part of the Residency Program orientation process; maintaining positive and proactive relationships with all local emergency response teams who serve our remote setting

About The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology

Founded in 1970, the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology fosters creativity, intellectual inquiry, and education. By helping others discover more about their core creative selves and their connections to nature, the Sitka Center works to fulfill its mission of expanding the relationships between art, nature, and humanity. “Place” is what makes the Sitka residency experience extraordinary. They are nestled in a Sitka spruce tree grove located in the Cascade Head Scenic Research Area. Along with the pristine, lush, green environment comes a sense of tranquility and peace. The Sitka Center encourages residents to experience the area by hiking, walking, following elk trails, canoeing, and kayaking.

For more information, contact tamarajennings@sitkacenter.org.

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