Organizer Information
The Factory on Willow is a creative community and mixed-use property in Manchester, New Hampshire, built around art, creativity, entrepreneurship, and community exchange. Its Artist in Residence (AIR) program is a nonprofit initiative that brings artists from around the world to Manchester for a 12-week residency, providing dedicated live/work space and resources to help artists develop their creative practices. The program also connects residents with the local creative community through exhibitions, events, and collaborations.
Title & Description
Artist in Residence Program at the Factory
The Factory’s AIR program is a 12-week residency for amateur and newly emerging artists seeking dedicated time and space to develop their creative practice. Artists are encouraged to explore, experiment, and strengthen an existing body of work while experiencing Manchester’s creative community.
The program is designed around creative independence rather than a prescribed theme. Each selected artist develops a project or body of work during the residency and concludes the program with a public exhibition or opening celebration featuring their developing work.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Mixed Media
- Installation
- Drawing and traditional media
- Performance
- Other artistic disciplines and creative practices
The program welcomes a broad range of artistic disciplines, styles, and national origins.
Eligibility
The program is international and is intended primarily for amateur and emerging artists.
Applicants are expected to have an established and developing creative practice rather than creating solely as a hobby. The program describes suitable applicants as artists who regularly create, are beginning to establish a consistent style and quality, participate in exhibitions or performances, and are beginning to build relationships within the art world.
Emerging artists with strong execution, exhibition experience, some professional or institutional validation, and an active art-world network are identified as an ideal fit. More established artists may apply, although the organizers note that the program may provide less benefit to artists who are already represented by galleries and have extensive exhibition histories.
Program Benefits & Awards
- Up to three months of residency
- A furnished live/work studio apartment
- Basic household amenities
- Heat, hot water, electricity, and internet
- $350 travel stipend
- $1,600 stipend for food and art supplies
- Opportunity to expand creative workspace into a lower-level commercial space
- Connections and introductions to the local arts community
- A concluding solo or duo exhibition/opening celebration
- Potential opportunities for artist talks, workshops, community dinners, studio visits, and other public programs
- Opportunities for creative exchange and collaboration with Manchester artists, organizations, and businesses.
The program does not specify a cash prize or separate award.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: Rolling; applicants are encouraged to apply early because residency places fill quickly.
- Residency Sessions:
- Session 1: March–May
- Session 2: June–August
- Session 3: September–November
Location
Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
Additional Details
The residency emphasizes creative development, experimentation, community engagement, and professional growth. Artists are expected to plan their projects according to the available stipends; projects exceeding the provided resources require self-funding or outside sponsorship.
Each resident is also required to donate one piece created during the residency to The Factory on Willow’s permanent collection, where works are displayed on the property.
The program is housed within a larger creative community that includes event spaces, a community garden, gym, comic book shop, dog park, and distillery. The Factory also highlights connections with local cultural organizations and has facilitated artist–small-business collaborations in Manchester.