Organizer Information
Dorland Mountain Arts (originally Dorland Mountain Arts Colony) was founded in 1979 by concert pianist Ellen Dorland and environmentalist Barbara Horton, on land the Dorland family had homesteaded in the 1930s along the Palomar Mountain range above Temecula, California. Its ten-acre core sits within the 300-acre Dorland Preserve, a wilderness area held by The Nature Conservancy, and its first resident — poet David Trinidad — arrived the year it formally opened, with later stays by figures like May Swenson and Alice Sebold. Rebuilt after wildfire damage in the mid-2000s, Dorland remains Southern California's only year-round residential artists' colony and is recognized internationally as a retreat for visual artists, writers, musicians, and composers seeking solitude and uninterrupted creative time in a natural, largely off-grid setting.
Title & Description
Dorland Mountain Arts — Artist Residency Program
Dorland Mountain Arts offers self-directed residencies to artists, writers, musicians, composers, and photographers seeking uninterrupted time and solitude in a natural mountain setting. Residents are housed individually in one of five furnished cottages across the property and have access to shared facilities including the Community Arts Center, its library, the Jane Culp Studio, and an outdoor Art Pavilion. The program is intended purely as professional development time — no themes, projects, or deliverables are required — with selection based on artistic merit and promise rather than a specific brief.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Writing/Literature
- Music/Composition
- Photography
Eligibility
- Open to artists, writers, musicians, composers, and photographers
- Applicants must be 21 years of age or older
- Selection is based on artistic merit and promise
- Anyone who desires time alone in a natural setting to pursue creative work is encouraged to apply
Program Benefits & Awards
- Private lodging in one of five furnished cottages, each with a workspace, sleeping area, kitchen or kitchen area, and bathroom
- Access to shared facilities: the Community Arts Center (including a gallery, library, and the Jane Culp Studio) and an outdoor Art Pavilion
- Two cottages (Horton and Zachai) include a baby grand piano (Steinway and Kimball respectively)
- Free internet in the cottages; limited printing available in the Community Arts Center
- Easels, tarps, a keyboard, and music stand available on request
- On-site washing machine and clothesline for residencies longer than one week
- No stipend, fellowship funds, or production allowance is provided
Application Fee
- $40 application fee for first-time residents only, non-refundable
- A non-refundable cottage preparation fee is added to each residency invoice (amount not specified in the source), intended to help offset (but not fully cover) cleaning and turnover costs
- Cottage fees vary by cottage and length of stay and are non-refundable (exact rates not specified in the source)
- Residents are responsible for their own travel and shipping expenses to and from Dorland, as well as personal and artistic expenses
- Joint/shared residencies: an additional fee of half the total residency fee applies, split equally and invoiced separately to each resident
- Overnight guests: $50 per night or half the residency fee, whichever is less; must register on Dorland's website in advance
- Rescheduling fee: $125 if a confirmed reservation needs to change dates
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 17 September 2026
Location
Temecula, California, United States
Additional Details
- A rotating panel of arts and humanities professionals conducts an independent review of applications; final acceptance is at Dorland's sole discretion, with notification by email
- Departing residents are responsible for cleaning and preparing their cottage for the next resident, following a checkout checklist, and must depart by 11am on their departure day
- No pets are permitted; smoking is prohibited anywhere on the 300-acre property, and violations of smoking or fire-prevention rules result in immediate termination of the residency without refund
- Residents are responsible for crating, shipping, and removing their own artwork and personal property by the end of the residency; Dorland cannot store or be responsible for items left behind
- Visitors require 48 hours' advance notice to the caretaker; one overnight guest is allowed per resident, subject to a fee and required website registration
- No refunds are issued for cancellations, date changes, late arrivals, or early departures, though rescheduling (for a $125 fee) is possible based on availability
- The property includes unpaved roads and trails, and is home to wildlife including rattlesnakes, bobcats, and mountain lions; residents formally assume the risk of injury and agree to indemnify Dorland under the residency agreement
- Dorland may request permission to use residents' names, images, or visual documentation of work produced during the residency for public relations and marketing purposes
- A weekly Meet & Greet is typically held Friday evenings; no services are required of residents, though participation in Art Receptions, Open Studios, and community activities (e.g. firewood stacking, trail clearing) is welcomed